US PRESIDENT Barack Obama has been invited to visit the Co Offaly village of Shinrone when he comes to Ireland in May.
Locals are hopeful that Mr Obama can take a short detour from his planned visit to Moneygall to lay a wreath at the unmarked grave of many of his ancestors who are buried in the local Church of Ireland cemetery.
Mr Obama’s Irish connections are through his great-great-great grandfather Fulmouth Kearney, who emigrated to the United States in the 1850s. The Kearney family originated in Shinroe.
There are birth and death records in the local Church of Ireland archives for Joseph and Cecily Kearney, who would be the president’s seven times great grandparents; a marriage certificate for Joseph and Sarah Kearney, his six times great grandparents; and a birth certificate for William Kearney, who would be Mr Obama’s five times great-grandfather and a grandfather of Fulmouth Kearney.
The invitation to visit Shinrone was sent by a committee set up for the occasion of his visit and also from children at the local national school. Both letters were sent to the US embassy in Dublin.
Church of Ireland rector the Rev Michael Johnson said there were at least 15 Kearneys buried in the graveyard. Eight were children, including six from one family. “They are all in unmarked graves because of the poverty of the family,” he said. “We felt it would be nice to erect a memorial stone to the Kearney family. Our invitation would be for him to lay a wreath in memory of his Kearney ancestors.”
Shinrone National School principal Joe Cleary said they were aware as far back as 2007 of Mr Obama’s local connections.
“I would hope that he would want to visit the parish which has the longest connection with his ancestors. It goes all the way back to 1698. If I was going to visit another country where my ancestors came from I’d like to see where my oldest ones came from,” he said.
The village has a second connection with the US presidency. Brig Gen Edward Hand was born in nearby Clyduff and was a friend of George Washington.
