Mayo for Sam says President

Thousands turn out for Joe show as he wraps up 4-day visit

- FERGHAL BLANEY, LOUISE BURNE and JOHN HAND

"OH the green and red of Mayo," US President Joe Biden declared as he addressed around 10,000 people in Ballina last night, before adding: "Mayo for Sam".

President Biden remarked that his great, great, great grandfather sold 27,000 bricks to build St Muredach's Cathedral in 1827, where he gave his address last night.

He said: "I doubt he ever imagined his great great great grandson would return 200 years later as President of the United States of America." Mr Biden also thanked the people of Ballina for celebrating his presidential win in 2020.

He told the crowd: "It meant the world to me and my family to be embraced as Mayo Joe Son of Ballina.

The President said that the fact he had Irish family on both sides "rescued the fact that Biden was an English name".

He added: "The truth of it is, being here feels like coming home.

"Stories of this place have become part of my soul." President Biden said that it was his "dream to bring his family to Ireland" and he got to do that in 2017.

He noted he turned a sod at the Mayo Roscommon Hospice, in memory of his son Beau who passed away from brain cancer in 2015.