More in a bit
Posts Tagged ‘Ireland
17
Jun
13
Chat Away
17
Jun
13
Ireland … Another Image or Two
Niamh Farry (5) sampling some of the G8 ice-cream on sale at Lilley’s garage in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh
****
12:0 EST: The First Lady will join Irish youth for a special performance by the Riverdance company at the Gaiety Theatre. Sabina Higgins, wife of President Michael D Higgins, and Fionnuala Kenny, wife of the Taoiseach, will also attend. The First Lady scheduled to deliver brief remarks before the performance
****
Heads up:
Irish channel RTE will have a 30 minute special on the First Lady’s Dublin visit starting at 12:0 EST - here
Hi @TheObamaDiary Yes, it will be available worldwide! We’ll make it available as soon as possible after broadcast @RTEDigital @rte
— RTE Player (@RTEplayer) June 17, 2025
****
What an inspiring morning in #Belfast & wonderful reception for President Obama #ObamainNI @markknoller @USAinNI pic.twitter.com/s4MuySMzjE
— U.S. Embassy London (@USAinUK) June 17, 2025
****
First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters, Sasha and Malia with Dr Patrick Prendergast, President and Provost of Trinity College Dublin, during their visit to view the Book of Kells and archives documenting the Obama’s Irish ancestry
….. viewing the Obama Family Collection, with Fiona Fitzsimons, director of genealogy research service Eneclann
Irish Independent: The US First Lady and her two daughters were given a presentation on their family genealogy and connections to Ireland when they visited Trinity College today.
At Trinity, the Obamas visited the Old Library and were shown the Book of Kells, a ninth-century, elaborately decorated gospel manuscript made by Irish monks.
Mrs Obama, Malia and Sasha were also shown the birth registry of President Obama’s Irish ancestors from around the village of Moneygall and old maps detailing the family’s homestead in Co Offaly.
….. President Obama’s distant Irish cousin Henry Healy - who the US leader jokes is known as Henry VIII because of their family ties - presented Michelle and the girls with gifts during their visit to Trinity.
He said both daughters were delighted to get their certificates of Irish heritage. “Both of them were pretty amazed with the certificates,” Mr Healy said. “Competing with their friends, now they can prove they’re more Irish than them.”
More here
****
I presented Malia & Sasha with a Cert of Irish Heritage earlier! Great reaction from Sasha “I can prove I’m more Irish than my friends now”
— Henry Healy (@henryhealy) June 17, 2025
****
Pres Obama greets Italy PM Enrico Letta and his entourage at the G8 Summit in Northern Ireland pic.twitter.com/PMBnvX09In
— petesouza (@petesouza) June 17, 2025
****
Photo of Pres Obama and British PM David Cameron at the G8 today in Northern Ireland pic.twitter.com/aZpzxrcIdX
— petesouza (@petesouza) June 17, 2025
****
PM Cameron and President Obama help paint a mural at Enniskillen Integrated Primary School in Northern Ireland
17
Jun
13
Rise and Shine: Ireland
****
“What’s the craic?!”
****
Later today – Irish time (five hours ahead of EST):
1:20: The President meets with Prime Minister David Cameron ahead of the G8 Summit
2:15: Meets with EU Leaders on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, G-8 Summit Site, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland
2:30: Delivers a statement to the media (9:30 EST - audio only at WHL)
4:20: Greeted by Prime Minister Cameron as a part of the official leader arrivals
4:45: Attends the first plenary session
6:30: Holds a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia
8:30: Attends a leaders-only working dinner
****
****
Belfast airport
****
The First Lady, Malia and Sasha:
Shortly after their arrival in Dublin from Belfast they will visit Trinity College at lunchtime where they will view the Book of Kells.
17
Jun
13
A Message Of Hope
President Obama, the First Lady and their daughters Sasha and Malia are greeted by Joan Christie, the Queen’s official representative in Northern Ireland, upon their arrival at Belfast International Airport
****
FLOTUS to students: "I don't just see a bunch of teenagers, I see the people who will be moving our world forward in the years ahead." #G8
—
Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) June 17, 2025FLOTUS to students: "Leadership is about stepping out of your comfort zone, exploring new ideas." #G8 #Belfast
—
Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) June 17, 2025
President Obama and his wife Michelle, pictured with First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness
****
Snippets of Pres. Obama’s speech:
“Hello, Belfast. Hello, Northern Ireland. Well, now you know why it’s so difficult to speak after Michelle. She’s better than me.”
