Plain clothes armed gardai will front cordoned-off areas where crowds gather to get a glimpse of Joe Biden in a bid to limit access to the US President.
The Irish Mirror can reveal that as part of the major security measures being put in place to ensure Mr Biden’s safety, locations where punters can engage with him will be “front-filled” by gardai. Sources said US Secret Service agents will also be liaising with the detectives to ensure there is no threat to the President’s safety as he shakes people’s hands.
And because of their location, some of the gardai themselves will get the opportunity to greet the US President. A source explained: “In these areas where crowds are behind barriers, a huge amount of armed gardai will be placed at the front of those.
Read more: Dublin weather: Met Eireann forecast dull and damp day followed by 'uncertain outlook'
“Now it’s a discreet operation, so they will be in plain clothes but will have communication devices to remain in contact with their colleagues here and US agents brought over. And what they are doing is scanning around at people in their vicinity before and during the President’s time in their particular location to identify any threat.
“And at the same time they will be in constant communication with their colleagues. But because there’s a large amount of gardai up the front of these areas, a good few will get to shake hands with Biden too.” The same element of the security operation was also put in place when Barack Obama rocked into town in 2011.
But the Irish Mirror can also reveal that some protocols were changed following that visit. On that occasion, while in Dublin, Mr Obama was handed a phone by a young woman in the crowd and spoke to someone on the other end for around 15 seconds before handing it back.
But the move alerted his Secret Service staff who then brought in fresh rules that something similar would happen again. Another source told us: “That caused a good stir, so much so they changed the protocols.
“So there’ll be none of that on this visit or anything being handed to the President directly just for the fear that it could be a device or something similar that could be a security threat.” There will be 500 gardai on duty in Dublin alone, with 200 armed, while up 400 Secret Service personnel will be on the island during the four-day visit.
Mr Biden, 80, will fly into Belfast on Tuesday aboard Air Force One. Some of his travel during his visit to Ireland will be on the Marine Corps One helicopter.
Security arrangements for that aircraft are still being finalised. Sources say it is still not confirmed if it will be kept at Shannon or Dublin Airport. There is speculation that Mr Biden may go on a “walkabout” in Dundalk and Carlingford when he stops in his ancestral home in Co Louth on Wednesday.
US Secret Service agents have reportedly scoped out King John’s Castle, also known as Carlingford Castle, in the village. When he visited Ireland as Vice-President in 2016 Mr Biden stopped off at Lily Finnegan’s, a pub between Carlingford and Dundalk in the townland of Whitestown from where his great-great-grandfather Owen Finnegan emigrated in the 1840s.
The President will travel from Louth to Dublin where he will stay at the Conrad hotel, before a day of events in the capital on Thursday. He will then head west to Ballina, Co Mayo, where he will give a speech in front of thousands.
As revealed by the Irish Mirror yesterday, US Secret Service personnel are checking sewer tunnels with cameras before sealing manholes on every road Mr Biden is set to cross on his visit next week. Security sources said all air routes he takes on his four-day visit to the island will be no-fly zones.
On the ground President Biden will be transported in a bulletproof limo, known as The Beast, with up to 40 vehicles travelling in the convoy. It is understood that he will be accompanied by heavily armed US security personnel carrying Glock pistols and high-calibre automatic weapons.
Mr Biden’s visit as a sitting president will be the ninth official trip to Ireland by an incumbent since John F Kennedy in June 1963. Seven more followed, with Donald Trump’s trip in 2019 the most recent.
Only Bill Clinton has made more than one trip coming in 1995, 1988, and 2000.
READ NEXT:
Finglas boy who died at 15 may have 'had fatal infection during GP visit two days earlier'
Citywest refugee centre evacuated as Department clarify speculation
National Children's Hospital facing 'chronic shortage' of nurses and staff due to housing crisis
'Tsunami of misery' coming after eviction ban lifted, Fr Peter McVerry warns
Martin hails ‘skill and determination’ of Ahern in helping broker peace deal
To get the latest news to your inbox, sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter.
