US President Joe Biden visited a Co Louth pub where he met with distant cousins on the first day of his Irish visit. Biden spoke about his ancestors who left the Cooley Peninsula for the US during the Great Famine and the warm welcome he has received on his trip. He also addressed the need for greater dignity in the world. Biden earlier expressed hope for the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly during a speech at Ulster University in Belfast, marking the 25th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement.

US President Joe Biden wrapped up the first day of his Irish visit with a family gathering in a pub in Co Louth, where he was reunited with distant cousins. Biden discussed his great-great-grandfather, who left the Cooley peninsula for the US during the Great Famine in 1849, but stated that when one is there, one wonders why anyone would want to leave as it feels like home. He also expressed hope that Northern Ireland’s powersharing government will be restored during his speech at the new Ulster University campus in Belfast, marking the 25th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement that brought an end to The Troubles. However, it is a judgment for Northern Ireland politicians to make, not him, he stated. Northern Ireland has had no functioning government for over a year due to the Democratic Unionist Party’s boycott of Stormont over its opposition to post-Brexit trading arrangements.