Excitement Builds as Invites Snapped up for Obama's Hometown Visit Next Week in Moneygall, Ireland

[flpoljunkie]

Excitement builds as invites snapped up for home-town visit
By Eimear Ni Bhraonain in Moneygall
Friday May 20 2011


Henry Healy, Barack Obama's distant cousin, gets ticket 0001 for next week's US presidential visit to Moneygall

TICKETS to see Barack Obama and the first lady have been issued to people living in the US president's ancestral village.

Queues formed from early yesterday in Moneygall, Co Offaly, where only residents were asked to collect the coveted invites.

Mr Obama's distant cousin Henry Healy emerged first with ticket number 001. Complete with a gold-coloured border, the ticket states: "You are invited to celebrate the visit of the President of the United States of America Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama to the President's ancestral home of Moneygall, Co Offaly."

Mr Healy (26) has championed his village since he first heard it had a connection to the president in 2007. Throughout Mr Obama's election campaign, Mr Healy and Moneygall, with a population of 350, adopted the Kenyan-Irish-American.

The sun beamed down on the old Church of Ireland schoolhouse when villagers started to gather before 9am yesterday.

Also in the queue were those who travelled from as far away as Dublin and Longford in a desperate bid to get their hands on a ticket. However, the event is restricted to people living in the village and its immediate hinterland, with a small number held back for dignitaries.

"I'm delighted with how the whole thing is going," Mr Healy said. "I think people realise that the gardai and council had to go through a process with insurance and vetting and clearing.

"Lots of things delayed the process -- there were people who were collecting for their whole family -- but I'm happy to say I've yet to meet a local who has not received a ticket."

more...

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/state-visits/excitement-builds-as-invites-snapped-up-for-hometown-visit-2652814.html

[Very_Boring_Name]

1. That's really cool. I hope Henry gets a private meeting with Obama

[flpoljunkie]

3. The Obamas fly to Europe tomorrow night. A state dinner will also be held for them in the UK.

Obama brings Mideast policy push on Europe, G8 trip
(2011-05-20)


President Obama delivers a speech on U.S. policy on the Middle East and North Africa at the State Department in Washington
(REUTERS) -

By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will use a European tour next week to urge U.S. allies to help advance the movement for democratic change offered by the "Arab spring" uprisings in the Middle East.

The stalemated military conflict in Libya, U.S. efforts to begin pulling troops from Afghanistan this summer and Group of Eight talks on restoring global economic growth will all play a central role in Obama's talks with foreign leaders.

Obama visits Ireland, Britain, France and Poland, a weeklong jaunt that will create powerful images beamed back home for Americans pondering whether to give him another term in office in November 2012.

Obama will hold one-on-one talks with the leaders of Ireland and Britain, both of whom have advanced tough austerity measures to tackle economic hard times, steps Obama is trying to avoid in a festering budget battle with the U.S. Congress.

At the G8 summit in Deauville, France, he will meet individually with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan on the sidelines of the summit meetings.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wosu/news.newsmain/article/0/14/1805548/News.from.Reuters/Obama.brings.Mideast.policy.push.on.Europe..G8.trip

[asjr]

2. I think it is wonderful!

[Tarheel_Dem]

4. I've heard this being discussed on "World Have Your Say" (PRI)...

and the excitement is contagious. You can hear it in their voices. I think this is gonna be great for the Pres & the residents as well.