Homecoming For An Irish-American

Here is a great picture I wanted to share:

President Obama in Moneygall, Ireland. Courtesy of whitehouse.gov

This Monday, May 23, marked the beginning of a week-long tour of Europe by President and Michelle Obama. The tour began in Ireland--yes, physically the closest European country to American shores of course, but also the European nation where Obama has ancestral roots. Obama began his day in Ireland in Dublin, shaking hands with all the big-wigs (the Taoiseach Enda Kenny, the President Mary McAleese). And then he left power behind for awhile and headed off to a small town in County Offaly in the Midlands called Moneygall, to shake hands with the people--specifically, his people. For Obama's visit to Moneygall was a tribute to his mother's ancestors, who emigrated from there in 1850--a homecoming for an Irish-American, one with Celtic ties as well as Kenyan.

Even with the classic Irish weather of rain and wind, it was a great day for the town of Moneygall. By all accounts the people there (and later at another gathering in Dublin) were over the moon about Obama's homecoming. And certainly the picture above conveys that enthusiasm. But for me, the great thing about this picture is that it really captures the warmth and friendliness of the Irish people and the bond between the United States and Ireland.