Mayor invites Obama to receive freedom of city

BARACK Obama has been invited to become the third US president to be conferred with the Freedom of the City of Cork.

The lord mayor of Cork, Cllr Michael O’Connell, yesterday sent a letter to the US president inviting him to receive the honour when he visits Ireland in late May.

The letter was sent via Dan Rooney, the US ambassador to Ireland.

In his letter, Cllr O’Connell stated: “As you are aware, the Freedom of City of Cork was granted to President Dr Woodrow Wilson in 1919 and to President John F Kennedy in 1963 and I would be delighted to maintain the tradition of honouring visits of American Presidents to Cork City by conferring the Freedom of the City of Cork on President Obama.”

Meanwhile, UCC president Michael Murphy said he had also issued a formal invite to President Obama to commemorate the legacy of Frederick Douglass.

He was an anti-slavery campaigner and leader of the Abolitionist Movement who toured Ireland at the height of Great Famine lecturing on human rights. President Obama has often spoken of Mr Douglass as one of his political heroes.

Dr Murphy said the university was preparing to launch an annual Frederick Douglass Memorial Lecture, which, based on a decade of research, has culminated in a project, The Green and Black Atlantic. This project seeks to examine shared themes of Irish and African American struggles for freedom and articulate the overlap between both cultures and causes.

Dr Murphy said he had asked President Obama if he would be available during his trip to deliver the inaugural lecture and to unveil a statue in UCC to honour Frederick Douglass.

“A visit by the President of the United States to Munster at this time would be most welcome. It would offer a unique opportunity to showcase the region and (Cork) city to a wide international audience.”

If Obama accepts the invitation he would become the latest senior American figure visit an Irish university.

In 2009, Chief Justice John Roberts, who swore in Obama as president, taught students at a summer school hosted by the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Veteran Actor Martin Sheen spent a semester studying for an arts degree at NUI Galway in 2006.