Biden marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement — which has brought peace but not harmony — before traveling to Ireland to explore his own heritage.
But while Northern Ireland is no longer racked by violence, it is hardly a place of harmony, a point Biden seemed to note as he departed Washington on Tuesday. The president said his goal was “to make sure the Irish accords and the Windsor agreement stay in place, to keep the peace, that’s the main thing.” Then, he added: “Keep your fingers crossed.”
Biden will begin his visit to Belfast by meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, an engagement that the White House and British officials are playing down as more of an informal catch-up than an official summit. The president then heads to Ulster University to deliver remarks on the peace accords.Despite the frequent mention of the Good Friday Agreement, Biden’s visit here is not part of the official celebration of the deal.
Although the days of “the Troubles,” when 3,600 people died and 47,000 were wounded, have long dissipated, few would describe Northern Ireland today as a place of harmony or calm. Biden’s Irish heritage is as much a part of his political biography as his rides on Amtrak and his love of ice cream. His major speeches often include quotes from such Irish poets and writers as Seamus Heaney, William Butler Yeats and James Joyce.
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