Joe Biden gushed that his ‘heart’ is in Ireland today as he met his counterpart on the latest leg of his visit.
The US president said it is ‘a pleasure to be back’ as he was welcomed by Michael D Higgins at his Dublin residence.
Mr Biden said he had written in the guest book quoting an Irish proverb, ‘your feet will bring you where your heart is’.
‘I’m not going home,’ he told watching media. ‘Isn’t this an incredible place?’
The latest effusive pledge of allegiance to Ireland – which cynics suggest is linked to the looming US election campaign – came despite a backlash at his ‘partisan’ and ‘anti-British’ stance.
The White House was forced to issue a correction after Mr Biden jibed about ‘the Black and Tans’ during a pub visit in County Louth last night.
Mr Biden said he was wearing a shamrock tie given to him by rugby-player Rob Kearney – a distant relative – saying approvingly that he ‘beat the hell out of the Black and Tans’.
The Blacks and Tans was an auxilliary police force…