BALLINA has been the focus of international interest with the planned visit yesterday of US President Joe Biden.

The north Mayo town is the birthplace of Patrick Blewitt, the President’s great-great-grandfather. He emigrated in the late 1840s before reuniting with his parents Edward and Mary and seven siblings when they too left Mayo in 1850 for Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Some Irish Horse World readers may have spotted Aileen Horkan on RTÉ’s Six One News, in her role as a local historian and genealogist, when the news of the presidential visit was announced.

Aileen, who is also the Dublin Horse Show Simmonscourt Arena Director, reports that the media interest in Ballina was phenomenal. Michael Clarke, Ballina Show chairman, was another local to be interviewed by a US news crew. The enterprising committee, whose annual show takes place on Sunday, July 9th, have a number of billboards around the town welcoming the US President for his homecoming address.

President Biden has a number of third cousins residing in Ballina, including Breege Bourke whose husband Paddy is a well-known show jumping owner on the western circuit. The Biden family has kept in contact with their Blewitt and Bourke relatives for many years and his latest Ballina visit, this time during his presidency, is testament to the strong links between the families.

It’s been a busy week for schoolteacher Aileen who attended the INTO conference in Killarney after supporting her brother David, competing in a 125-mile canoe race over the Easter weekend. He and paddling partner of 19 years Eavan O’Keeffe from Celbridge not only finished second in one of the canoeing world’s toughest endurance races - the 125-mile non-stop race from the Kennet and Avon Canal in Devizes, Wiltshire to Westminster Bridge, via the river Thames - but also set a new Irish record. David credits much of his endurance ability to his days as a pony and young rider!