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Joe Biden visit – latest: US president lands in Northern Ireland for historic visit
Joe Biden, the US president, has arrived in Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement; four suspected pipe bombs have been recovered from a cemetery in Londonderry, according to Northern Irish police.
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Biden ‘more than comfortable’ visiting Northern Ireland despite recent violence View post
American investment in the ancestral homeland is not just financial | David Blevins View post
What is on the president’s agenda? View post
Suspected pipe bombs recovered from cemetery in Creggan View post
Policing operation for president’s visit is ‘biggest in decade’ View post
Suspected ‘Stakeknife’ spy in the Provisional IRA dies View post
What is the Good Friday Agreement? View post
An island on high readiness – and high alert | Stephen Murphy View post
Live reporting by Brad Young
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37m ago
17:10
What is on the president’s agenda?
The US president has a busy few days ahead of him beginning with a bilateral meeting with Rishi Sunak tomorrow.
The leaders of Northern Ireland’s main political parties will then have the opportunity to engage with Mr Biden before he speaks at Ulster University.
The president will then travel to the Republic of Ireland, where he will tour Carlingford Castle in Co Louth, an area to which he has traced his roots.
Then it’s off to Dublin, where he is expected to visit Irish President Michael D Higgins on Thursday.
Mr Biden will take part in a tree-planting ceremony and ringing of the Peace Bell at the president’s official residence, Aras an Uachtarain.
Following that ceremony, he will meet again with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and address the Irish parliament.
A banquet dinner at Dublin Castle will follow on Thursday evening.
The president’s trip will end with a visit to Co Mayo on Friday, where he has connected with distant cousins.
He is expected to tour the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock and visit the North Mayo Heritage and Genealogical Centre’s family history research unit.
A public speech at St Muredach’s Cathedral in Ballina will mark the end of his stay.
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1h ago
16:30
Biden shakes hands with Sunak
Joe Biden has met with Rishi Sunak on the runway in Belfast.
The pair could be seen exchanging remarks on the tarmac after the president descended the stairs from Air Force One.
Mr Biden saluted the Lord Lieutenant of County Antrim – the King’s representative in that part of Northern Ireland.
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1h ago
16:19
Joe Biden lands in Belfast
Joe Biden has landed in Belfast to begin a four-day visit to Northern Ireland and Ireland, marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
He will spend tomorrow in Northern Ireland attending events with Rishi Sunak, before travelling across the border to Dublin, Co Mayo and Co Louth.
Rishi Sunak is waiting at the door to the plane to greet Mr Biden.
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1h ago
16:09
Biden to meet with leaders of Stormont’s political parties amid assembly’s suspension
Joe Biden will meet with the leaders of all Northern Irish political parties amid Stormont’s suspension, said US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.
Speaking on Air Force One en route to Belfast, Mr Kirby said the president would like to see Northern Ireland’s devolved assembly back and running as normal.
The DUP boycotted the power-sharing government over the first post-Brexit deal for the region and continues to oppose elements of the Windsor Framework.
Mr Kirby said: “He [Joe Biden] is going to meet with the political party leaders of all the parties, all together in an engagement.
“The message is really congratulations on this anniversary and a focus on trade and economics and improving that across the board.
“He said it on St Patrick’s Day, we’d like to see the National Assembly returned clearly.”
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2h ago
15:45
Police warn flying drone in Belfast an offence during visit
Airspace restrictions have been introduced by the Civil Aviation Authority in Belfast until 8pm tomorrow.
As part of the regulations, it is an offence to fly a drone in and around the Belfast City Centre area or within the vicinity of Belfast International Airport, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has said.
Joe Biden is expected to land between 9pm and 10pm tonight.
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2h ago
15:30
Biden visit will be ‘further push’ to restoring trust ‘undermined by Boris Johnson’
Joe Biden’s visit today will be a “further push” toward restoring the relationship between the UK, EU, and Ireland that had been “undermined” by Boris Johnson, said a former Irish ambassador to the UK.
Bobby McDonagh told Sky News the president was “Irish in a special way” and his visit will “mean a lot to the Irish people, north and south.”
“Some American presidents are Irish in a special way, I’m thinking particularly of Kennedy and Biden, for whom their Irishness is not just an aspect of who they are, but defines who they are,” said Mr McDonagh.
