Queen to pay respect to fallen Irish republicans
Karl Rowan is very hopeful of catching a glimpse of the Queen next week when she passes close to his stall in Moore Street, the bustling marketplace just offO'Connell Street in the authentic heart of Dublin. (read the full report by David McKittrick in Dublin)
Next up, Obama pitches for the Irish-American vote
The Irish could be forgiven for thinking that heads of state are a little like buses: you wait ages for one, then two turn up at once. No sooner does the Queen depart than the green carpet will be rolled out for Barack Obama.
When the US presidential bandwagon bowls into Dublin on 23 May, Ireland will have had just three days to catch its breath and adjust its petticoats following the Queen's departure.
Ostensibly, the whistle-stop tour by the White House and its entourage is to cement relations between the two nations; in reality, it is an early pitch by Obama for Irish-American support for a second term in office.
After the niceties of a formal speech before an estimated audience of 80,000 people at Croke Park, the Dublin stadium and spiritual home of most things Gaelic, it will be off to Moneygall in County Offaly for the serious business of the visit.
Moneygall, a village easily missed on the way to Limerick, is the ancestral home of President Obama's Irish relatives. Falmouth Kearney, shoemaker, like so many of his countrymen, quit the Emerald Isle in 1850 for a better life across the Atlantic. The Kearneys prospered to the extent that eventually Falmouth's great, great, great grandson became the 44th and current US President.
Now the normally sleepy village (population 300+) is steeling itself for a hooley of continental proportions.
Not that Moneygall's citizens are complaining. Since the town was first linked to the President's family tree, all sorts of shops selling merchandise and other presidential paraphernalia have mushroomed, hoping to make the most of the tourism boost. Locals are certain the visit will provide the most excitement since a truck filled with explosives – destined for a nearby quarry – crashed into a shop window last year.
Afterwards, it will be back to Dublin for more festivities which the Irish Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, is hoping will restore a smile to the face of a nation buffeted by bleak economic winds after years of the Celtic Tiger.
The Irish could be forgiven for thinking that heads of state are a little like buses: you wait ages for one, then two turn up at once. No sooner does the Queen depart than the green carpet will be rolled out for Barack Obama.
(Read the feature on the Independent on Sunday)
Next up, Obama pitches for the Irish-American vote
The Irish could be forgiven for thinking that heads of state are a little like buses: you wait ages for one, then two turn up at once. No sooner does the Queen depart than the green carpet will be rolled out for Barack Obama.
When the US presidential bandwagon bowls into Dublin on 23 May, Ireland will have had just three days to catch its breath and adjust its petticoats following the Queen's departure.
Ostensibly, the whistle-stop tour by the White House and its entourage is to cement relations between the two nations; in reality, it is an early pitch by Obama for Irish-American support for a second term in office.
After the niceties of a formal speech before an estimated audience of 80,000 people at Croke Park, the Dublin stadium and spiritual home of most things Gaelic, it will be off to Moneygall in County Offaly for the serious business of the visit.
Moneygall, a village easily missed on the way to Limerick, is the ancestral home of President Obama's Irish relatives. Falmouth Kearney, shoemaker, like so many of his countrymen, quit the Emerald Isle in 1850 for a better life across the Atlantic. The Kearneys prospered to the extent that eventually Falmouth's great, great, great grandson became the 44th and current US President.
Now the normally sleepy village (population 300+) is steeling itself for a hooley of continental proportions.
Not that Moneygall's citizens are complaining. Since the town was first linked to the President's family tree, all sorts of shops selling merchandise and other presidential paraphernalia have mushroomed, hoping to make the most of the tourism boost. Locals are certain the visit will provide the most excitement since a truck filled with explosives – destined for a nearby quarry – crashed into a shop window last year.
Afterwards, it will be back to Dublin for more festivities which the Irish Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, is hoping will restore a smile to the face of a nation buffeted by bleak economic winds after years of the Celtic Tiger.
The Irish could be forgiven for thinking that heads of state are a little like buses: you wait ages for one, then two turn up at once. No sooner does the Queen depart than the green carpet will be rolled out for Barack Obama.
(Read the feature on the Independent on Sunday)
