US PRESIDENT Joe Biden was left feeling emotional on St Patrick’s Day after being treated to a very special performance of a traditional Irish song in the White House.
Video footage of the special moment, which took place during last week’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations, was first posted online over the weekend.
In the clip, Biden is stopped in his tracks by a traditional bagpipe player performing a rousing rendition of “The Minstrel Boy” as part of the festivities.
Visibly touched by the nod to his Irish roots, Biden takes a moment to give the musician a rousing round of applause at the end of a piece that clearly meant a lot to the Irish-American President.
"Thank you. My mother thanks you. Jean Finnegan thanks you," Biden says.
"God love you man. You play incredibly well. Thank you, what a nice thing to do."
The two men wished each other a "happy St. Patrick's Day", before Biden proudly showed off his Irish with a declaration of "Erin go Bragh" [Ireland forever] as they posed for photos.
"They really know how to make an Irishman feel special at the White House," Biden wrote on Twitter alongside the powerful clip.
They really know how to make an Irishman feel special at the White House. pic.twitter.com/NDSGJt5fI1
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 21, 2021
Biden’s Irish heritage if well-documented with 10 of his 16 great-great-grandparents originally hailing from Ireland and, specifically, County Louth and County Mayo.
Originally written by Thomas Moore, the Minstrel Boy dates back to the start of the 19th century wheen it was popularised by Irish soldiers fighting in the American Civil War.
In the years since, it has served as an anthem for the Irish-American contingent in New York, Boston and Chicago serving in in the fire service and police department.
See More: Bagpipes, Joe Biden, Music, St Patrick's Day, Video, White House
