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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Obama likely to visit 'Lost Tomb,' resting place of early ancestor, in Kilkenny on Irish trip

Posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 06:55 PM

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This column was first to predict Obama would visit Ireland this May and now I predict Barack Obama will visit Dublin, Moneygall and likely Kilkenny City where the 'lost tomb' of his long ago relative was recently discovered.

Obama is due in Ireland on May 23rd.

St.Canice's Cathedral in Kilkenny is where the remains of Bishop John Kearney , Obama's sixth generation granduncle, is buried.
The story of the discovery of his tomb reads like a Dan Brown plot.

John Kearney was the Bishop of Ossory and a former provost of Trinity College who died in Kilkenny city at the Bishop's Palace in 1813. It is now the headquarters of the Heritage Council.

Film maker Gabriel Murray, who has made a documentary on Obama's Irish roots, finally found “Obama’s Lost Tomb” inside the 13th century St. Canice’s Cathedral.

Murray, along with Cathedral assistant Frances Moore, used a centuries-old map to identify a hidden vault under the floor of St. Canice’s.

They deciphered the Latin on the hundreds of tombs inside the vault, when they came across Bishop John Kearney’s resting place, number 19 on the map, just 20 yards from the main entrance.

Kilkenny's relative proximity to Moneygall --it is about 60 miles would make it a obvious choice for a major address by Obama after Moneygall.

It is also the only known physical family connection.
Moneygall is where his sixth generation ancestor Fulmuth Kearney left from to move to America.

A trip to Northern Ireland has been specifically ruled out according to sources who say that British Prime Minister Cameron would have to be there to greet him and the two men are due to meet in London a day later.

White House sources say they have been swamped with offers for Obama to speak in Ireland but the advance team is only just being put in place now.

Now the exciting prospect of a visit by the 44th president of the United States is on the horizon.

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36 comments

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jessie89 | Apr 09, 2011, 07:18 PM EDT

im loving this Irish humor so much i can't even think straight... laughing out loud seriously :)

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EireinAmerica | Apr 06, 2011, 01:36 PM EDT

It would be great if Dermot Morgan and Ardal O'Hanlon were there in priest garb and protest signs when he arrived saying, "Down with this sort of thing!...Careful Now!"

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maloney | Mar 30, 2011, 02:02 PM EDT

Barry obama has NO Irish in him at all. He is nothing more than a black or African man with a little brit in him and a lot of bull.

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Gearoid4 | Mar 27, 2011, 03:44 PM EDT

To be sure, sorr, the visit of the prez to the Ole Sod will bring a tear to many's an eye of the long lost diaspora who could not accompany him over. To be sure, it will do no harm to the electoral prospects in the likes of Boston or Noo Yawk. He may even buy that ruined castle where his chieftain ancestors used to reside and even retire there.

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nousnous | Mar 25, 2011, 01:02 PM EDT

Obama going to to Ireland to find the "lost tomb" and after that he can fly to Africa to find his "lost birth certificate".

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curranart | Mar 24, 2011, 10:14 AM EDT

Lost Tomb it is called and lost it is.Who cares anyway, privilaged stuff for the privilaged.

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jamieLM | Mar 24, 2011, 09:54 AM EDT

Niall - The bishop wouldn't be an ancestor if he was an uncle with any number of "greats" in front. Your ancestor is someone you directly descend from, like one's great-great grandfathers or great-great grandmothers. Anyone else is your distant extended family - family members who were related to your ancestors. Obama doesn't descend from this bishop, so the (uncle) bishop isn't his ancestor - just a brother of his ancestor, making the bishop a very distant family member of Pres. Obama.

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Collette2 | Mar 24, 2011, 02:43 AM EDT

Listening to you guy's through your comments the one sure things is; there's nothing like Irish humour. Iv'e had the recommended 'belly laugh' for the day.

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seamusmac | Mar 24, 2011, 02:43 AM EDT

I couldn,t give two shits about it.

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Morninghours | Mar 24, 2011, 01:20 AM EDT

After reading all the birthers and bigots posting here, I can only say thank God McCain-Palin didn't win the election. They would have taken the economy that crashed on Bush's watch and turned that recession into a full-scale Depression. Like most GOP candidates and Bush Jr., the two of them don't have enough brain cells to rub together.

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pflynn70 | Mar 23, 2011, 11:19 PM EDT

I just wish we could find his friggin birth certificate as easy as it was to find ancestors of hundreds of years ago. Or is Bush hiding it? He blames Bush for everything else. The man's a complete failure!

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Niall O'Dowd | Mar 23, 2011, 06:26 PM EDT

The ancestor was a Protestant bishop, not catholic

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jamieLM | Mar 23, 2011, 06:19 PM EDT

Right, elektros. The bishop can't be an ancestor - only a possible family member of an ancestor. I'd like to see the documented genealogical research on the bishop being related to Obama's ancestor.

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seanomelbourne | Mar 23, 2011, 06:11 PM EDT

think again elektros

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KLennox | Mar 23, 2011, 05:03 PM EDT

How feckin stupid are your readers?

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