Ronald Reagan in Ballyporeen Co. Tipperary, Ireland 1984

Ballyporeen, County Tipperary is the ancestral home of the Reagan family.

President Reagan’s ancestry has been traced back to his great grandfather Michael Regan who was born in 1829 in the parish of Templetenny, and emigrated first to London and then to the USA. Templetenny was renamed as Ballyporeen around 1900.

On the 3 June, 1984 President Reagan arrived in his ancestral hometown as part of a visit to Ireland. Coverage of the event was broadcast on RTÉ with Brian Farrell reporting and Derek Davis acting as Master of Ceremonies at a welcoming ceremony in Ballyporeen. Although Ballyporeen is a relatively small village, thousands showed out to welcome President Reagan and the First Lady Nancy.

In this excerpt from the day’s events, President Reagan and his wife Nancy, are entertained by traditional Irish dancers from Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann before being presented with a number of gifts from the people of Ballyporeen. Chairman of the Ballyporeen Community Council Martin Neville presents the President with a leather-bound tone containing a pictorial record of everyday life in Ballyporeen.

"On behalf of our community here I extend to you a sincere and warm welcome to our village of Ballyporeen."

‘President Reagan Visit’ was broadcast live on 3 June 1984.