Ballina was buzzing for Joe Biden's visit on Ireland tour

Joe Biden received a rapturous ovation from the crowd that watched his speech in Ballina

Crowds gathered in the small Irish town of Ballina in County Mayo on Friday night, hoping to catch a glimpse of US President Joe Biden.

Young and old stood along the River Moy near Killala Bay as the excitement started to build for the arrival of the guest of honour.

Mr Biden was visiting the county at the end of his four-day trip to the island of Ireland.

People from all over Ireland waited in the sun and sometimes the rain for the 46th US president.

Children were on the shoulders of their parents, waving US and Irish flags.

President Biden finished his Irish tour at St Muredach's Cathedral in Ballina where a star-studded line-up of Irish musicians, including The Academic, The Chieftains and The Coronas, entertained the president and the crowd.

Michael Margiotta with Roisin, Hugh and Ena Kennedy ticked another presidential visit off their list

You could say that the Kennedy family, who travelled to Ballina from Galway, are seasoned spotters of US presidents.

They had seen Barack Obama during his visit to Ireland in 2011 and Hugh had seen John F Kennedy when he was in Galway in 1963.

Hugh said he could feel the "same buzz today" that he felt more than 50 years ago.

Emer and Dan had a holiday to remember in Ballina

It was a happy coincidence that Dan and Emer found themselves on holiday in County Mayo at the same time as the presidential visit.

Emer felt it was great opportunity to see Mr Biden.

"You don't get a chance to see the president every day and I thought it would be a shame not to pop round," she said.

Sam McCluskey travelled from Ireland's east coast to it west to see the US president

Sam McCluskey made the trip from Dublin and said it was the opportunity of a lifetime.

He said: "My grandparents would always have spoken of Kennedy coming in the 1960s and I just thought: 'I can't miss this with me being a similar age too.'"

Vernon and Kevin McDonagh enjoyed "novelty" of the day in Ballina

Vernon and Kevin McDonagh from Wexford said they had been "lucky with presidents visiting in recent times".

Kevin added that with "changing demographics over there we may not have as many presidents with Irish ancestry".

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The Gillespie family in Ballina came together for Joe Biden's visit to Ballina

Michael, Therese, Claire and Michael Jr Gillespie only had to travel one mile up the road to see Mr Biden.

Michael said that it was an amazing time for Ballina and was County Mayo's "day in the sun".

Claire studies at Ulster University in Coleraine in Northern Ireland and Michael Jr in Dublin.

But both went home to celebrate the presidential visit as a family.