NEW YORK BOSTON |#Popular: Irish Celebrity Gossip Irish Pubs Irish Festivals Irish Roots Irish Entertainment Offbeat Irish

Home Page > News > White House unveils photo record of President Obama's Irish trip

White House unveils photo record of President Obama's Irish trip

Unique photographs taken by official photographer made public

CATHAL DERVAN,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Monday, July 11, 2011, 7:21 AM

Updated Monday, July 11, 2011, 9:23 AM

Larger Text

E-mail

15 Comments

President Obama and Irish President Mary McAleese speak over tea at the Irish presidential palace, Áras an Uachtaráin.

Photo by US Government

The world can now see how Ireland took to President Barack Obama and vice-versa – thanks to a new White House initiative.

A series of behind the scenes photographs from President Obama’s visit to his ancestral homeland in May have just been made public.

The shots for the President’s official scrapbook were compiled by his personal photographer Pete Souza.

They feature photos of everything from First Lady Michelle learning how to pull the perfect pint at Hayes’ Bar in Moneygall to the President putting a comforting arm around an aide after she injured a wrist in a fall.

Official snapper Souza personally commented on the warm welcome afforded to the President and his wife when he uploaded his photographs from their European tour.

“I included several from Ireland to show how enthusiastically the people reacted to the president and first lady,” wrote Souza.

----------------

Bronx fairytale as Obama invites Irish dancers Keltic Dreams to White House for St Patrick's Day

President Obama's Twitter marathon - Irish ask about immigration and hurling

----------------

Photos now available to the public also include shots of President Obama in Ollie Hayes’s pub in Moneygall as well as prints of their arrival by helicopter at the local gaelic football grounds.

The President is also pictured having a private meeting with President Mary McAleese at her official residence in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.

New shots also show the President offering a consoling hug to Elizabeth Sherwood Randall, his senior director for European Affairs, after she was blown over by heavy winds and injured her left wrist in a fall.

The abnormal heavy winds and the threat of ash cloud disruptions to flights curtailed the President’s visit to Ireland.

Souza’s photos also highlight the moment when Michelle Obama’s hair was blown around upon her arrival at Dublin Airport.

Asked later that day in Ollie Hayes’ pub if she was feeling the wind and the cold, the First Lady replied: “No, all I feel is the love.”

Nster.com

E-mail

15 Comments

See all comments

kaydog1 | Jul 12, 2011, 01:22 PM EDT

OH BOY!!!!! More photos of President Obama on VACATION and PLAYING GOLF!!!! Now THERE is something you don't get to see everyday.....HA HA HA HA HA!!!

Report abuse

jamieLM | Jul 12, 2011, 11:16 AM EDT

I have to agree with joycean's 8:50 AM post. When it comes to elections, some Americans don't vote because they don't like any of the candidates. Then there are those who vote for the candidate that they consider to be "the lesser of 2 evils." There are also the 3rd party or write-in votes that can take votes away from either the Dem or the Rep candidate. Then there are all those absentee ballots. I never predict, with any certainity, the outcome of a U.S. presidential election. I ignore the polls, cast my vote, and try to live with the outcome. For me, there's never been the "perfect" candidate - just some who I thought were better than others. You never really know for sure about a president until they get elected and start mixing it up with Congress, their Cabinet, the Supreme Court, and finding out that it isn't that easy to deliver on all those campaign promises. Just try to please the American public on anything - good luck. This is a job where one can really say, "easier said than done" because there are tons of critics for every single decision that's made. A successful president is one who can satisfy half the people, half of the time.

Report abuse

sirpeter | Jul 12, 2011, 10:22 AM EDT

Creakygate is singing God save the Queen again I see.Don't be jealous of President Obama's Irish photo book trip.Here in Cork we did spend €20 on a brass plaque to remind us of Lizzie's visit(OK! It's not real brass,couldn't raise the funds)but we had to buy a tin of Ronseal varnish as well to smarten up the €1 shop mounting.It really does do what it says on the tin.The cheap veneer in the back ground sets it off don't you think Creaky?Not built to last is it? ha ha ha.Have a look!! flickr.com/photos/be216cd1/5741360030/

Report abuse

sirpeter | Jul 12, 2011, 10:16 AM EDT

Report abuse

joycean | Jul 12, 2011, 09:21 AM EDT

About Icelandic Ash. My sister was in Ireland on business last spring when the volcano erupted.She decided to spend an extra day to tour the Ring of Kerry (close to where our family came from) and ended up being stranded in Ireland for two extra weeks. She has young children,and it was a real nuisance for her family.During that time,my husband and I were on our way to Paris from the States and spent a week trying to get out, going from airport to airport up the East Coast.Icelandic ash has been a real problem for TransAtlantic passengers. US military planes (which include Air Force One)follow different rules than commercial planes on deciding when to fly: protecting the planes is more important because they aren't trying to make money by flying passengers.I thought it was odd that the decision was made to leave early since it was a short distance flight,but given the risk of severely ruining Obama's schedule,I wouldn't try to second guess the flight crew.

