to be proud to be Irish - Biden reportedly wants The Chieftains for his inauguration.

[Shuddawuddacudda]

www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/joe-biden-irish-band-chieftains-inauguration?fbclid=IwAR2hHpONAH86n_voO69ZwFK8gooFuU8rByZQnbMGXIDU4_w43_zQVggfPGU

'Reported by media'.

Good to know whose corner he's in.... Only the other day, Sky News were gloating that Boris got a phonecall from Biden before Ireland lol.

I think Obama was a fan of The High Kings too. Might have had them at Paddy's Day or something at the WH.

Big honour for The Chieftains if true!

Wow!

Oh wow, I love The Chieftains!

You can't beat a bit of trad live. It would be a pity if they can only do it virtually. Never saw them live myself mind you.

Biden jas very strong Irish roots. Almost as strong as mine. Thats why he has been so vocal about Brexit and GFA.

And that's a nice big 'fuck you' to Boris Johnson

I hope they don’t go with their version of ‘cotton eyed joe ‘ 😂😂

What song do you think he would go with? I’m assuming trad with no vocals.

@titchy

And that's a nice big 'fuck you' to Boris Johnson

Well it demonstrates clearly whose side Biden is likely to take if Boris fucks with the GFA I suspect. Paddy

oops, posted before I finished. I was just going to say Paddy's Day will be a big hooha at the WH with Biden at the helm (Trump begrudgingly did it but his heart was never in it).

God, I'm trying to think of a good celebratory one - they might do instrumental only to start with - who knows!

Danny Boy lol. Most Irish Americans love that craic.

Personally I prefer the Dropkick Murphys ...

but it's not my inauguration

This is them with Sean Keane

Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears - appropriate maybe? Bit too niche though, so I'd say just their music

Sorry, but I find Biden's obsession with his Irish roots a bit odd. Biden is of English, French and Irish descent. His Irish roots are very distant in modern terms, his great-great grandparents on his mothers side. I have to say I think it is a bit odd that he sees himself as so Irish, when he is absolutely an American of mixed European descent and is actually only less than 1/5th Irish.

@Shuddawuddacudda...It was never in doubt on which side he would take. He was very vocal as VP about Brexit, the GFA and even reunification of Ireland. He is second generation Irish-American. His Grandparents emigrated during the famines and his mother was born Stateside. Of Botis insists on a no deal Brexit with a hard border between ROI and Northern Ireland the " special relationship" between the 2 countries (UK and US) will be endangered.

@Shuddawuddacudda I absolutely love that song. I prefer the whistling donkeys version

The Joe Biden Plaza has a nice ring to it.

@Baaaahhhhh

Sorry, but I find Biden's obsession with his Irish roots a bit odd. Biden is of English, French and Irish descent. His Irish roots are very distant in modern terms, his great-great grandparents on his mothers side. I have to say I think it is a bit odd that he sees himself as so Irish, when he is absolutely an American of mixed European descent and is actually only less than 1/5th Irish.

It’s probably hard to understand if you haven’t experienced it.

I’m 5th generation kiwi, but have a real fascination of my English, Scottish and Irish roots.

I know Irish people totally roll their eyes at ‘door-knockers’ (DH actually is Irish), but it is different when you come from a new world country, and trace your ancestors back to somewhere far away.

Well he did say that Orange weren't welcome in the Whitehouse on St Patrick's day even though the main unionist parties were there so I think his attitude to Northern Ireland is more than worrying.

@Baaaahhhhh

Sorry, but I find Biden's obsession with his Irish roots a bit odd. Biden is of English, French and Irish descent. His Irish roots are very distant in modern terms, his great-great grandparents on his mothers side. I have to say I think it is a bit odd that he sees himself as so Irish, when he is absolutely an American of mixed European descent and is actually only less than 1/5th Irish.

I think it's something you wouldn't get unless you came from emigrant Irish ancestors. I know the Irish Americans in my family always saw Ireland as 'home'.

@Leaannb great grandparents not grandparents! Biden isn’t that old!

@Baaaahhhhh finding your Irish roots as an American is huge. When we visited Ireland a few years ago it was full of Americans looking for their roots. It’s a hugely important connection between the two countries.

@Baaaahhhhh

Sorry, but I find Biden's obsession with his Irish roots a bit odd. Biden is of English, French and Irish descent. His Irish roots are very distant in modern terms, his great-great grandparents on his mothers side. I have to say I think it is a bit odd that he sees himself as so Irish, when he is absolutely an American of mixed European descent and is actually only less than 1/5th Irish.

Actually wrong. Biden is 5/8 Irish. Mainly from the Finnigan line in County Cork. His mother was born in 1912 in the US from her immigrant parwnts who escaped the famine. He like I still has close family in Co. Cork. In his situation and mine our Irish roots are extremely important due to our extended family still being in Ireland. This isn't the case where Irish,Pilgrims or whoever migrated in the 1600s or the the 1700s. His family left at the tail end of the famines. My mother didn't immigrate until the 1960s due to the mother home situation. Thats how I'm an American citizen. The only one in my entire family unless of course my sister was adopted in the US. Many of us are looking to him to help us find our family

@Baaaahhhhh

Odd isn't it. It seems to me that many Americans go to a lot of effort to be considered as something other than 'just' American.

[quote TheRuleofStix]@Leaannb great grandparents not grandparents! Biden isn’t that old!

@Baaaahhhhh finding your Irish roots as an American is huge. When we visited Ireland a few years ago it was full of Americans looking for their roots. It’s a hugely important connection between the two countries.[/quote]
His mother was born in 1912....He is Second Generation. Many Irish Americans are wanting to know what happened to our family members. Myself included. He is second Generation and I am first Generation. He is my 4th cousin twice removed.

@Baaaahhhhh Irish culture is very strong and we are all proud of our heritage (mainly!) that can get even stronger if you live abroad. His mother was born to two Irish parents. So she was 100% Irish - just born in US. His father was the one with the mix of English Scottish etc. So his heritage is 50% Irish.

As in most households no doubt his mother exerted a strong influence on him and that would have been an Irish influence. If his grandparents were alive when he was growing up he also would’ve been influenced by them.

I have travelled a lot and lived abroad. No matter where I had a child - America or elsewhere that child would be Irish in my eyes and brought up to appreciate the Irish culture and heritage such as with Irish history so if his mother was brought up like that I presume she also ingrained that in him also.

So if makes sense to me.