Day 2: Dublin
President Joe Biden visits Dublin City as part of his official visit to Ireland April 2023
On the second day of his official visit to Ireland, President Joe Biden attended a number of high level engagements in the capital city, Dublin.
He began the day by meeting with President Michael D Higgins and his wife, Sabina Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin. While there, he rang the Peace Bell and planted an Irish Oak tree on the grounds.
President Biden Dublin meetings
Following on from his visit to the Áras, he met with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Farmleigh Estate and later made an address to the Houses of the Oireachtas.
'Shared possibilities'
During his address he spoke of a "present of shared responsibility" and a "future of shared possibilities" between Ireland and the US. He also acknowledged the 25 year anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and its "significant positive impact" to the people across the island of Ireland.
President Biden ended his busy day with a banquet dinner at Dublin Castle.
Áras an Uachtaráin
Áras an Uachtaráin is the official residence and principal workplace of the 9th President of Ireland Mr Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina Higgins.
It is both a family home and a venue for formal State occasions.
The house is open to the public each Saturday, and each year thousands of people visit the house as official guests at the many State and official functions hosted by the President.
Visitors to the Áras
Among the visitors received here over the years have been Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, President John F. Kennedy, Senator Hillary Clinton, President Charles de Gaulle, H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and many of the world’s contemporary leaders.
Farmleigh
Farmleigh is a 78-acre estate inside Dublin’s Phoenix Park.
The government bought it in June 1999 to provide accommodation for high-level meetings and visiting guests of the nation.
Edward Cecil Guinness, great-grandson of Arthur Guinness, constructed Farmleigh around a smaller Georgian house in the 1880s.
According to his tastes, the new building merged a variety of architectural styles.
Artworks and rare books
Many of the artworks and furnishings that Guinness collected remain in Farmleigh house. There is a stunning collection of rare books and manuscripts in the library.
The extensive pleasure-grounds contain wonderful Victorian and Edwardian ornamental features, with walled and sunken gardens and scenic lakeside walks.
The history of Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle is located on Castle Street, in Dublin City Centre.
The castle houses the magnificent State Apartments, the Chapel Royal, a 13th century Tower and some of its medieval structures.
It lies at the heart of historic Dublin and is one of the most important buildings in Irish history.
Dublin gets its name from the Black Pool - 'Dubh Linn'. This is on the site of the present Dublin Castle garden, where the River Liffey met the River Poddle.
The original fortification may have been an early Gaelic Ring Fort. Later a Viking Fortress stood on this site. From 1204 until 1922 it was the seat of English, then British rule in Ireland.
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