Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is wonderful to have the governor here. I know she is very proud of her Ballinasloe, Cork and Kerry connections. As I mentioned before, I am from Wexford, the home of that little known Massachusetts political family, the Kennedys. Sixty years ago, John F. Kennedy came here and inspired people. I thank the governor for coming on this trip to inspire people. What she has done to inspire women and people of my community, which is the LGBTQ+ community, to get involved in politics is incredibly important.

The Boston Marathon is the oldest city marathon anywhere in the world. It is an incredible race. I have had the privilege of running it. When tragedy struck in Boston ten years ago, we saw the resilience of Boston and Massachusetts, with "Boston Strong." It shows how strong a community is. We have incredibly strong connections and links between Ireland and the United States. The governor will understand there is strong affection between this country and Massachusetts. Our challenge now is not just to reflect on all of our histories. It is to look at the modern world and where we can provide those leadership roles in areas, as the governor said, such as human rights and the protection of refugees, those who seek refuge on our shores. It is also about us providing leadership roles in the modern world of technology and education. Boston and Massachusetts, like Ireland, have a rich higher education and research tradition. We look forward, on the governor's trip, as a result of this, to building those links even more. The governor is very welcome. I thank her for her time.