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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Obama roots trip to Moneygall highlight of his European tour

Posted on Monday, May 23, 2011 at 04:30 AM
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Not only will Moneygall be the highlight of Barack Obamas 24-hour trip to Ireland it will be the highlight of his European visit if the US media has its way.

The story of an African American tracing his roots in a little Irish village has proven irresistible to the media who have flocked to the tiny County Offaly town.

The rest of his trip to London, France and Poland is preoccupied with affairs of state, making it of ho hum variety according to several journalists spoken with.

But Moneygall has that extra added ingredient.

NBC correspondent , Norah O'Donnell, herself a proud descendant of the old sod, says the Moneygall trip has a charming quality that will play very well in America.

"Its a great story," she said as she prepared to return to the village from Dublin for an NBC Today Show segment. "It is charming and the people in the village are great."

Legendary New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd agrees.

"It is like a Hollywood set in Moneygall she said. "It will be a sentimental welcome for Obama, and it will be very interesting to see how this most unsentimental of presidents handles it."

There is no question that Moneygall has become the center of the world overnight, even for a brief few hours.

The locals had a dream that has now come thought in astonishing fashion.

Despite every obstacle imaginable the most important man in the world will drop by their little town about 3 o clock Irish time this afternoon.

That is a real field of dreams come true.



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14 comments

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Towngate | May 26, 2011, 08:22 AM EDT
Antomind @ 07.52. Thank you for your anal-ysis but please don't bother on my account. As for your sad copy-cat use of language - my three-year-old would put you to shame. ~ We will make allowances for your idocy,though, as you must still be dazzled by the people waving Union Flags and the glorious illumination Her Britannic Majesty cast on your fellow townspeople there ~ as you cowered - fretting and sweating - in your miserable hovel!

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McNamara31 | May 24, 2011, 08:31 AM EDT
Squire269...Parroting some more of that "He's not one of us" Fox bs.

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antoman | May 24, 2011, 07:52 AM EDT
@towntroll-A chairde..tuck that stiff upper lip of yours in.Its superfluous to requirement here and it interferes with your angst..oh..and it might snag on a tripwire and take out the whole platoon.There you are a chairde.My analysis.

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Towngate | May 24, 2011, 07:07 AM EDT
Analysis is a very useful skill - but when it is offered by antmindman @09.07 the 'ysis' is quite superfluous!

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badolan | May 23, 2011, 10:21 PM EDT
Congratulations Moneygall! Job well done. I'm sure the entire town looked lovely. Thank you for welcoming our president so warmly. He looked like he was having the time of his life. Please ignore the right wing minority. They are a pack of crybaby whiners that can't stand seeing a successful black man that is also part Irish. It drives the bigots nuts (or nuttier). The visit couldn't do anything but good for the country.

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willieboy | May 23, 2011, 07:15 PM EDT
I am embarrassed for you my fellow Irish that you welcome this imposter to our homeland. He has Irish roots you say. So does half the world and 3/4 ths of the U.S. He is nothing but a narcissistic gobshite. God bless Ireland and the U.S.A.

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Squire269 | May 23, 2011, 04:19 PM EDT
I am appalled by the "cloud" which this "American?" Con-Man has cast over the good people of Ireland. Like MOST Irish-Americans, I am extremely proud of MY heritage and the contributions MY people have made (WITHOUT resorting to "cheap" theatrics for a free trip to Ireland and a photo-opportunity). Ireland would have been FAR better off to have used the funds for Obama's trip to enrich the basic needs of the Irish who have MUCH more "right" to recognition, than a "admitted" BLACK politician whose "miniscule" amount of Irish blood separate him, but little, from the Vikings, Romans and other "visitors" to Ireland, over the years. I can't believe that the Irish are SO gullible to have been "taken in" by this "incompotent idiot" whose DNA "probably shows "not a drop of TRUE Irish blood. Black Irish does NOT refer to Obama. He is NOT Irish, he's (by self-admission) a Negro.

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slainte39 | May 23, 2011, 03:36 PM EDT
How refreshing to see some positive posts about Obama on this comment section for a change, which is usually, morbidly negative about him.

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McNamara31 | May 23, 2011, 02:45 PM EDT
..."He doesn't speak the American Dream; he is the American Dream" Enda Kenny

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bunkerhill | May 23, 2011, 01:39 PM EDT
As an early American with ancestors in every war from the Revolutionary war on, I am so proud of Ireland, and without taking a political side, also of our President Barack Obama. Whatever your politics, Obama is a decent man who has overcome incredible odds. My wife tells me Ireland has long offered help to African countries with their doctors and nurses and that different skin color didn't matter to them. Skin color after all is simply an adaptation to the sun. The closer to the equator, the darker the skin. We are so proud of the Irish for celebrating the Irish ancestry of our first American, African, Irish President. We also acknowledge Ireland's continuous commitment to the people of Africa. Erin go Bragh. That may not be correct but hopefully close. As the Irish say "God Bless."

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antoman | May 23, 2011, 12:50 PM EDT
@McNamara-Its an honour to have him here in Ireland.Welcome home President Obama.

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McNamara31 | May 23, 2011, 12:09 PM EDT
@ antoman... As we saw, He did drink the "black stuff" but not until he and his wife took the time to shake almost every hand in Moneygall.This is a country that sees if you have the talent, nothing is impossible.I hope back in the US they are seeing the live coverage online on RTE.com because there are no words to describe the embrace the Irish people are giving to the Obama's. The Irish have told Obama "Is féidir linn" too!

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antoman | May 23, 2011, 09:07 AM EDT
@Towntroll-He will be in the UK tomorrow and visiting your Queen.Perhaps your new chairde Niall O Dowd will feel generous and prepare a piece regarding his visit to the UK for IrishCentral.com but I would'nt hold my breath if I were you.It is Irishcentral.com after all.The central may allude to being 'the centre of the world' as you put it.But in reality its not.There are many websites and there is no centre as such to the web.Besides which Dublin is not the centre of the world Cork is.You really must try to conceal your hand when leaving comments here.So far a chairde you have done nothing with your comments but reveal the state of your mind which is rather gloomy and ridden with angst.Now then as regards the article.I think its a great day for Moneygall and for Ireland.Tribute should be paid to Ambassador Rooney for his work in bringing President Obama to Ireland.I lol'd when Obama with hurley in hand said Congress better watch out.I saw security open the door to his limosine with TWO hands.Heavy doors.The sun is shining and its great to have him here and see him on the box.Its not a State visit and its more relaxed and less formal than when the Queen was here.Looking forward to seeing him in Moneygall.Will he drink some of the black stuff?We will have to wait and see.

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Towngate | May 23, 2011, 05:55 AM EDT
Suddenly, a man that nobody ever heard of two tears ago, comes to a place nobody heard of, ever, to comemmorate somebody that nobody remembers and it suddenly becomes the centre of the world! More important than his Official State Visit to Great Britain and 'ho-hum' meetings in France and Poland! I am at a loss to know why those other European dignitaries didn't just high-tail it to Moneygall International Airport and Inter-Gallactic Space Facility and stay in the luxurious World class Hotels and Conference Centres and have their meetings there. The only thing against it is that the Potus Feds didn't feel they could handle the vicious threat from the cattle and sheep grazing in the nearby fields, as described in another post on this thread. No. This visit and the Dublin speech concert is for a World Order Stage Production called "Bigging Up Obama!"

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