Report abuse

joycean | Jul 12, 2011, 08:50 AM EDT

Hyattville is correct. On 17 March, Enda Kenny visited Obama at the White House and personnally asked him to visit Ireland. Obama agreed, but the time was not set at that date.The time was chosen based on the G8 meeting in France.Obama did spend an extra evening in London where he made a faux Pas at Buckingham Palace. He rose to toast Her Majesty and the orchestra began playing "God Save the Queen." Obama continues talking over the British national anthem. He also gave a very long speech before the British Parliament, similar to his Dublin speech, on the long history of British-US relations. If Irish critics of the Dublin speech had read the Parliament speech, they would have had a better context for their arguments and realized how silly those arguments were.Obama was in Ireland on a pit stop to visit relatives and fulfill a social obligation, not to wipe out Ireland's debt or change immigration policy.He gave what was meant to be a friendly speech, not "flim-flam."

Report abuse

aoibhinn | Jul 12, 2011, 06:44 AM EDT

Agree with Hyattsville.

Report abuse

Towngate | Jul 12, 2011, 05:44 AM EDT

Dear Hyattsville, as one of the hundreds of ignorant Commenters on this site, and on behalf of all the others, I ought to point out that you are displaying your own ignorance in your blind admiration of President Obama, and trying to demean anybody who does not agree with your opinion of him! ~ Maybe you are just trying to bring your level of ignorance up to ours so you can really feel at home as a Commenter on this site, but I don't think so, somehow! I accept you did not use 'capitals' but you should know that your hero President was not invited by the President of Ireland - nor was it a 'State Visit' It was an informal 'whistle-stop' one-nighter Vote-catcher Circus performed as a favour called in by the American ambassador to Ireland - on his way to a proper State Visit to Great Britain next day as the Honoured Guest of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. (then on to to 'Continental' (mainland) Europe for Meetings with other EU Member States. Btw: if it had been an Irish State Visit it would have been very rude of him to 'hightail' it out of Dublin when his car got stuck on the gate-stop and the excuse that an volcanic ash-cloud from Iceland threatened to operational ability of Air Force One (when everything else was flying without a problem). Although he didn't get to lay his head for even one single night in Ireland; at least by scooting off early to England, he and his wife got to sleep an extra night in Buckingham Palace in London - in the very same bed that was last used by the future King and Queen of Great Britain; Prince William and his bride Catherine on their Wedding Night. I bet there are no photo's of that - either in colour or black and white! ~~~ Hyatt, I know you meant no harm really, but just be careful when you are calling people ignorant that you are not showing yourself to be worse than us! Slainte!

Report abuse

mamaginnty | Jul 11, 2011, 04:45 PM EDT

Aw come on Maloney, thats the silliest reason I have heard on why people voted for Mr Obama, the people who did vote for him are not the ones complaining I bet.

Report abuse

peterson | Jul 11, 2011, 02:14 PM EDT

Obama recently asked the Americans to tighten their belts. On money the Americans have borrowed from China, Obama is taking all of these very very expensive trips with at least two hundred of his friends and staff members which is costing the American tax payers millions and millions of dollars. According to my reliable source, he is the most arrogant and expensive president the U.S. have ever had.

Report abuse

hyattsville | Jul 11, 2011, 11:19 AM EDT

The ignorance of the majority who comment on this site, particularly with regards to President Obama and his task as commander in chief, is a constant source of fascination to me. He was invited to Ireland by the Irish President on a state visit yet many of you persist with the simple conclusion that every trip out of the oval office must be a wild knees up. Even my piddly job requires travel, believe me I don’t confuse any work related trip with vacation. Great idea on the photo book.

Report abuse

simplesandy | Jul 11, 2011, 10:36 AM EDT

the money that was spent on his holiday was a sin. what should have happened was the president should have come over to Ireland to open the doors to USA for all the Irish who's ancestors sweat and blood went to help build USA.

Report abuse

DLW12183 | Jul 11, 2011, 09:39 AM EDT

He was in pure campaign for re-election mode. St. Patrick would have driven him out of your country.

Report abuse

seagreen | Jul 11, 2011, 09:39 AM EDT

Go back to bed ..

Report abuse

LoyalCitizen | Jul 11, 2011, 08:56 AM EDT

This picture could be used in a court of law someday as evidence of collaboration between those who commit crimes against humanity and steal from the sick, the handicapped, the unemployed and old age pensioners.

Report abuse