US Vice President Biden will be welcomed home to Louth with open arms – Fitzpatrick

Fine Gael TD for Louth, Peter Fitzpatrick, has said that US Vice President Biden will be welcomed home to Louth and the Cooley Peninsula with open arms.

“I was delighted to hear Taoiseach Enda Kenny last night confirm that US Vice President Joe Biden will travel here to Louth next month.

“Vice President Biden is very proud of his Irish heritage and we are very proud of the fact that he has traced his roots back to Co. Louth.

“His great grandfather James Finnegan was born in the Cooley Peninsula in 1845 and his great grandmother Catherine Roche was also from Co. Louth.

“The family emigrated to the US in 1850. Mr. Biden grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, an industrial town with a large Irish-American population. I know that he is proud of his Irish heritage and recently traced his family roots.

“It will be a huge privilege and honour to welcome Vice President Biden and several family members to the Cooley Peninsula, which is one of the highlights of Ireland’s Ancient East, where you can travel through 5,000 years of history. This will be a momentous and historic occasion for everyone in Louth and one which we all very much look forward to.

“Not since the visit of President Bill Clinton 16 years ago have we had the opportunity to welcome such a high profile visitor to the county and I can assure Mr Biden that he will receive the warmest of Louth welcomes and will be very glad that he’s made the decision to come home to the Cooley Peninsula.”