"No malarkey, I can't wait to get home to Mayo," Biden exclusively told IrishCentral on Saturday, April 1.
The Biden statue, which is expected to measure 200 feet in height, will be placed on the banks of the River Moy near the Old Icehouse ruins on the outskirts of Ballina, sources told IrishCentral on April 1.
The bronze statue, which was commissioned shortly after Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States, is set to rival other famous Irish statues, including the Fungie statue in Dingle and the Obama statue in Moneygall.
It is believed that the statue cost roughly $100 million to make, employing more than 40 people.
(It is understood that Mayo County Council agreed to green-light the Biden statue in hopes of finally diverting public discourse away from the county's longstanding GAA "curse.")
Biden, who will arrive in Belfast on April 11 for his first official Irish visit as US President, is already prepping his favorite Seamus Heaney, WB Yeats, and James Joyce quotes ahead of the unveiling, though his aides are understood to be anxious about another Irish gaffe.
A special luncheon reception will be held at the local GAA clubhouse after the statue's unveiling. Sources say no booze will be served and BBC representatives will be barred. The Wolfe Tones are rumored to be providing entertainment.
In a stunning coincidence, the news of the Biden statue comes exactly two years since the US President announced he would be splitting his time between Washington, DC and the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth, which he affectionately dubbed 'Mar-A-Louth.'
Tourism authorities are now working to finalize a new Louth - Mayo camino in hopes of "promoting longstanding Irish American links, or something like that."
While many in America are waiting to hear if he will run again for President in 2024, the unveiling of the new statue in Co Mayo is further fueling speculation that Biden will just run for President of Ireland instead.
(Happy April 1!)
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