Read more: Hillary Clinton seeks to accompany Obama to Ireland in May
Read more: Whoopi Goldberg lashes out at Donald Trump over President Obama’s passport - VIDEO
The only two pubs in Moneygall, the County Offaly village where President Obama will visit, have to ‘fight it out’ to decide where the president goes according to Obama’s closest Irish relative. The president is due May 23.
Henry Healy told the Offaly Express that while it wouldn’t be a presidential visit to Ireland without the traditional pint of Guinness, Moneygall has only two pubs, Ollie Hayes pub and Joe Hayes pub, and the two will have to “fight it out,” to host the American president.
President Ronald Reagan had his Guinness at the Ronald Reagan Inn in Ballyporeen in Tipperary in 1984, not far from Moneygall, on his visit to Ireland while President Clinton had his at Cassidy’s Bar in Dublin, the same name as his mother’s family.
As to who will win the Moneygall contest it is too early to say but the competition is bound to be fierce.
The tiny town of just 292 residents will be in the world spotlight on May 23rd when the 44th president visits.
The favorite right now is Ollie Hayes pub which has it’s own Obama corner. It was where US Ambassador Dan Rooney visited when he came to Moneygall on a scouting trip for the Obama visit last year.
At the time Ollie Hayes said "This is an historic day. Drink prices are down after the budget and the American ambassador is coming – two things I thought would never happen.”
Moneygall natives could not be prouder at news of the presidential visit . Henry Healy told the Offaly Express, that “No one really took Barack Obama seriously until he actually beat Hillary Clinton in Iowa back in January 2008. Everyone in Moneygall started to genuinely believe “yes this man can actually do it” and we all began to rally behind.
“ We accumulated in the local many nights watching the different elections, waiting for the results to come in from the different primaries. The biggest night I suppose was November 5 when he beat John McCain. Everyone in the village was 100% behind him during the campaign and everyone is excited at the prospects of hosting the most powerful man in the world,”
The town will have a major face lift.The Dulux paint company has asked to paint the entire town in advance of the visit which is an offer likely to be accepted.
Healy explained his common ancestry with President Obama “Our ancestry is shared with President Obama through the marriage of Joseph Kearney and Sarah Healy. They married in 1761. Josephy Kearney was from Shinrone and Sarah Healy was from Moneygall. They had a son, William Kearney. When he married he had a son Joseph Kearney, who was the shoemaker in Moneygall from his marriage with Phoebe Donavan they had their son Fulmuth Kearney who emigrated in 1850 to the United States.”
He said the link was first discovered the in May 2007, when the announcement was made that a Fulmuth Kearney was an ancestor of the Democratic candidate at time.
“An uncle of mine had conducted family research at the time, had the family tree done and had been working with a family of Kearney’s in Ohio in America. Immediately we were able to make the connection because my uncle had all the groundwork done. So within an hour of the news breaking we were able to make the connection which has been confirmed and authenticated by Cannon Steven Neill as well.”
As to where he will go in Moneygall Healy says “We would hope he would visit the ancestral home, the school house that still stands that his ancestors attended and Templeharry Church where all the family were baptised and worshipped. They are all still standing and are important sites for the president to visit,” said Healy.
Read more: Hillary Clinton seeks to accompany Obama to Ireland in May
Read more: Whoopi Goldberg lashes out at Donald Trump over President Obama’s passport - VIDEO
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Esmeralda | Apr 03, 2011, 10:47 AM EDT
Hi people in Moneygall. I have made up a recipe for a dessert that is a variation of Banoffi pie. I call it O'Banoffi. It is a deluxe version of Banoffi pie. I know it's English dessert, but I would love the Obamas to have a taste of it and see what they think! How can I get in touch with Ollie Hayes?
GeorgeDillon | Mar 31, 2011, 02:44 PM EDT
Why this silly association with a brand of alcoholic drink? It's contemptible--don't the Irish have anything to be proud of?
BARNEYKX | Mar 30, 2011, 12:59 PM EDT
hope its not The Slieve Donard in Newcastle,i got the best redding out i ever got there was lucky i made it to the toilets
McNamara31 | Mar 29, 2011, 01:19 PM EDT
pflynn70 I feel the total opposite. Everytime I heard him speak during the elections or soon after, Obama praised and respected his mother and her parents.The only time he mentions his father is to say he was more affected by his absence than his presence.
Whitepark | Mar 28, 2011, 11:26 PM EDT
If Obama wants a pint in a nice out of the way Pub, go to Ballyglass CoMayo and go to the "Squeling Pig" I guarantee no one will bother him and the Guiness is great!!
fburke46 | Mar 28, 2011, 10:27 PM EDT
I thought it was only on St Patrick's day that everyone was Irish!!! Show the man a good time, since by my own personal experience many older Irish-Americans are bigoted when it comes to race in this the states.
maloney | Mar 28, 2011, 06:40 PM EDT
Put him under the pubs. Half of him under each one.
edmundburke | Mar 28, 2011, 02:41 PM EDT
Actually, Reagan drank a pint of Smithwicks at his namesake pub in Ballyporeen during his presidential visit. Moneygall must be the smallest village in Ireland if it only has two "licensed establishments". I'd say the solution to the problem is easy: he should have a pint in each!
peterson | Mar 28, 2011, 01:15 PM EDT
He is coming to Moneygall to see if he can borrow or steal the Money and leave only Gall!
pflynn70 | Mar 28, 2011, 11:31 AM EDT
It's quite amazing that he is coming to Ireland,he always favors his fathers place of birth (probably his own as well)so it must be something for him to gain.Please do us here in the states, keep him there,give him a real job shoveling turf and B/S the locals with his falsehoods and empty promises.Maybe you can use some of his " hope & change, crap, we had enough!
borefield | Mar 28, 2011, 10:44 AM EDT
He should have no problem choosing which pub to visit first. He is very adept at waffling back and forth, Undoubtedly someone will tell him which one to choose as he never made an independent decision thus far. Whichever one he chooses, do us a favor, KEEP HIM THERE. Ireland is already destroyed so he can't make it mush worse. He has and continues to destroy this country.
cathy/marty | Mar 28, 2011, 10:11 AM EDT
With any luck the bar will be closed
DLW12183 | Mar 28, 2011, 10:07 AM EDT
The winner is the pub where he doesn't go for his guinness. He probably will want a Bud Lite!
LinLinisme | Mar 28, 2011, 09:40 AM EDT
whichever one he chooses,,,keep him there and don't return him
carrickcourt | Mar 28, 2011, 09:28 AM EDT
Amazing that Moneygall only has two pubs, it is must be a tiny place indeed.
antoman | Mar 28, 2011, 08:07 AM EDT
He should stand in the road between the two pubs.And using two long straws.Drink two pints from both pubs at the same time.