“I want to thank two men I’ve hosted at the White House on many a St Patrick’s Day for their warm welcome – First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.”
“I spend the whole year trying to unite Washington around something, and they come visit on St Patrick’s Day and do it in a single afternoon,” Mr Obama says.
Mr Obama said he only found out a few years ago that his great-great-great-grandfather was born in Ireland. “When I was first running for office in Chicago, I didn’t know this. I wish I had,” he said.
“But in Chicago, it worked out okay – they’d look at my last name and say, ‘oh, look, there’s an O’Bama from the homeland running on the South Side – but what kind of name is Barack?”
The president says that while in Moneygall, County Offaly, he met his eighth cousin, Henry, known affectionately as Henry the Eighth.
17
Jun
13
Early Birds? Chat Away
*******
LIVE LINKS
BBC
RTE
White House
******
LIVE BLOG
UTV
*****
In honor of the G8 summit being held on the Emerald Isle, some kick-ass Irish music.
Ok, I love the opening shot of this video - “Traditional Irish music, Brogan’s Bar, Ennis, Ireland”
Bringing back memories for Chips - “Traditional Irish Music from LiveTrad.com: Fleadh Cheoil”
16
Jun
13
Ireland-bound
****
****
Sasha was already on board, panic not!
****
Monday - Irish time (five hours ahead of EST):
8:40 AM: The President, the First Lady and their daughters arrive Belfast, Northern Ireland
9:30: The President delivers remarks, Belfast Waterfront
1:20: Meets with Prime Minister David Cameron ahead of the G8 Summit
2:15: Meets with EU Leaders on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, G-8 Summit Site, Lough Erne, Northern Ireland
2:30: Delivers a statement to the media
4:20: Greeted by Prime Minister Cameron as a part of the official leader arrivals
4:45: Attends the first plenary session
6:30: Holds a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia
8:30: Attends a leaders-only working dinner
****
That very handy map:
****
The First Lady’s Ireland schedule:
Monday: The First Lady and her daughters will visit Trinity College shortly after their arrival from Belfast in Dublin Monday, lunchtime where they will view the world-famous Book of Kells.
Later in the day, the First Lady will meet the staff and families of the US Embassy in Dublin and attend a special performance of Riverdance at the Gaiety Theatre.
Tuesday: Following an overnight stay in the Shelbourne Hotel, they will go walking in the Wicklow Hills on Tuesday morning and will visit the local lakes and Glendalough.
The First Lady and her daughters will then rejoin President Obama for their visit to Germany.
****
More details in this post
****
President Obama and his daughter Malia follow First Lady Michelle Obama (and her mother Marian Robinson) from the Strathmore Music Center after attending a dance performance that featured their daughter Sasha, June 16
16
Jun
13
PBO in N. Ireland for the G8
Barack Obama will urge Northern Ireland’s politicians to quicken the pace of progress in the peace process when he arrives in Belfast on Monday. He will use his visit to Northern Ireland for the G8 summit to urge locals to devote more effort to charting a course for a shared future for unionists and nationalists. Tomorrow morning he will address a large audience of young people in Belfast before travelling to Fermanagh for the G8. He is also to meet First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. He is expected to praise them and other political figures for their achievement in maintaining a cross-community administration. But he is also to urge them to consolidate gains by working harder on community relations.
***
***
15
Jun
13
Ireland, The Sequel
…. for old time’s sake
****
Sunday/Monday:
The President, the First Lady and their daughters depart for Belfast, Northern Ireland tomorrow (Sunday) at 9:20 PM.
They arrive in Belfast on Monday morning.
The First Lady will introduce the President at an event at the Waterfront Convention Centre in Belfast where he will deliver remarks.
While the President then travels to Lough Erne for the G8 Summit, the First Lady and her daughters will leave for Dublin in the Republic of Ireland.
****
Handy map:
****
The President’s Northern Ireland schedule:
Monday: Arrives Belfast. Delivers remarks at the Waterfront Convention Centre in the city when he will address his support for the peace process in Northern Ireland.
Meets Prime Minister David Cameron ahead of the G8 Summit. Later, he attends the G-8 Summit at Lough Erne.
On Monday evening, the President will hold a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia.
Tuesday: In the evening, following the G-8, the President and the First Family will travel to Berlin, Germany.
****
The First Lady and her daughters will visit Trinity College shortly after their arrival in Dublin Monday, lunchtime (local time)…..
(…. remember one of our fave pics from the President’s speech in Dublin? That’s Trinity College behind the very very excited young women)…..
White House.gov