To be sick hearing about Biden's Visit to Ireland

[Viviennemary]

What business is it of his even if he does have Irish ancestors. He should keep his nose out. it's really beginning to annoy me now. And he's not even there yet.

Agree with this.

The traffic is nuts already around Dublin - as Phoenix Park (near where I live) is closed for 2 days, the knock-on to everything, including the M50, will be nuts.

Allow masses & masses of time.

(Speaking of masses, interested to see he is going to Knock as well!)

Why not, I hope he survives this trip. Apparently he doesn't have the energy for this trip and then another trip to the UK for coronation next month.
That really highlights that he is too old for the job.

Biden's a Democrat.

I know right? I actually know his English cousin (as in, actually invited to the Obama inauguration cousin), but all you hear him bang on about is his vague Irish connections.

I think that he is meeting - or has already met Sunak in Belfast. That's good for both the Peace Process and the protocol. I also think Sunak went ahead with the protocol business due to US pressure and their reluctance to do a post Brexit trade deal without it being resolved.

It's all soft diplomacy and what the heck if it works.

And to a pp, Ireland (Republic of) is doing very well financially now. Has its problems with housing and COL etc. just like everywhere else it seems before that one gets trotted out. Ireland also has a huge number of US tech and pharma companies due to its low corporation tax and very well educated work force. UK could lower its CT if it wanted to and I often wonder why it doesn't in order to attract inward investment post Brexit.

Surely the main reason it’s mention in the UK is because of the Good Friday anniversary, which surely counts as news?

It’s interesting how heritage works for Americans because they have lots they can be fluid with them or choose one over the other. Obviously for US presidents it makes sense to choose ones that help your votes.

As a side note, as Scot I get the confusion for Americans between Scotland and Ireland, especially as they have a whole category of “Scots-Irish” but it does annoy me slightly when they use obvious Scottish things for celebrating their Irishness on St Patrick’s day.

My FIL was in Dublin Monaghan bomb, had aunts in bombs in Belfast and Manchester. I'm shocked at how blase some people are on here (i'm assuming English but could be wrong) about the threat of a return to violence. There was so much murder in NI that escaped so many mainlanders attention it's frightening. Really truly frightening. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. (And as for those who disn't notice in the first place....)

I was talking about the republicans as opposed to the loyalists 😒

The ignorance of history demonstrated on this thread is depressing

I read that 10 of his 16 g.g.grandparents were Irish, no idea if it is true. That doesn't seem all that thin, one of his grandparents was French.

Twas ever thus. But see the first post in the thread. Says it all.

Yes it’s as irritating as hearing about all the mega-fuss over the upcoming Coronation. News outlets just need stuff to make a big deal of.

if it bothers you so much you can turn the telly off don't look at fb or read the papers etc you have choices you know. to me think it's brilliant. he is here for the god Friday agreement anniversary a momentous piece of history in Northern Ireland. its a bit light hearted news which helps considering a 13 year old and 13 year old was killed in a car crash yesterday morning along with two kids similar ages in critical condition plus the usual housing crisis etc we hear in the news evey single day

And Mayo suffered greatly. Like Biden I had ancestors in Ballina as well as other counties.

I grew up in Ballina , the ignorance on display tonight is quite something.

No more than yourself, i had people from Connemara. They were scraping rocks.

He seems to be doing a pretty good job, including far better mid term results than predicted.
The Coronation is largely a bash for European royalty, politicians and deserving U.K. citizens. I believe Jill Biden will represent her husband.

We're not doing so well. COL crisis (applies to UK too albeit). Huge homelessness crisis. There will be an awful lot of problems down the line.

😂 😂

British. ;) Half the bloody problems in Ireland wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the Scots.

Or is just convenient to blame the English only?

Cromwell wasn't Scottish. And the plantations in Ulster were engineered by the British monarch afaik, not by a Scots one.

The Sack of Drogheda. To Hell or to Connaught. Etc.

As president of the USA, he represents one of the sponsors of the Good Friday Agreement and acts as a reminder of how seriously it is taken by some parties.

This is in marked contrast to some of the antics of representatives of the government of the UK and their allies, the DUP, who give every appearance of being happy to undermine that agreement.

The GFA was predicated on the UK and Ireland both being members of the EU and signatories of the (separate) European Convention on Human Rights.

Goodness, now, who would complain about Biden getting coverage in the media for his show of support.

No, don't tell me, let me think for a moment.