Seize the opportunity ... yes we can

As life in Moneygall returns to normal this weekend after the world helped the village celebrate their most famous ancestral son become President of America on Tuesday, the determination to become a tourism mecca for Obama-lovers remains. He may not know it, but President Barack Obama is helping to beat the recession blues in the South Offaly village and locals are determined to seize the opportunity by creating a tourist attraction which will benefit the region and retain people"s interest in Moneygall at national and international level. Offaly County Council want to develop a heritage site in Kearney"s field in the centre of Moneygall, which is owned by the council. It"s where President Barack Obama"s third great-grandfather Fulmouth Kearney grew up before emigrating to the US in 1850. The council endorsed a proposal to build a heritage centre on the site. Councillor Peter Ormond from Shrinone, wants all the tourism agencies and other interested parties to work together to help make the most out of Offaly"s links to Obama. 'We need to develop the area as a whole. Hopefully we"ll get all the agencies, as many interested parties as possible to come together and build something. We"re hoping even that Henry Healy might get some funding from America,' said Cllr Ormond. 'The bypass of Moneygall will come in two years, we need to make the most of the opportunity now.' He said the village was on a high after the media descended on Moneygall to mark Obama"s inauguration. 'There was a media presence from the US, I was talking to the BBC and even France. All the talk all week has been about Barrack Obama, Moneygall and Offaly, all negativity was forgotten,' he said. 'There"s no sign of the recession now.' He added that Shinrone also has a claim to Obama"s heritage as in 1698, Joseph Kearney"s grandmother was born in the village. His son, also Joseph then moved to Moneygall where he met and married Sarah in 1761. Shannon Development, the Shannon Region"s economic and tourism development authority said President Obama"s links to Moneygall has 'enormous potential' for the area. 'Shannon Development is working with Offaly County Council exploring possible options for the development of a heritage/tourism development in the Moneygall area. The company is always open to new, sustainable and innovative projects that enhance the local economy and would welcome ideas from the community and other interested parties,' says John King Heritage and Tourism Director, Shannon Development. Local developer Liam Carroll also has ambitious plans to build the Obama hotel, which would actually be on the Tipp side of the border. Henry Healy, Offaly"s most famous distant cousin of President Obama attended the Irish American Democrats" ball in Washington on Tuesday. While his family members featured on Ryan Tubridy"s radio show which came from Ollie Hayes"s pub. Rev Canon Stephen Neill traced the family trees back to Fulmouth Kearney also attended inauguration events in Washington.