EddieColeslaw Posted May 21, 2011 Posted May 21, 2011 (edited) Obama is visiting Ireland this Monday, along with his wife Michelle. He's touring both Offaly and Dublin, and will be giving a speech in Croke Park as well as attending a musical celebration in College Green. It's free, so huge crowds are expected. He's going straight to London afterwards, on Tuesday. I was out today, and it looks like they didn't bother removing the traffic restrictions from the Queen's visit. Westmoreland St. and Dame St. are both closed. Anyone going to try and get a glimpse of him on Monday in College Green? What do you think of his visits in Europe? (Pictured: Enda Kenny, Taoiseach, in the White House during March.) Edited May 23, 2011 by EddieColeslaw
Frank Posted May 21, 2011 Posted May 21, 2011 Disappointed. I was hoping that he'd stay until Wednesday. I had planned to head up to Dublin/wherever to get a glimpse of him I'd love to see him. Some consolation that he is coming to Ireland on my birthday!!. Happy about that. Nothing excited usually happens on my birthday. I like Obama's smile.
heroicjanitor Posted May 21, 2011 Posted May 21, 2011 I amn't sure if I'll go to see him, I'll probably be miles away and the speech itself is unlikely to rouse me.
EddieColeslaw Posted May 22, 2011 Author Posted May 22, 2011 Disappointed. I was hoping that he'd stay until Wednesday. I had planned to head up to Dublin/wherever to get a glimpse of him I'd love to see him. Some consolation that he is coming to Ireland on my birthday!!. Happy about that. Nothing excited usually happens on my birthday. I like Obama's smile. Nope, one day only...he's a busy man! You can't make Monday? That's pretty awesome Happy Birthday in advance! Throw a birthday party and give Obama an invitation! What I said about him being busy...I bet it's just a ruse
EddieColeslaw Posted May 22, 2011 Author Posted May 22, 2011 lol, saw people outside the GPO (General Post Office) protesting Obama's visit, because he participated in the war or something.
heroicjanitor Posted May 22, 2011 Posted May 22, 2011 Well they are currently involved in an illegal war, not sure anyone knows why they are there.
Frank Posted May 22, 2011 Posted May 22, 2011 Nope, one day only...he's a busy man! You can't make Monday? That's pretty awesome Happy Birthday in advance! Throw a birthday party and give Obama an invitation! What I said about him being busy...I bet it's just a ruse No, unfortunately The Leaving Cert is coming soon...need all the classes I can get. Plus, I ain't got nobody (double negative! grammar fail) to go with me. I'm sure we'd be best buds if I could go. Sad Face. Kinda funny mentioning about the class thing as I'm leaving school early to buy 'Born This Way' WHICH IS ALSO OUT ON MY BIRTHDAY!!!
EddieColeslaw Posted May 23, 2011 Author Posted May 23, 2011 I completely forgot about the LC. How dare they deprive secondary school students of the opportunity to see Obama! Best of luck in your exams! Maybe Lady Gaga is the new classical music, i.e. it facilitates studying? I've been hearing helicopters/planes for the past few hours. I just realised that Obama will be visiting the US Embassy, which is near where I live.
Mokong Posted May 23, 2011 Posted May 23, 2011 (edited) Mods, could you please change the title to "Obama's visit to Ireland and the UK"? Thanks Fixed for ya and to keep and French and Poles happy too I was up in Dublin (well Dún Laoghaire) on Saturday and Sunday. Was thinking I might go back up today for the College Green speech.... till I found out Jedward were singing there that put me right off. Given the security likely to be around the place you prolly have to get in there early so it you wouldn't even have the option to turn up after their gone Anyway just been watching it on the TV most of the day. Saw Air Force One landing, his visit to Ãras an Uachtaráin. Went out for lunch, came back just a fews ago just before he arrived at Moneygall (his great great great Grandfather's hometown). Saw some highlights of things I missed like him getting a hurley from Enda Kenny.... did Obama have any comments about it? Did he even know what it was? Also when he got out of the car in Moneygall I was hoping the crowd would have errupted into song singing "There's No One As Irish As Barrack Obama" Maybe someone will singing at College Green later. Haha, it was raining in Moneygall, but the sun came out just as he arrived, but now it's started lashing again. He's getting the full blast of Irish weather today Hoping too he'll try to one up the Queen and speak a bit more in Irish for his speech : peace: EDIT: Just watching him drink some Guinness now. I like listening to him talk too, he's just chatting away with everyone, having a bit of a laugh, seems very normal(ish) Edited May 23, 2011 by Mokong Automerged Doublepost
The Mad Monkey Posted May 23, 2011 Posted May 23, 2011 Do you not see black people very often in Ireland or something? I don't get the fascination with him, he's nobody special, and hasn't really done anything other than prove that people will vote for someone different after George Bush. I'm not a fan of state visits either, why is it the host has to pay for everything, I get the whole being a good host thing, but if it was a party guests are at least expected to bring a bottle or something, not just turn up with their entourage and freeload.
