Joe Biden will not leave Ireland without making a customary gaffe after the US president appeared to confuse the name of the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team with a contentious War of Independence-era police force.
Speaking at the Windsor Bar in Dundalk, Biden paid tribute to relative and former Irish rugby player Rob Kearney, and thanked him for the tie he was wearing and referenced the match at Soldier Field in Chicago against the New Zealand team.
He said: “See this tie I have, this shamrock tie?
“It was given to by one of these guys right here, who’s a hell of a rugby player who beat the hell out of the Black and Tans.”
The Black and Tans is a name for additional part-time officers – largely ex-British servicemen – recruited to bolster Royal Irish Constabulary numbers in Ireland during the War of Independence, many of whom gained a violent reputation.
The name derives from their uniforms, which featured ill-matched black and khaki clothing.
Correcting himself after grimacing, Biden continued: “Ah god. But, but it was when you were at Soldier Field, wasn’t it? Chicago.
“After it was all over he gave my brother, allegedly for me – but if it wasn’t I still took it – I still got the tie.
“I wore it with great pride.”
The RIC was disbanded following the partition of Ireland in 1921 and replaced by An Garda Siochana.
Concluding the speech, Biden added: “Thank you all for the homecoming welcome, the bad news for all of you is we’ll be back.
“There’ll be no way to keep us out.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you, we love you.”