Heating and plumbing contractor Joe Blewitt from Knockmore, Co Mayo has emblazoned his van with the slogan “Joe Biden for the White House and Joe Blewitt for your house” in support of his cousin's bid for the US presidency.
A photo of Mr Biden, who previously served as vice president of the United States and is now running against current President Donald Trump as the Democratic Party's nominee, is also featured on the back of Mr Blewitt's van.
When your 3rd cousin is @JoeBiden! #Ballina is the ancestral home of Joe Biden's maternal relatives the #Blewitts! #JoeBiden #JoeBlewitt pic.twitter.com/uLCdXmG22d
— Aileen Horkan 🕊🇺🇦 (@Aileenballina) September 1, 2020
Mr Blewitt, who is a father of three, told the Irish Examiner how the van art came about: “I was doing a job in Ballina one day, and I couldn’t find parking. So I went around to this man, who used to do sign-writing for me before."
He said he spoke with the writer, Barry Williams, about getting some new work done on the van: “He said, ‘I have something for you, come into me now during the week’. And it was him who came up with the signage idea."
Pictures of the plumber's van have been widely shared on social media, with Mr Blewitt saying the reaction had been "mad".
The Mayo local is close to his American cousin, telling the paper he had paid him a visit at the White House when former president Barack Obama awarded Mr Biden the Medal of Freedom.
Mr Biden has also travelled to Ireland: “We met him previously when he was home in Ireland. He came to Ballina and joined us for a meal in a local restaurant. It was lovely. He came back then again, without all the security and that was nicer. We had a bit of time to sit and chat with him. He is a lovely fella, a down to earth man, a family man."
Mr Blewitt endorsed his cousin's presidential run: “He’s a good politician, he knows what he’s doing. He’s not just starting up like some of them if you get what I am saying."