Commenting on the relationship between the UK, EU and Ireland, he said trust was being restored in the absence of the last UK prime minister.
“Trust had been largely undermined because of Prime Minister Johnson’s backing away from the [protocol] deal that he’d signed himself and threatening to act unilaterally and to break international law.
“I think there’s been a huge change with Rishi Sunak. He understands the importance of the UK’s relationship with Europe, Ireland and the US.
“I think the atmosphere has improved all around.”
He said Mr Biden’s visit “at this stage will give a further push to the progress that’s been made”.
The trip also signals the importance of American investment in Northern Ireland as it is granted access to the EU market and UK internal market by the Windsor Framework, he said.
Discussing the framework and the suspension of Stormont, the former ambassador hinted American involvement could “nudge things along”.
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2h ago
14:50
American investment in the ancestral homeland is not just financial
By David Blevins, senior Ireland correspondent
Irish emigrants built the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and the White House in Washington but the United States has more than returned the favour.
Multinationals from across the Atlantic invest an average of €28bn every year in the Irish economy, according to the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland.
But it is not just about the economy – the United States has invested a huge amount of political capital in the Northern Ireland peace process.
It was Bill Clinton’s peace envoy, Senator George Mitchell, who brokered the Good Friday Agreement, the president himself intervening in the final hours of negotiation.
Ironically, power sharing is on hold, the DUP having decided the Windsor Framework does not address its concerns over the Brexit border in the Irish Sea.
But Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, says President Biden’s visit, to mark the 25th anniversary of the deal, “can only help” to restore Stormont.
The ultimate success would be that President Biden’s remarks in Belfast will put enough pressure on the Democratic Unionists that they decide it is time for them to come back into the power-sharing government with Sinn Fein in Stormont, because there is a real political vacuum, and when there is a political vacuum there are always people trying to fill it. We are also dealing with the fact the terror threat in Northern Ireland has been raised from substantial to severe.
From there, the president has accepted an invitation to address a joint sitting of the Dail and Seanad (both houses) of the Irish parliament on Thursday afternoon.
The taoiseach added that relations between Ireland and the US have never been better and believes the president’s arrival is “an opportunity to cement that”.
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3h ago
14:26
Biden calls family of Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia
President Joe Biden has spoken to the parents of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich after he was formally charged with spying in Russia.
Mr Biden made the call as he flies to Belfast to start a four-day trip to Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Mr Gershkovich, a US citizen, was arrested last week on espionage charges, which have been called bogus by the West.
He is being held in a pre-trial detention centre at the notorious Lefortovo prison in Moscow and faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted.
The 31-year-old journalist is the first reporter for an American news outlet to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War.
Following the call, the family of Mr Gershkovich said: “We appreciate President Biden’s call to us today, assuring us that the US government is doing everything in its power to bring him home as quickly as possible.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters after the call that Mr Biden “felt it was really important to connect with Evan’s family, his parents”.
She said Mr Gershkovich had been “top of mind” for the president.
Both the US government and Wall Street Journal have vehemently denied the Russian accusation that Mr Gershkovich is a spy.
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3h ago
14:10
The small Irish town where Biden’s cousin is building a stage for the president
Joe Biden’s cousin has described the “great buzz” in his small Irish town as it prepares for the president to visit.
Ballina, which is twinned with the US leader’s hometown, Scranton, in Pennsylvania, will play host on Friday.
Third cousin Joe Blewitt, who is building the stage for Mr Biden’s address at St Muredach’s Cathedral, said: “I am very excited, there is a great buzz all around the town. It has just been crazy.
“The town will never have known anything like it, it is just great.”
Councillor Annie May Reape said: “The president did say he was coming home. He’s a lovely man and so, so friendly. I think he is really happy himself about coming back.
“Can you imagine the pride for us every time he mentions Ballina on the world stage?
“It puts us on the map. It will do wonders for us.”
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4h ago
13:40
‘Still some way to go’ to end violence in NI after suspected bomb discovery
There is “still some way to go” to end violence in Northern Ireland, the deputy leader of the Alliance Party has said, after four suspected pipe bombs were found in a cemetery.
“We have an ongoing problem with dissident republicans. They don’t represent many people. They are very marginal,” Stephen Farry told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme.
