MONEYGALL, Ireland - the inhabitants of a crié Irish village "Welcome Home" as a U.S. President Barack Obama Happy Monday traced its roots at the beginning of its most important European tour in two years.
The leader radiating U.S. was rocked by violent winds on a helicopter departing from Dublin to visit the tiny Moneygall, where his grand-back-back-grand-father defined course for the new world, 160 years ago.
The visit was the emotional highpoint of the first judgment of week Obama European tour which will take also in Britain, the Summit of the G8 in France and Poland.
With security extremely tight for the visit, 300 residents of the Moneygall were audited security and had then to queue for tickets to be allowed to see the President in the village in the heart of the Ireland rural.
As rain fell, then the Sun was shining, residents crowded in behind the barricades, waving Irish flags and Stars and Stripes that they were waiting for the arrival of the President.
When the President's motorcade led to the city, the Sung came out of the car to wild cheers and cries of "welcome home, you are very welcome."
As the men of the secret service kept tight, the Sung were introduced to a special resident - Henry Healy, 26 years old who is cousin eighth President.
Michelle Obama hugged him warmly and her husband guided the young man's long, as they approached the crowd of waiting and a sea of strained hands.
Later, they visited the simple House where grand-back-back-grand-father of the Obama Falmouth Kearney, son of Shoemaker, had lived before leaving for a new life to the United States at the age of 19 in 1850.
Then they led to one of two pubs in the town to sample the national drink of the Ireland, Guinness, with the President and his wife with a slurp of the famous stout to the delight of residents.
The President declared the first time he had tasted Guinness in Ireland was when he had stolen once at Shannon Airport in the West of the Ireland on the road to the Afghanistan.
"Then I realized it tastes so much better here that this is the case in the States," he told a group of people that met in the pub, laughing.
Visit of the Obama in Ireland, coming hot on the heels of a historic visit by Queen Elizabeth II last week, is seen as a jolt of confidence for a nation through a "hard road" of a deep economic hole.
Earlier, after landing at Dublin on board Air Force One as the wind and the rain whipped through Dublin Airport, Obama said: "It is comforting to be here" - joke that arrangements had been made for the Sun to come out as it came into land.
After the meeting President of Ireland Mary McAleese and Prime Minister Enda Kenny, Obama welcomed the visit of the Queen and said player of the Ireland of the North sent a "ripple of hope" peace everywhere in the world.
"I just wanted to express to the Irish people...". How inspired, we were by the progress made in Ireland of the North", said Obama.
"He speaks of the possibility of peace and people in the struggles of long-time being able to remake their relations."
"To see her Majesty the Queen of England come here... sends a signal, not only in England, not just here in Ireland, but around the world.".
The President was also due to deliver a speech to thousands of Dubliners in an event of outdoor high security of the stages of the Bank of Ireland, against a backdrop of the famous Trinity College.
A crowd of 20,000 expected a large street party with acts, including the stars of the Westlife, the Sawdoctors and the Eurovision Irish Jedward interpreters.
Obama said earlier to Kenny that welcomed the progress that Ireland was after an economic crisis which necessitated a bailout of the Monetary Fund International and the European Union.
"It is a difficult road, but it is an Irish people are more than the task to achieve," he said.
"We are rooting for the success of the Ireland and we will do all that we can help them on the road to recovery.".
The visit of the President him has also in a State visit to Britain, the G8 Summit in the French resort of Deauville and Poland, with a heavy emphasis on the Afghanistan the NATO operation on the Libya and the debate on the next leader of the IMF.
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