Barack is Back: Tracing Obama's Irish roots ahead of highly anticipated 3Arena show
Beyond the fanfare and inevitable trips to Obama Plaza, lies a deep and meaningful connection, a family story that spans all the way from County Offaly to the heights of the White House.
Obama's Irish ancestry has long been a point of pride and curiosity, so lets take a look back on his ties to the Emerald Isle. As former U.S. President Barack Obama prepares for his next visit to Ireland, the excitement is undeniably palpable. Pic: Maxwells/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Obama's Irish heritage centers around the tiny village of Moneygall, a quiet speck on the map that found itself thrust into the global spotlight during his presidency.
It was here, in a stone cottage along Main Street, that Obama's great-great-great-grandfather, Falmouth Kearney, was born in 1831 before emigrating to the United States during the height of the Great Famine.
In 2011, Obama famously sipped a pint of Guinness in a pub in Moneygall and since then, locals have affectionately claimed him as one of their own. Beyond the fanfare and inevitable trips to Obama Plaza, lies a deeply meaningful connection, a family story that spans all the way from County Offaly to the heights of the White House. Pic: Irish Government – Pool /Getty Images
After landing in New York, Kearney made his way to Ohio, where he married an Ohio woman named Charlotte Holloway. They had children and resettled, eventually, in Indiana, where Kearney worked as a farmer.
Little did he know, after such humble beginnings, that decades down the line his flesh and blood would become America's first African-American President.
So honoured to be a part of this monumental moment in history, Moneygall pulled out all the stops, building a petrol station in his honour, directly en route to his ancestral town. Obama's Irish ancestry has long been a point of pride and curiosity, so lets take a look back on his ties to the Emerald Isle. Pic:Located just off Ireland's M7 motorway, this travel plaza is a mix of fuel pumps, fast food, and presidential pride, even featuring a mini museum dedicated to the former head of state.
Obama Plaza opened in 2014, and features a visitor center that tells the story of Obama's Irish roots as well as a life-size statue of him and his wife Michelle.
Do you think he'll pop in for a quick visit ahead of his next appearance?
It was announced on Monday that Barack Obama is to be interviewed live on stage for two events in Dublin and London.
The 63-year-old is to be interviewed by journalist Fintan O'Toole at Dublin's 3Arena on Friday 26 September.
An Evening with President Barack Obama will see the former president speak about his time in the White House and what's next for the US of A.
Tickets for the events go on sale at 10am on Thursday 10 July, with 100 tickets set aside in each city for charitable organisations.
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