Irish for Biden campaign launches in Louth where his great grand parents lived

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Irish For Biden Campaign Launches In Louth Where His Great Grand Parents Lived
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Elaine Keogh

The Irish for Biden campaign was launched today in county Louth where Joe Biden's great grand parents lived before they emigrated to America in the 1850's.

The former vice-president visited the Cooley Peninsula in Louth in 2016. Speaking about today's launch, Councillor Emma Coffey, chair of the Dundalk Municipal District Council, said:

“Little did his great grandfather James Finnegan and wife Catherine know many, many years ago when they left the shores of Cooley that their great grandson would be running for the highest office in their adopted country.”

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“Make sure you get the message out there to make a call to a cousin, phone a friend or relative and tell them it is about time we had an Irish American back in the Oval Office,” she added.

Carija Ihus, chair of Democrats Abroad Ireland said “We have 70,000 American citizens here in Ireland and almost everybody I know that is Irish, has a friend or a family member in the US that has been naturalised.

“If we can have them call their friends and family and get out the vote that way, that is extremely helpful for the American population to get those votes in.”

Irish visit

Back in 2016 when he was Vice President, Biden spent six days in Ireland where he met the Taoiseach at the time Enda Kenny, as well as President Michael D Higgins.

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As an Irish-American, Mr Biden spoke of his great-grandfather who emigrated from Ireland, and also spoke of the pride his family felt in their Irish heritage.

Enda Kenny gave Biden a hurley and a sliotar when he met with him, to which Biden said:

"I have witnessed one game and I have one regret, that they don't have this in the United States. I played American football and American baseball in high school and college, but this would have been ... this is a dangerous game."

During his visit back in 2016 he also traveled to both Mayo and Louth, where his ancestors come from.

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