Moneygall -- you've got competition
A SECOND Irish village is laying claim to be the ancestral home of Barack Obama.
The tiny village of Moneygall raised American flags and tricolours side by side yesterday. The excitement started early in the morning in the Offaly village when an Obama bus pulled up outside of Ollie Hayes's pub.
But in the nearby village of Shinrone, Co Offaly, it was a more low-key affair, as they have only recently discovered links to Barack Obama.
Principal of Shinrone National School, Joe Cleary, told the Irish Independent that there is a "stronger connection" between Mr Obama's ancestors, the Kearneys, and Shinrone.
"As far as we can make out, all generations before Fulmouth Kearney can be traced back to Shinrone."
Obama's links to Offaly have been well documented since Canon Stephen Neill revealed how Fulmouth Kearney was Obama's third great grandfather. Mr Kearney left the village of Moneygall in 1850 and boarded the SS Marmion from Liverpool to New York.
However, Mr Cleary believes Fulmouth's ancestor, Joseph Kearney, was from Shinrone and is buried in the parish.
Moneygall residents have said they are happy to share their stake in Barack Obama with Shinrone.
Marian Healy, the mother of Henry Healy, an eighth cousin of Barack Obama who was invited to the inauguration, is not fazed by Shinrone's claims.
"We all think, the more, the merrier. There's lots of excitement and thank God it makes a change with the recession."
- Eimear Ni Bhraonain
