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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Slideshow Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read IMF chief denied bail in sex assault case | 4:44pm EDT Strauss-Kahn lawyers see alibi in sex case: report 11:25am EDT Strauss-Kahn hotel says unaware of prior assaults 2:28pm EDT Strauss-Kahn sex case throws open French election 12:16pm EDT US urges restraint after Israel border clashes 10:46am EDT Discussed 133 Son says bin Laden sea burial demeans family: report 95 Texas county official says ”stupid” feds sparked fire 75 Israel-Palestinian violence erupts on three borders Watched Fire ants form rafts to defy floods Tue, Apr 26 2011 Strauss-Kahn shockwave hits France Sun, May 15 2011 Boot camp for rebels in Libya Sun, May 15 2011 Sleepy Irish village braces for Obama homecoming Tweet Share this By Padraic Halpin MONEYGALL, Ireland (Reuters) - Ollie Hayes does not usually bother to open his pub in the sleepy Irish village of Moneygall on a Monday afternoon, but he will make an exception for Barack Obama. His opening hours, like much else... Email Print Related News Irish militants warn of bomb in central London 12:25pm EDT Bombers take bin Laden revenge in Pakistan Fri, May 13 2011 Mideast peace envoy Mitchell resigns Fri, May 13 2011 Special report: The bin Laden kill plan Thu, May 12 2011 Obama stresses immigration benefits at Mexico border Tue, May 10 2011 Analysis & Opinion Chernobyl graves Why keep bin Laden images secret? Have you seen the situation room pictures… Related Topics World Home » Lifestyle » 1 / 10 A portrait of U.S. President Barack Obama is seen in a shop in Moneygall May 16, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Stefan Wermuth By Padraic Halpin MONEYGALL, Ireland | Mon May 16, 2011 3:46pm EDT MONEYGALL, Ireland (Reuters) - Ollie Hayes does not usually bother to open his pub in the sleepy Irish village of Moneygall on a Monday afternoon, but he will make an exception for Barack Obama. His opening hours, like much else in this community of 300 people, have been turned upside down by the U.S. President's plan to visit the birthplace of his great-great-great grandfather, who left for New York more than 150 years ago. After weeks of serving a motley crew of tourists, journalists and U.S. security staff, next Monday Hayes hopes to get a chance to serve the man himself. "He can have whatever he wants," he said before dashing off to take a call from the secret service in Washington. "Since President Obama said he was coming to visit, it's just been mad," he said. The "men in black" -- as the suited security staff have been dubbed by local media -- arrived shortly after Obama said on St. Patrick's Day, Ireland's March 17 national holiday, that he would make a whistle-stop tour of Ireland. Without a restaurant or cafe in the village -- or a public toilet for that matter -- the conspicuous visitors have had to survive on takeaways from the local McDonald's some 20 km away but they nevertheless happily mingle with the locals. Two of them pop into the village's other pub -- like most Irish villages, Moneygall has more pubs than grocery shops -- because they have been told they have to say hello to its energetic, 80-year-old landlady Julia Hayes, Ollie's aunt. "Only for Obama, I'd have retired on my birthday two weeks ago but the visit would give you a bit of life again," the spritely woman, 63 years in the pub industry, tells her guests in the establishment, also confusingly called Hayes'. WHO IS SENATOR OBAMA? With nearly 37 million Americans claim Irish ancestry and around half of the country's booming foreign-direct investment industry coming from American-owned companies, presidential visits are nothing new to Ireland. John F. Kennedy, with his good looks and Irish roots, was greeted with almost religious fervor while Richard Nixon got a respectful if low-key reception when he looked up his ancestors in 1974. Ronald Reagan's ancestral village laid on an emotional homecoming and named a pub after him. And Bill Clinton was feted in 1995 by a crowd of 100,000 that brought central Dublin to a standstill. The town of Ballybunion erected a statue of Clinton, an avid golfer, teeing off. After an unusually cool reception for George W. Bush, early in the Iraq war, Ireland is determined to show its love affair with Washington is not over. Moneygall, where American flags hang from almost every house, is more determined than most. The tiny county Offaly village, centered around just one main street, has been hoping for a visit since Obama's 24-year-old distant cousin Henry Healy, together with his uncle, confirmed the link with some amateur genealogy work four years ago. "As soon as we confirmed it, we then asked who is Senator Barak Obama?" said Healy, the mild-mannered accountant turned unofficial spokesman for the village. "He was only a rising star in the Democratic Party at that stage but as the presidential campaign went on, we were delighted it was this inspiration leader that the village had links to." "GOBSMACKING" Healy said the "gobsmacking" announcement had transformed Moneygall. Thanks to the sponsorship of a major paint company, the village has had a total facelift with some going as far as painting their houses in the colors of the American flag. An information post has been erected telling how Obama's great-great-great grandfather, a shoemaker's son called Falmouth Kearney, took one of the so-called "coffin ships" to the New World in 1850 after Ireland was hit by its "Great Famine." With Ireland in the midst of one of its lowest ebbs since -- an economic and banking crisis that forced the government to ask for a humiliating bailout -- the locals are all too aware the president's trip is not just morale boosting for Moneygall. "It's wonderful, everyone here is bursting with enthusiasm," said Mary Fanning who just two weeks ago opened up a souvenir shop in the village selling everything from Barack Obama fridge magnets to Barack Obama plastic lighters. "But it's great for the country too. It makes people forget about the recession and lifts the spirits even if it's just for a little bit." World Home Lifestyle Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language, all capital letters or appear to be spam, and we review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. 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