All you need to know about the Irish sights Joe Biden is visiting

US President Joe Biden is “very much looking forward” to his Ireland visit, according to a White House spokesman.

The president kicks off his four-day trip on Tuesday in Belfast, with his itinerary also including visits to Co Louth, Dublin and Co Mayo.

The trip coincides with the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement – and Biden has close links to Ireland.

His great-grandfather James Finegan was born in Co Louth before emigrating to America, and his great-great-great grandfather Edward Blewitt sold bricks to St Muredach’s Cathedral in Ballina in 1827.

“The president is very much looking forward to that trip and to celebrating the deep historic ties that our two countries and our two people continue to share,” national security council co-ordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said.

These are some of the places Biden will visit on his Irish tour…

Belfast

The first stop on Biden’s itinerary will be Ulster University, where he will make a speech about the progress that has been made since the Good Friday Agreement was signed.

The new £350 million Belfast campus is 75,000 square metres in size, with the university estimating it will have a £1.4 billion regeneration impact on the Northern Irish economy.

A highlight of the campus is the sky bridge – a glass tunnel connecting two buildings, giving views out over the city.

Co Louth

Biden will visit the Norman citadel Carlingford Castle, located in Co Louth – where his great-grandfather was born.

Built around 1190, the castle is steeped in legend. It’s at the bottom of Slieve Foye – a mountain that was historically thought to resemble a sleeping giant, dubbed Fionn Mac Cumhaill by locals, according to Heritage Ireland.

Also known as King John’s Castle, as it was seized by King John of England in 1210 – the same King John who ruled over legendary hero Robin Hood. Overlooking the harbour, it was a useful point of defence.

Now largely a ruin, Carlingford Lough Heritage Trust leads guided tours around the castle between March and October.

Dublin

On Thursday, Biden will meet Irish President Michael D Higgins and take part in a tree-planting ceremony and ringing of the Peace Bell at the president’s official residence, Áras an Uachtaráin.

Built in 1751, Aras an Uachtarain operates as the presidential family home as well as a venue for state visits.

Biden joins a long list of distinguished visitors to the house, including Nelson Mandela, Pope John Paul II and President Barack Obama.

It’s also a popular tourist destination and is open to the public every Saturday. The gardens are a particular highlight – the house is set among 130 acres of parkland and greenery, with ornamental lakes, walled gardens and ceremonial trees dotted about.

Biden’s next stop in the city will be Dublin Castle, where he will attend a banquet dinner on Thursday night.

Dublin Castle has played a major role in the city’s history over the centuries. Originally built as a medieval fortress for King John of England in the early 1200s, it was the seat of English, then British, rule in Ireland until 1922. It was the home of the British monarch’s Irish representative, known as the Viceroy of Ireland.

Visitors today can travel through time when they visit the castle. Despite being destroyed by a fire, parts of the original medieval and Viking building can still be seen, and these are complemented by the main Georgian palace (built in the late-17th and 18th centuries) and the Chapel Royal, an elaborate Gothic revival structure built in the 19th century.

The castle now plays an important role in modern politics. Since 1938, Ireland’s presidents have been inaugurated in St Patrick’s Hall in the castle, and it’s also held state visits with high profile figures – including Queen Elizabeth II and John F. Kennedy.

Dublin Castle is a working Irish Government building, but is still open to the public – with tours running daily and self-guided tickets costing €8 for an adult.

Co Mayo

The final stop on the American president’s tour of Ireland is Co Mayo.

He will visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock – known as Knock Shrine – a pilgrimage site for Catholics since 1879, when an apparition of Mary and two saints were said to appear in the parish church of Knock in Co Mayo.

There are now five churches in the grounds, with millions visiting every year.

Biden will also visit the North Mayo Heritage and Genealogical Centre’s family history research unit, which says it is ‘dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich heritage of the region’.

Finally, Biden will speak at St Muredach’s Cathedral in Ballina – the structure his great-great-great grandfather Edward Blewitt sold bricks for.

The cathedral can be found on the banks of the River Moy in Ballina.