US President courts Troubles with Gerry Adams selfie

Joe Biden declares “I’m home” overnight on Thursday as he is feted on a visit to his ancestral homeland of Ireland.

Joe Biden snaps a selfie with Gerry Adams in Dublin on Thursday. Picture: Twitter

US President Joe Biden declared “I’m home” overnight on Thursday as he was feted on a visit to his ancestral homeland Ireland, whose story he said proved the triumph of hope over despair.

Gearing up for a potential election rematch against Donald Trump, the Irish-American Democrat dwelt on the success of Irish emigres in carving out a new life far from home.

The US and Ireland were joined in “not just the hope but the conviction that better days lie ahead”, he said in a speech to the Irish parliament, after his motorcade was cheered by large crowds in Dublin.

Seeming to draw a firm contrast to some US Republicans’ dystopian vision for the future of America, Mr Biden added: “We have the power to build a better future.” But, following a testy visit to Belfast prior to Dublin, Mr Biden also issued a pointed warning that Britain “should be working closer with Ireland” to protect a 25-year-old peace deal in Northern Ireland.

“Political violence must never again be allowed to take hold in this island,” he said to warm applause from the Irish audience, which included veteran Republican leader Gerry Adams.

Mr Adams, still a hate figure for many unionists in Northern Ireland, hugged Mr Biden after the speech, likely adding fuel to the unionists’ fire after their former leader Arlene Foster said that Mr Biden “hates the United Kingdom”.

The White House pushed back at that, and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said after meeting Mr Biden in Dublin that the President was “keen to be supportive in any way that he can” to uphold the peace in Northern Ireland.

Mr Biden backed efforts by the British and Irish governments to end a unionist boycott of the devolved Belfast legislature, “but doesn’t want to be overbearing or interfering either”, Dr Varadkar said.

Mr Biden, who is only the second Catholic president in US history, earlier met Irish head of state Michael Higgins at his official residence.

In parliament, he switched briefly from English to Irish, telling MPs and dignitaries: “I’m home”. Mr Biden also took the opportunity to correct a gaffe that has gone viral, this time congratulating Ireland’s rugby union team on beating New Zealand’s all-conquering All Blacks last year.

The night before, he said the Irish team had beaten the “Black and Tans”, a notorious police force set up by the British to quell Irish independence fighters.

AFP