Handshake to remember: Young Irish boy meets PM Carney

Aaron Gibbons, a young boy in the Irish village of Aughagower, was delighted to meet Prime Minister Mark Carney.

AUGHAGOWER, Ireland — For one young resident of Aughagower, a visit from Mark Carney turned into a moment he won’t soon forget.

Standing among excited locals who gathered to welcome the Canadian leader last weekend, Aaron Gibbons found himself face-to-face with the prime minister. What happened next left the young boy beaming.

“I shook his hand,” Aaron said. “Then he said, ‘What’s your name?’ and I said, ‘My name’s Aaron Gibbons.’”

The encounter may have lasted only a few moments, but it made a big impression on the young Aughagower resident.

Aaron said he felt “really proud” and “really amazed” that Carney was visiting the small Irish village.

Like many residents, Aaron had heard plenty about the prime minister’s trip beforehand. The excitement had even reached his school, where one of his friends is related to Carney.

While Aaron expected the visit to be special, one thing surprised him.

“I didn’t realize that he was going to be so nice and welcoming to shake all of our hands,” he said.

And as the crowds dispersed and the motorcade moved on, Aaron headed home with something far more memorable than a handshake, a story he’ll likely tell his own children and grandchildren one day.

Carney was in Dublin for meetings with high ranking Irish officials to discuss and expand the two countries’ longstanding ties. While in Ireland, he visited his family’s ancestral village on the Emerald Isle where he was greeted with a warm welcome.

He then flew to France to attend the G7 summit.