Affectionate Obamas Leave Warm Glow in Offaly
US President Barack Obama and his wife First Lady Michelle Obama certainly embraced Moneygall, in a visit that lasted much longer than anyone had hoped. Hugs and handshakes were the order of the day, with both the President and his wife returning to the locals lining Moneygall's Main Street to shake more hands every chance they got. An affectionate and much more tactile than expected President and First Lady appeared to very much enjoy the relaxed atmosphere in Moneygall, something that was noticed by the Offaly contingent too. "I expected it to be semi-formal at least, but it was anything but," Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council Danny Owens, who greeted the President and his wife in Moneygall along with North Tipperary Mayor John Kennedy and President Obama's eighth cousin Henry Healy, said. "They were both very tactile, very warm, very generous with their time. It was very relaxing. Many Presidential visits are very staid, with lots of ps and qs to be attended to. In this case not at all. It was like meeting someone on the way to a match." Now back to his day job after weeks spent preparing for the visit of a lifetime, President Obama's eighth cousin Henry Healy is tired but happy. "It was a historic day and an amazing achievement for the people of Moneygall to have the President with us," he said this week. Henry also noticed the affection the Obamas brought to Moneygall. "For the President to embrace me the way he did and give me a hug was most surprising; I thought a handshake was all I would get. I didn't know what to expect, but from the moment we began to speak everything felt so natural. It felt like talking to someone I'd known all my life. It was really really amazing how at ease I felt." Henry said this ease made his job - guiding President Obama through Moneygall - much easier. What helped too he said was the support of his neighbours who turned out on the day. "They were all cheering and chanting for me, which really helped." After shaking hands with half of the population of Moneygall and the surrounding area, President Obama and his wife Michelle visited President Obama's ancestral homestead, before visiting Ollie Hayes' pub for a pint of Guinness and a few family photographs. It seems the President pays his way too, as he left a €50 note behind him to pay for his round of three pints of Guinness (one for him, one for Henry and one for US Ambassador Dan Rooney) and a glass for his wife. "It was definitely Celtic Tiger prices," Henry laughed. Then it was back out to shake more hands, before leaving Moneygall almost a full 40 minutes later than initially planned. While President Obama spoke to crowds gathered in Dublin and then left for London, Moneygall got down to partying to celebrate the historic visit that was the American President and his wife coming home.