Joe Biden may not be linked to the Irish town, his great-great-great-grandfather left the place almost 200 years ago, but that did not stop Ballina from celebrating his presidential win.

The town in County Mayo is located 145 miles northwest of Dublin, has been waiting for this day, even though many businesses have had to close due to lockdown restrictions.

Joe Blewitt, a heating and plumbing engineer and a cousin of Biden’s, said their town of about 10,000 is super-excited at the winning of Joe Biden.

Blewitt said, “Now he’ll be the President of the United States, they’re delighted, they’re delighted.”

“To think one of their own is one of the most powerful men in the world.”

Blewitt received an invitation to the White House in 2017 when Biden was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama. He said that he hopes to get a similar invite for the inauguration in January.

Blewitt says the pair is in regular contact too: “He’s a really nice fella. He’s good to talk to.”

Biden visited Ballina in June 2016 when he was serving as vice president. That time, he had pledged to visit again.