Labour Senator Rebecca Moynihan says her eight-week-old baby Margot is blissfully unaware that she has become an overnight star.
Margot met US President Joe Biden in the Oireachtas yesterday – and even got a shout-out in his speech to TDs and Senators.
“Margot, I apologise to you little baby girl,” the president said.
“The idea of you subject to hearing a President of the United States have to deliver a policy speech is as bad as all my own children have been put through.”
@SeanDefoe pic.twitter.com/dtYdw8vGWc
— Greg Murphy 🤓 (@TheGregMurphy) April 13, 2023
On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, Senator Moynihan said Margot very nearly missed her chance to meet the president.
“She kind of started to kick off just as the speech was finishing because there had been a lot of claps and I had run out of … I had put some express milk in a bottle at that stage and I think she had dirtied her nappy,” she said.
“So, I ran down to my office to change the nappy and then I was coming back up to the chamber and one of the staff members said you know, ‘he’s just going to come down the stairs, come on in here.
“He came down the stairs and kind of held out his arms and I gave Margot to him so it was incredible.
“It is incredible to wake up today and I’m joking saying there’s Margot-mania all over.
“She is completely oblivious, just sleeping way and drinking her milk after the day she had yesterday.”
Senator Rebecca Moynihan with her daughter Margot watching US President Joe Biden addressing the Oireachtas, 13-04-2023. Image: PA Images / AlamySenator Moynihan said Margot is eight weeks old today – and will be hearing about the experience for the rest of her life.
“We are after cutting everything out from the papers and I think we’ll be jiving her about it for years to come,” she said.
She said she very nearly didn’t make the trip to Leinster House.
“Even at a late stage yesterday afternoon, trying to pull together a crying baby, work out what traffic restrictions were - none of my clothes were fitting me - I was like, will I just skip it – and now, obviously, I’m really, really glad I didn’t.”
US President Joe Biden addressing the Oireachtas, 13-04-2023. Image: OireachtasThe Labour Senator said the original plan was for a colleague to look after Margot in her office during the speech.
“They got delayed so I decided to bring her up to the Chamber with me,” she said.
“I kind of stayed at the back where the voting is just in case she cried or needed a nappy change or anything like that.”
President Michael D Higgins and US President Joe Biden at Áras an Uachtaráin. Image: RollingNewsPresident Biden continues his four-day Irish tour today with a trip to Mayo – the county his ancestors left for the US in the mid-1800s.
Air Force One will land at Knock Airport at around lunchtime before the presidential convoy makes its way to the Marian Shrine in Knock.
President Biden will then travel to the North Mayo Heritage and Genealogical Centre to learn more about his ancestors who left Mayo in the mid-1800s.
Later in the day, he will meet some of his local cousins before delivering his speech at St Muredach’s Cathedral.
The speech is due at around 9pm and the president will depart Ballina by helicopter shortly afterwards.
He will fly to Dublin where he will transfer to another plane for his journey home.
