Post date: May 23, 2011 9:33:41 PM
President Barack Obama visits the home town of his great-great-great grandfather and later speaks of the ties that bind the U.S. and Ireland. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.
A homecoming for American President Barack Obama in the Irish village of Moneygall.
Villagers line the streets and brave the winds in the the birthplace of Obama's great-great-great grandfather.
Inside a local pub he poses with long lost relations. He also learns something about the art of drinking Guinness.
The next stop is dublin.
Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny introduces Obama
Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, saying:
"Today the the 44th American President comes home."
Obama spoke of the enduring ties if the two nations.
U.S. President Barack Obama, saying:
"Irish signatures are on our founding documents. Irish blood was spilled on our battlefields. Irish sweat built our great cities. Our spirit is eternally refreshed by Irish story and Irish song, Our public life by the humor and heart and dedication of servants with names like Kennedy, Reagan, O'Neill, and Moynihan. So, you could always say there has been a little green behind the red white and blue."
There was one bump on the road in Obama's visit. His Presidential Cadillac -- nicknamed "The Beast" for its bomb-proof features -- failed to make it out of the U.S. Embassy in Dublin when it became stuck on a ramp.
Obama now heads to Britain, and later to France and Poland on a week-long trip where the topics will range from war to the economy.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.