Joe Biden has declared he is home as he made a historic address to a packed Dáil where he spoke of the strength of the Irish-US relationship and promised a future of unlimited shared possibilities.
The US president was welcome with sustained, rapturous applause as he entered the chamber in Dublin’s Leinster House to deliver a speech on Thursday.
Asking to be forgiven for his attempt at speaking the Irish language, he said “Ta me sa bhaile” (I am home).
Mr Biden is the fourth US president to address the Irish Parliament after John F Kennedy in 1963, Ronald Reagan in 1984 and Bill Clinton in 1995.
In his address Mr Biden praised the “enduring” strength of the Irish-US relationship as he promised “a future poised for unlimited shared possibilities”.
Big names in Irish politics and society congregated for the speech, as well as some members of the US Congress, a senator and Mr Biden’s sister Valerie and son Hunter.
Former Irish president Mary McAleese and ex-taoisigh Bertie Ahern and Enda Kenny were among those present, as was former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams.
As Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail was reading out the list of distinguished guests in the room for the presidential address when he mentioned one particularly young member of the audience.
“I think I must mention somebody else, Mr President, because it’s just come to my attention that a very young observer is in attendance here today, and that is the daughter of Senator Rebecca Moynihan,” he said.
The introduction was met with applause by parliamentarians as Ms Moynihan held up daughter Margo, dressed in a yellow outfit.
MEPs Ciaran Cuffe and Frances Fitzgerald, sitting beside Ms Moynihan, laughed and applauded as Mr O Fearghail namechecked the young guest.
“I do suspect that Margo’s attendance here will go down in family folklore for many years to come,” he said.
After beginning his address, Mr Biden apologised to Margo for having to listen to a policy speech by the US president, which he said his own children also had to endure.
“Margo, I apologise to you, little baby girl,” he said.
Cheers and laughter echoed around the Irish parliament chamber after Mr Biden corrected his earlier gaffe where he referred to the New Zealand rugby team as the “Black and Tans”.
In a speech in Co Louth on Wednesday, Mr Biden confused the name of the famous New Zealand rugby team, the All Blacks, with the contentious Irish War of Independence-era police force.
He made the gaffe at the Windsor Bar in Dundalk, when he thanked relative and former Irish rugby, player Rob Kearney, for the gift of the Irish team tie after a victory against the New Zealand rugby team at Soldier Field in Chicago in 2016.
But on Thursday, Mr Biden pumped his fist as he corrected the record, saying: “I always have a little bit of Ireland close by when I’m in Washington.
“In the Oval Office I have a rugby ball signed by the Irish ruby team when they beat the All Blacks in Dublin in 2021.”
The president said the US and Ireland shared the same values.
He added: “Today Ireland and the United States are standing together to oppose Russia’s brutal aggression and support the brave people of Ukraine.
“President Kennedy said 60 years ago, ‘Ireland pursues an independent course in foreign policy, but it is not neutral between liberty and tyranny and it never will be’ – thank you for that.
“Over the past year Ireland has proved him right, and stood proudly with the United States and partners around the world for liberty against tyranny.”
Mr Biden added: “Ireland has committed more than 170 million euro in non-lethal aid to Ukraine, including vital protective gear, medical equipment, humanitarian support and aid to minimise the impacts of war on food insecurity and child malnutrition – you don’t forget, you got memories that go deep.
“As a member of the European Union, Ireland is working together with the United States and other partners to hold Russia accountable for its actions, including through significant sanctions and export control.”
He said that Russian president Vladimir Putin thought countries would become divided but “he was wrong”, adding: “Today, we’re more united and more determined than ever to defend the values that make us strong.”
