Obama’s Irish roots explained as former US President announces return to ancestral home
OBAMA IS BACK
As former U.S. President Barack Obama prepares for his next visit to Ireland, the excitement is undeniably palpable. Pic: Getty Images
FROM OFFALY TO THE WHITE HOUSE
Beyond the fanfare and inevitable trips to Obama Plaza lies a deep and meaningful connection —a family story that spans from County Offaly to the heights of the White House. Pic: JIM YOUNG/AFP/Getty Images)
POINT OF PRIDE
Obama’s Irish ancestry has long been a point of pride and curiosity, so let's take a look back on his ties to the Emerald Isle. Pic: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Obama’s Irish heritage centres around the tiny village of Moneygall, a quiet speck on the map that found itself thrust into the global spotlight during his presidency. It was here, in a stone cottage along Main Street, that Obama’s great-great-great-grandfather, Falmouth Kearney, was born in 1831 before emigrating to the United States during the height of the Great Famine. Pic: Getty Images
ONE OF THEIR OWN
In 2011, Obama famously sipped a pint of Guinness in a pub in Moneygall, and since then, locals have affectionately claimed him as one of their own. Pic: Maxwells
ROOTS IN INDIANA
After landing in New York, Kearney made his way to Ohio, where he married Charlotte Holloway, an Ohio woman. They had children and eventually resettled in Indiana, where Kearney worked as a farmer. Pic: Getty Images
A FIRST FOR AMERICA
Little did he know, after such humble beginnings, that decades down the line his flesh and blood would become America’s first African-American President. Pic: Martin H. Simon/Pool/ABACAPRESS.COM
PULLING OUT ALL THE STOPS
So honoured to be a part of this monumental moment in history, Moneygall pulled out all the stops, building a petrol station in his honour, directly en route to his ancestral town. Pic: Maxwells/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
THE BARACK OBAMA PLAZA
Located just off Ireland’s M7 motorway, this travel plaza is a mix of fuel pumps, fast food, and presidential pride, even featuring a mini museum dedicated to the former head of state. Obama Plaza opened in 2014 and features a visitor centre that tells the story of Obama’s Irish roots as well as a life-size statue of him and his wife Michelle. Pic: Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland
LIVE DUBLIN INTERVIEW
It was announced on Monday that Barack Obama is to be interviewed live on stage for two events in Dublin and London. Pic: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
IN CONVERSATION WITH FINTAN O'TOOLE
The 63-year-old is to be interviewed by journalist Fintan O’Toole at Dublin’s 3Arena on Friday, 26 September. Pic: File
WHAT'S NEXT FOR AMERICA?
An Evening with President Barack Obama will see the former president speak about his time in the White House and what’s next for the US of A. Pic: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
WHEN ARE TICKETS AVAILABLE?
Tickets for the events go on sale at 10 am on Thursday, 10 July, with 100 tickets set aside in each city for charitable organisations. Pic: Olivier Douliery