“Northern Ireland wants to move forward. These are the people trying to take us back.”
Police robots were deployed to inspect the suspicious objects in Creggan, Londonderry, this morning.
The discovery came after a petrol bomb attack on police officers in the same area yesterday.
“It does show that there is still some way to go in terms of building the complete peace and ending violence in Northern Ireland, notwithstanding the progress over the past 25 years,” Mr Farry said.
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4h ago
13:19
Brexit will be on president’s agenda
As the presidential plane makes its way over the Atlantic, US correspondent Mark Stone has made his predictions for what will be on Joe Biden’s agenda.
He said Mr Biden will use his huge amount of political experience to promote upholding the Windsor Framework and the Good Friday Agreement in the wake of Brexit.
The Biden administration has “watched the issues and divisions over Northern Ireland” very closely, said Stone, and Brexit will come up over the course of the “politically symbolic” trip.
Stone said: “He is a very experienced politician. He’s 80-years-old. He’s got age behind him and the experience that carries.
“He is a man who believes that compromise is the key to success in politics.
“Compromise was what brought the Good Friday Agreement, what made it work; I imagine compromise will be something he wants to talk about both in Belfast and in Dublin.”
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4h ago
12:47
Suspected ‘Stakeknife’ spy in the Provisional IRA has died
A man suspected of being the army’s top spy within the Provisional IRA has died.
Freddie Scappaticci, from west Belfast, had denied the allegation he was an agent codenamed Stakeknife during the Troubles.
Aged in his 70s, he died several days ago and was buried last week, sources said.
A report on an investigation into the alleged activities of Stakeknife was due to be published early this year, but last week it was announced publication would be delayed.
The investigation, led by former Bedfordshire chief constable, Jon Boutcher, probed alleged crimes such as murder and torture linked to Stakeknife, and the role played by the security services, including MI5.
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5h ago
12:08
Suspected pipe bombs recovered from cemetery in Creggan
Four suspected pipe bombs have been recovered from a cemetery in Creggan, Londonderry, according to Northern Irish police.
The news comes hours before Joe Biden is due to arrive in the country, and after a petrol bomb attack on police officers in the same area yesterday.
“The discovery of these devices was a further sinister and worrying development,” Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said in a statement.
Robots used to examine suspicious objects were deployed to the cemetery this morning at around 6.30am.
Police said the operation is now complete and officers have left the scene.
“Colleagues from Terrorism Investigation Unit will now lead on this investigation,” ACC Singleton said.
Police Service Northern Ireland
Police Service Northern Ireland
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5h ago
12:00
Biden’s involvement ‘essential’ to peace process – Varadkar
Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, says Joe Biden’s “personal” involvement has been “essential” to the peace process.
The US president has long had a keen interest in maintaining peace in Ireland and is committed to defending the Good Friday Agreement (GFA).
He recently praised the Windsor Framework – the post-Brexit Northern Ireland trade deal – as “an essential step” to making sure the historic treaty is “preserved and strengthened”.
In a video speaking about Mr Biden’s upcoming visit, Mr Varadkar said the involvement of the US “and of President Biden personally” has been “essential to the peace process in Ireland from its earliest uncertain beginnings, to the making of the Good Friday Agreement”.
He said the US has been at Ireland’s side in “good days and bad” and it is “fitting” that Mr Biden will be in the country to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the GFA.
“As taoiseach, it’s going to be a very special moment to welcome a great Irish-American president, Joe Biden, home to Ireland,” he said.
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6h ago
11:20
Armoured vehicles and dozens of police descend on Belfast
Armoured vehicles and dozens of police officers have descended on Belfast ahead of the president’s visit.
Streets around the Grand Central Hotel have been closed as part of the major security operation.
Several police vehicles are also outside Ulster University, where Joe Biden is expected tomorrow.
One resident of the city, Anne Tennyson, welcomed the visit despite the extensive security measures.
“It’s great to see him coming here,” she said.
“It’s fantastic. Belfast has cleaned itself up and prepared for it and it’s looking great.”
But not everyone agreed, with a Scottish visitor to the city, Dorothy Wardlaw, calling the police presence scary.
“I think it’s ridiculous, I really think it’s just a waste of money, terrible,” she said.
