Can we claim him as one of our own? Yes we can
He stopped for a moment, tilted his furry head and looked over at the Oval Office before deciding to keep on walking, wagging his tail.
It was not just Bo who was enjoying the day. Inside, President Barack Obama had just sprung the news on Taoiseach Enda Kenny that he’s coming to Ireland
The year of the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of Ireland’s favourite son, John F Kennedy and the 100th birthday of Irish American President Ronald Reagan, the man they tell us “there’s no one as Irish as” Barack O’Bama is coming home.
Can we claim him? Yes we can.
Can we handle the excitement? No we can’t.
A descendant of Fulmuth Kearney, who was reared in Moneygall and left for America in 1850, when he was 19, Obama seemed unsure yesterday about how many “greats” there were connecting him to his Irish ancestors.
There are three in fact, he gave it five. But who is counting?
“I’m expecting to go not only to all the famous sites but also to go to Moneygall where my great-great-great-great...” He paused before throwing in another one for good measure “...great grandfather hails from,” he said.
Sitting in the Oval Office, the man from Mayo and the man from Honolulu, one with a glint in his eye and the other with the world’s most famous smile, knew this was the good news Ireland had longed for.
Enda made no attempt to hide his excitement, announcing he was “absolutely thrilled” with what amounted to “another great day in our country’s journey”.
Clearly comfortable in each other’s company, the Taoiseach offered: “If you want to play a round of golf, I would be happy to participate with you.”
Enda’s handicap is 13, Obama’s is 16. “I heard the Taoiseach is pretty good so I better be careful. I have to practice before I play him,” said Obama with a charming grin.
Vice President Joe Biden, whose mother hails from Mayo, was also invited to Ireland at a breakfast meeting earlier.
He told Enda how his mother always loved St Patrick’s Day and would be looking down on him from heaven to make sure he was wearing Green. “Mom, I’m set!” he said looking up to the sky with his emerald green tie.
He revealed his motto that: “If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, well... you’re lucky enough!”
And Enda Kenny really did feel like the luckiest man of all. At a lunch in Capitol Hill after his visit to the White House, he described how it was “personally, quite a moment to walk up the steps of the Capitol building a few moments ago”.
“Arriving for the first time as Taoiseach. I was acutely aware of following, literally, in the footsteps of successive Irish leaders,” he said.
But it was his grandfather, James McGinley, who he “carried the presence of in my heart” in what was an emotional occasion.
His grandfather was a lighthouse keeper on the west coast. And for many who made the journey across America, he was “the first and last Irishman” they passed.
“I think of him today and I think of the ordinary hard-working people of Ireland and America,” he said.
When President Obama took to his feet in the Capitol he too was thinking of his ancestry: “There has been some controversy about my own background,” he said to laughter.
“Two years into my presidency, some are still bent on peddling rumours about my origins. So today I want to put all those rumours to rest.
“It is true my great-great-great- grandfather really was from Ireland. It’s true. Moneygall, to be precise. I can’t believe I have to keep pointing this out.”
And then everyone raised a glass to his toast. “Happy St Patrick’s Day to all of you. And may the friendship between our two countries grow ever greener.”
