Offaly rooting for Obama
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Earlier this year, a Church of Ireland rector traced Obama's midlands ancestor to Moneygall, where the presidential hopeful's fourth great grandfather plied his trade as a shoemaker.
The son of Kearney, the cobbler emigrated to the United States and, eventually, after generations of adventures which would supposedly rival the 'Roots' saga, Barack was born.
Now researchers at Trinity College Dublin are offering an alternative first chapter (or opening scene, if it becomes a TV series).
They have discovered that Obama's sixth great granduncle, another Kearney, made so much money creating fashionable wigs that he was able to invest vast sums in property around the capital.
It all went wrong for him when an economic downturn came along.
Perversely, an economic downturn in the United States may help the wigmaker's descendant, the Democratic candidate, defeat his Republican rival.
Whether such distant links with Ireland will help Obama into the White House remains to be seen.
Will an Offaly Taoiseach some day guide an Offaly US president around the sights of Moneygall?
Offaly people will argue that a grandfather, no matter how many times removed, counts for more than a mere granduncle. Nevertheless, the Dublin claim is impressive.
Strangely, nobody is arguing over John McCain's Irish roots.