She added: “Just a bit scary, it does scare you.”
The policing of the visit to Northern Ireland is set to cost around £7m – see our post at 2.10pm for more details on the biggest police operation in nearly a decade.
A police officer demonstrates a security inspection of a drain close to the Grand Central Hotel
A police officer demonstrates a security inspection of a drain close to the Grand Central Hotel
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7h ago
10:40
‘Welcoming a son home’: What are Biden’s family ties to Ireland?
Joe Biden has often spoken proudly of his Irish roots, and the Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar has said his visit this week is about “welcoming a son of Ireland home”.
The US president – who is among 32 million people in the US with Irish heritage – can trace his ancestry to opposite sides of the island.
His great-great-grandfather Owen Finnegan emigrated to the US from the Cooley peninsula of Co Louth in eastern Ireland.
Another great-great-grandfather, Patrick Blewitt, was born in western Ireland – in Ballina, Co Mayo. His father, Edward, sold 27,000 bricks to a cathedral in the town to help him buy tickets to sail his family to America in 1851.
Distant Irish relatives toasted to the US president’s 2020 election win and celebrated his inauguration in January 2021.
An important day in Joe Biden’s calendar
An important day in Joe Biden’s calendar
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7h ago
10:33
Air Force One takes off
The US president’s plane, Air Force One, has begun its flight to Belfast.
The journey should take approximately six to seven hours, with Joe Biden expected to touch down between 9pm and 10pm.
Rishi Sunak is expected to greet the US leader on the runway.
Mr Biden will spend half a day in the Northern Irish capital tomorrow before going to Ulster University to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
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7h ago
10:12
Joe Biden boards plane headed for Northern Ireland
Joe Biden has boarded a plane in the United States headed for Belfast.
Asked on the runway what his top priority was for the trip, the president said: “Make sure the Irish accords and the Windsor agreement stay in place; keep the peace. That’s the main thing.”
He said two of his family members will accompany him on the visit.
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8h ago
09:46
‘To have someone Irish in power is very cool’: Pride and Irish dancing in Joe Biden’s childhood hometown
Joe Biden spent his childhood in Scranton, a town in Pennsylvania where his Irish ancestors settled.
The town is twinned with Ballina, in Ireland’s Co Mayo, and has a strong Irish-American community.
US correspondent James Matthews speaks to people in the town ahead of Mr Biden’s trip…
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8h ago
09:25
An island on high readiness – and high alert
By Stephen Murphy, Ireland correspondent
In rural Co Louth, the clattering of heavy military helicopters breaks the quiet of a sleepy Easter weekend.
Two US Army Chinooks accompany a pair of the famous “white tops”, the Sikorsky Sea Kings in presidential green-and-white livery, as they swoop down to land on a GAA pitch.
One of the Sea Kings will be known as Marine One when it lands here again with a distinguished guest on Wednesday. But not yet.
Across the nearby border, the Police Service of Northern Ireland is drafting in an extra 300 officers from other UK forces to help with a major security operation.
Joe Biden visiting his ancestral home of Ballina, Co Mayo, in 2016
Joe Biden visiting his ancestral home of Ballina, Co Mayo, in 2016
Against the background of an increased terror threat level (put by MI5 at “severe”), there is intelligence that dissident republicans may mount a “spectacular” – an attack against police while the US president is in town.
Motorists gawp on the M2 as armoured American vehicles arrive, including the presidential “roadrunner” communications truck.
In Dublin, a flight of four Chinooks thundering overhead causes a football game to pause. They’ve arrived from US bases in Europe, via Cardiff, and are now en route to the Irish military air base at Baldonnel.
And across the country, in Ballina, Co Mayo, on the Atlantic Coast, the manhole covers are being sealed. There’s a newly renamed Biden’s Coffee Corner to caffeinate the visitors, and the town’s mural of its most famous son will greet him before he makes his homecoming address, at a cathedral built with bricks supplied by his great-great-great-grandfather.
Yes, it’s hard to miss the impending arrival of Joe Biden, with the awesome logistical machinery of a US presidential visit highly visible as early as a week before his arrival. Ireland is ready. Northern Ireland is ready.
All eyes will now be on this most Irish of American presidents to see how he shapes a visit billed here as the ultimate homecoming.
