U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on Monday afternoon visited his Irish ancestral home in Moneygall, central Ireland's County Offaly.
Over 150 years ago, Obama's great-great-great grandfather Falmouth Kearney left Moneygall to begin a new life in America. An estimated two million people left Ireland during the great famine of the middle of the 18th century and Kearney was one of the many who boarded a ship bound for New York.
Moneygall is a tiny village with a population of less than three hundred but the town has gained international fame since its connections to Obama were revealed.
Obama and his wife Michelle stepped off the president's helicopter in a local sports field just before 3 p.m. before travelling in convoy towards Moneygall's main street. The U.S. president and his wife were greeted in the town by local politicians as well as Obama's distant relative Henry Healy, who received a hug from the president and his wife.
Around 3,000 people from the surrounding area were chosen to line Moneygall's main street. They cheered and waved American flags as Obama's cavalcade pulled up in the middle of the town. Several held placards saying "Is feidir linn" the Irish language translation of Obama's famous campaign slogan "Yes we can."
Despite changeable weather the president and the first lady spent up to an hour getting to know the locals shaking hands and hugging those who lined the streets. Several babies were passed to the Obamas and Michelle Obama was heard saying that their two daughters Sasha and Malia were disappointed they too could not visit Moneygall. The prolonged walkabout by the Obamas was not expected by the event's organizers who described the visit by the Obamas as "historic" and the warmth they showed as "moving."
Obama then visited the site of the house where his distant relatives had lived before their journey across the Atlantic Ocean. The house was originally a one-story thatched cottage but has been rebuilt since.
To the delight of the watching international media and Irish tourism executives, Obama drank a pint of the Irish stout Guinness at Ollie Hayes' Bar on Moneygall's main street. Michelle Obama joined her husband in a pint of Guinness as did Henry Healy and U. S. Ambassador to Ireland, Dan Rooney. While in Ollie Hayes' Bar, Obama was also shown the church records which prove his roots in the area and met some more extended family members. Publican Ollie Hayes declared it as the proudest day of his life.
There are about 36 million people in the United States who claim to have Irish ancestry and 29 U.S. presidents are believed to have roots in Ireland. The influence of Irish-Americans in U.S. politics is also quite significant and Obama's visit is seen as an important part of his campaign for re-election in 2012.
Before travelling to County Offaly, Obama met with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny.
During a 40-minute meeting at Farmeligh House in Dublin, Kenny briefed the U.S. president on the progress of Ireland's EU-IMF bailout as well as discussing Northern Ireland, U.S. immigration policies and the use of Irish airports by U.S. military aircraft.
Obama said that he was inspired by the progress in securing peace in Northern Ireland. He quoted Irish-American former U.S. President John F Kennedy in saying that the Irish peace process offers a "ripple of hope" to those involved in long standing conflicts around the world.
Kenny presented the U.S. president with a hurley, a wooden stick used in the Irish sport of hurling.
The Obamas had earlier visited Aras an Uactarain, residence of Irish President Mary McAleese. While at the residence, Obama and his wife signed the visitors
book and Obama planted a tree in the garden beside one planted by British Queen Elizabeth II last week.
The visit to Ireland is the first leg of a four-country trip to Europe. Obama will also pay an official state visit to the United Kingdom, attend the G8 summit in France and visit Poland.