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An amazing encounter with President Obama in Ireland

An Irish American gets up close and personal in Moneygall

DENNY LYNCH,

Published Sunday, May 29, 2011, 7:25 AM

Updated Wednesday, June 1, 2011, 6:33 PM

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Painted houses in Moneygall during President Obama's visit

Photo by Denny Lynch

It was all such a smorgasbord of great subject matter for this photographer. Two women in the town organized a B&B for me in Nenagh, a short drive from Moneygall. The next day, I had to leave my car outside the town.......pass through a metal detector........and then was directed by the very polite garda (Irish police) to walk into the town and stay behind the temporary metal barrier. The huge vehicle that the President arrived in, parked directly in front of the area I was standing in. You talk about the luck of the Irish!

When I saw the First Lady emerge from the van and standing on the street in Moneygall, I thought I was watching a movie, but I reasoned with myself that this was really happening.

The Obamas went first to meet Henry and other Irish dignitaries standing on the opposite side and had some conversation with them there. Then to everyone's amazement the President and Michelle Obama turned around and walked directly towards the crowd I was standing with.

I will say it again ... they walked directly towards the crowd I was standing with. Then without hesitation they shook the hands of everyone, including mine. Surely I must be dreaming. And as Henry suggested in the March email I started “snapping away” with my Canon Rebel.

If I hadn't taken their photographs, I would have never believed I was there. Later that day while sitting in the restaurant at Dooly's Hotel in the town of Birr, I watched on television as Mr. Obama gave an eloquent speech to 40,000 people in Dublin. Ok, that did it; the people of Ireland fell in love with our President! What a day! What a great celebration!

The following thought came to me as I was flying back to America: I was very young when President Kennedy went to Wexford in June 1963 and working as a teacher when Ronald Reagan visited Tipperary in June 1984; so I made sure I was there in Moneygall the day Barack Obama came to Offaly.

The strange thing is, I live only 50 miles from his house in Washington D.C., but I got to shake his hand in Ireland. What a funny world. What a wonderful world.

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ILoveWolfTone | May 31, 2011, 05:24 PM EDT

I wish that this had not impressed the good people of Ireland so much...it's election time coming up and a good many people have Irish ancestry...I think it was a political ploy. I hope he is voted out, because this economy will never recover as long as he is in office. No one with the ability to move this economy trusts him, he is severely inexperienced.

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ciarrai | May 30, 2011, 09:37 PM EDT

Too far towards "the muslims." That is not the belief of the muslim formerly known as Osama Bin Laden. What kind of squirrelly folk read this website anyhow? IMHO, simplesandy is well named. Your man, Danny Lynch, seems just a tad too over the moon about the Obama walking towards him. He isn't Paul McCartney. If he gets our people out of Afghanistan I'll get all goofy over him. Up Kerry, anyhow.

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whiteycat | May 30, 2011, 01:41 PM EDT

Nice story and how nice to get to shake this presidents hand. BUT why all the fuss?The only way I would shake his hand is if he came to my home.That is because I grew up with that bit of politeness to any guest in your home,however he would not be an invited guest anyway.I feel he is too far toward the muslims.

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katetipp33 | May 30, 2011, 09:28 AM EDT

glad you enjoyed the visit and had a good craic

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weasetta | May 30, 2011, 01:53 AM EDT

A tragic Fairy Tale, none the less.

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deburca | May 29, 2011, 11:26 PM EDT

What a great experience! This is a story for the grandchildren!

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McNamara31 | May 29, 2011, 10:14 PM EDT

Denny, this is one special story, and one, I am sure will be told in your family for many, many years to come.

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MrSinatra | May 29, 2011, 07:30 PM EDT

this sounds like a schoolgirl meeting george michael, and she doesn't know he's gay.

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goldenblade | May 29, 2011, 03:21 PM EDT

And not to detract from Denny's account of his time in Ireland - sounds like he had a wonderful and magical time - Ireland still offers that to the intrepid traveller.

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goldenblade | May 29, 2011, 03:20 PM EDT

SimpleSandy - I hope you are not that simple - 99% my ass** - I live in Ireland and most people round me were delighted with the visit of both the Queen and Obama ...Obama elevated the spirits of those listening to pick up and carry on - not like the doom and gloom that we have listened to for the last 2 years - caused by America may I hasten to add. And the alternative - the nutty Palin? I hope someone has given her a geography lesson and that she now knows where Russia is. I wonder what reception she would get in Dublin?

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eamonnandcarol | May 29, 2011, 02:23 PM EDT

What a wonderful account of your time in Ireland meeting Obama,if I were you I would come back again and you never know how you wold meet!

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Trealach | May 29, 2011, 02:13 PM EDT

Nice story, but the official figures given for the crowd in Dublin is 100,000. He gave a great speech, but then he is a world-class Orator, not like the last mumbling idiot. It's a pity it was spoiled though by our idiot of a Taosieach plagerising the President's speech.

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kevinhayes | May 29, 2011, 02:03 PM EDT

"(Ronald) Reagan proved that deficits don't matter" - Dick Cheney to Paul O'Neill, George W.Bush's Treasury Secretary in 2002, when O'Neill was arguing that we could not afford the Republican tax cuts. O'Neill was fired in 2003. Tells you all you need to know which party is most responsible for the deficits that really began in the Reagan era.

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midlandsmiss | May 29, 2011, 02:01 PM EDT

Thanks for this story - what a thrill! So glad you were there. I am so proud of our President and proud of of Ireland.

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simplesandy | May 29, 2011, 12:36 PM EDT

Will you both stuff it on what each president has done wrong in the past. First of all the past presidents all added to where America is today. And this president is no different. I don't give a damm about color of skin either (had to say that because there is always some a$$ who throws the race card in) America is going down the shitter and unless you wake up it is going to cause a war amongst yourselves. And for what. The leaders that get chosen are not doing the job. Not even trying to do it. As for Obama's visit ..I spoke to a lot of people here in Ireland and 99% of them feel he only did this for the Irish American vote ..PERIOD. I am a born and raised American who lives here in Ireland for last 6 years. People over here do not like what the president is doing and before you get fooled by the 40,000 people who cheered Obama on there were thousands who do not like the man. Someone once made a comment that all Ireland must like Obama because they cheered him on, and I said that’s like saying all Americans must like Obama because 40,000 Americans went to a rally and cheered him on. I don't know if I like this president or not .Living here I don't have to deal with him but Americans need to wake up for this next election and find someone other than who’s running to be president .I see it’s like a 3 ring circus.

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