Lord of the Dance
Joe Biden to visit Ireland next year, says Ambassador
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Joe Biden to visit Ireland next year, says Ambassador

AMERICAN PRESIDENT Joe Biden is to visit Ireland next year, the US Ambassador to Ireland has said.

Biden has mentioned visiting Ireland on a number of occasions since he came into office, but Ambassador Claire Cronin said the exact time is still unclear.

Ms Cronin told Newstalk:

"I have no doubt that president Biden will be coming to Ireland at some point in 2023.

"I don't know when, but he has expressed a strong desire to do so, but I have no clue when that might be."

Biden has family roots in Ireland, which can be traced back to Mayo and Louth.

He last made a visit to Ireland in 2016 when he was vice president.

In March, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said President Biden was "anxious" to come to Ireland.

"We didn’t get any specifics on that [the date], but he is anxious to come to Ireland and I think when the opportunity arises I think he’ll take that opportunity," Mr Martin said.

Also, last December, the Taoiseach said he had invited Biden to Ireland and "without hesitation he said that there was nothing he would like better than to come to Ireland as President of the United States."