Biden in Mayo: ‘This will be the equivalent for Ballina of the Quiet Man in Cong’

Almost everyone in Ballina already had a Joe story – and an opinion on whether US president Biden will be a candidate again in November 2024.

Anthony Heffernan, whose food hall and restaurant looks out at the Joe Biden mural, doesn’t think he will and believes it’s no coincidence that a member of the Kennedy clan is part of his entourage.

Mr Heffernan cooked for the then vice-president and a large cohort of his US and Mayo relations in 2016, and seemed unfazed that the kitchen proceedings were closely supervised by Mr Biden’s personal chef – accompanied by “two guys with guns”.

“Most of the group had burgers and chips but he had a chicken Caesar salad. He is really healthy – that’s obviously why he is running around at 80 years. But there was no fuss,” said Anthony.

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The restaurateur doesn’t think Mr Biden will run again despite his energy, and reckoned his new Special Envoy to Northern Ireland Joe Kennedy is in Ireland this week to do more than talk about investment opportunities.

“I think Mr Biden has him on show. He is gearing him up, showing him the Irish connections and how it works”.

Throughout the day as a warm sun bathed Market Square and Garden Street, a stone’s throw from the lane where the president’s ancestors lived until the 1850′s, the chatter was about how late the president would be, and whether he will run again.

Almost every shop window boasted a framed photo of the proprietor with Mr Biden taken during his last visit.

Outside the door of (Ernie) Caffrey’s gallery which backs on to the site of the cottage from where Mr Biden’s Blewitt relations emigrated, Eamonn Walsh was playing a few tunes on his uilleann pipes decked out in the Mayo colours. Eamonn, one of the organisers of the Connacht fleadh which kicks off in Ballina at the end of June, was hoping he’d get to play “moonlight in Mayo” for the president during the day.

“Its cuckoo-land I suppose”, he said revealing that he also has a bodhrán made for the president which he intends to post to the White House if not given the opportunity to present it personally.

Ernie Caffrey was one of the lucky ones who had got the okay to present Mr Biden with a brick from the fireplace, all that remains of the house where Mr Biden’s great great great grandfather Edward Blewitt lived before emigrating to the US.

We all know the story ... we know about the parcels sent home from the US with the dollars wrapped in tin foil. Joe Biden is the success story

“I met him before. We had a chat at the door. He is easy to deal with,” said Mr Caffrey.

Raymond Holmes who sells vintage football shirts at his shop on Garden Street was loving the “fantastic buzz” around town. “It’s a once in a lifetime experience”, said Raymond.

Locals Brendan Forde and Bobby McNulty were also enjoying the atmosphere. “Its great to see all the international news channels here,” said Brendan. Bobby was wearing a golf cap, something that had attracted Mr Biden’s attention when he did a walkabout in Ballina in 2016. “He asked me what my handicap was and when I said 19, he said ‘I gotta play you’ ”, recalled the retired dentist.

Outside Paddy Mac’s bar, proprietor Michael Carr was showing off an enlarged photo of Mr Biden taken with his then nine-year-old son Patrick in 2016.

“This will be the equivalent for Ballina of the Quiet Man in Cong,” said Mr Carr whose late uncle John McDonnell qualified for the 1960′s Olympics, but didn’t get to participate. Mr McDonnell, a renowned athlete in the US, became a friend of the Clintons and Mr Biden after he emigrated.

“We all know the story. My dad and mam like many went to England in the 1950′s with a toolbox,” said the publican. “And we know about the parcels sent home from the US with the dollars wrapped in tin foil. Joe Biden is the success story.”

The Mayor of Ballina, Independent Councillor Mark Duffy is hoping Mr Biden will run again in 2024. A Biden presidency is already hugely significant “because of the emigrant story, because his family left at such a dark hour in Irish history, The American story is built on that hope of immigrant prosperity”.

The Mayor’s two brothers Eoin and Thomas with impeccable timing opened their drive-through coffee shop “Biden Corner” on Thursday in plenty of time to cater for the throngs.

Solicitor David O’Malley part of the Ballina Clean Up group who dreamt up the idea of a mural of Joe Biden in honour of his family connections, had a job or 500 for the president. “We are planting one tree for every one living in Ballina for our 300th anniversary That’s 10,500 trees. We have about 5,500 planted,” he said.

He too is hoping for another Biden presidency. “And we might see him back in Ballina in another few years”.

If Mr Biden does run, he is already guaranteed a few votes from Ballina.

Publican Derek Leonard, explained that having lived in Boston for 15 years, he and his family have dual citizenship. “He got three votes in our house last time,” he said.