EddieColeslaw Posted May 23, 2011 Author Posted May 23, 2011 EDIT: Just watching him drink some Guinness now. I like listening to him talk too, he's just chatting away with everyone, having a bit of a laugh, seems very normal(ish) Hah, I was looking up the live stream on RTÉ and saw the pic of him with the Guinness. Can't believe he still took the helicopter to Moneygall with the wind we're getting. Should've walked the 10 minutes to the US Embassy to check it out while he was there
Jonnas Posted May 23, 2011 Posted May 23, 2011 I'm not a fan of state visits either, why is it the host has to pay for everything, I get the whole being a good host thing, but if it was a party guests are at least expected to bring a bottle or something, not just turn up with their entourage and freeload. Yeah, when you have a small party with friends, you split costs, because you're doing it for the fun. When you have a formal event (read: not a party) where image and diplomatic relations is everything, of course the host pays for everything. It's a no-brainer.
EddieColeslaw Posted May 23, 2011 Author Posted May 23, 2011 Do you not see black people very often in Ireland or something? I don't get the fascination with him, he's nobody special, and hasn't really done anything other than prove that people will vote for someone different after George Bush. I'm not a fan of state visits either, why is it the host has to pay for everything, I get the whole being a good host thing, but if it was a party guests are at least expected to bring a bottle or something, not just turn up with their entourage and freeload. This is Ireland, normally we just eat potatoes and chase leprechauns, can you blame us for getting excited about his visit? And of course he's just a nobody, it's easy for anyone to be elected to manage (the domestic policies and foreign affairs of) a country! Speaking seriously about state visits: when representatives of your country visit elsewhere, their security etc. is paid for too. It works both ways.
The Mad Monkey Posted May 23, 2011 Posted May 23, 2011 When you have a formal event (read: not a party) where image and diplomatic relations is everything, of course the host pays for everything. It's a no-brainer. And here I was thinking we were friends with the US and had kissed their arse plenty already. To be fair, it's less objectionable than the Popes visit, but still Obama wants to do a publicity tour of Europe he should be footing the bill. Speaking seriously about state visits: when representatives of your country visit elsewhere, their security etc. is paid for too. It works both ways. Because treating some parasites who represent our country to a few free dinners is the same as giving us a tax refund or pumping money back in to our economy. It might be tradition, but in a world were everybody is struggling financially people should pay there own way.
jayseven Posted May 23, 2011 Posted May 23, 2011 Oh wait we're trying to debate with Mad Monkey now? *leaves thread*
The Mad Monkey Posted May 23, 2011 Posted May 23, 2011 He paid for his own pint at least :p That's more than the Queen did I suppose. Oh wait we're trying to debate with Mad Monkey now? *leaves thread* Getting some deja vu there, did you just copy and paste that? Not particularly bothered about this though, so no need to run away, I've got better things to do, Sisko just decked Q.
Mokong Posted May 23, 2011 Posted May 23, 2011 @Monkey... with regards his visit here, our Taoiseach (Prime Minster) invited him over, so in that case I think it would be a bit rude to expect him to foot the bill. Though I don't think Ireland has spent much on the security preperations as the Secret Service have handled most/all of that I hear. And in the case of Obama and Ireland, as he is proven to have Irish ancestry, it's also thought of like a homecoming of a long lost Irish son. And one that has become the President of the US no less. Very much like when JFK came to visit Ireland in 1963, and visited his ancestral home in New Ross. Anyway, just finished watching his speech at College Green. Firstly he got a great intro from the Taoiseach, and he gave a good old speech himself. Of course loved that he did throw in a "cúpla focal" (few words) and said more than the Queen , loved too how he intro'd his first Irish bit saying "broken Irish is better than clever English, so here goes" and ending with "Is fidir Linn" (Yes we Can) was a good touch too. Very light hearted too, from his comment about us keeping the best Guinness here earlier when in Moneygall to in his keynote just now saying "I've come back looking for the apostrophe my family lost on the way". EDIT: Forgot, just saw him as he was shaking the hands of the people in the crowd someone gave him their phone to talk to someone... AND HE TOOK IT... haha, surprised the Secret Service agents didn't jump on the phone "just in case"
Mokong Posted May 23, 2011 Posted May 23, 2011 (edited) He's holding it all wrong... if he wants to smack some heads back in congress he'll get a better swing if he learns to hold it in proper I'd like to see the day when they give a head of state a hurley as a gift and the person actually tries to take a proper swing with it... maybe even try to hit a sliotar... maybe if he comes back he could try play a bit of hurling on Croke park. Or when Enda goes there for the annual St. Patricks Day visit next year Obama and him might knock a sliotar around on the White House gardens Edited May 23, 2011 by Mokong
Mr-Paul Posted May 23, 2011 Posted May 23, 2011 Just saw the video of Obama in the pub with his pint of Guinness. Seems like a genuinely decent guy. And like others said, it is a state visit, which means he is formally invited by the Head of State of each country (hence why he is staying at Buckingham Palace when he's in the UK). It isn't an Obama publicity tour, it is a standard part of international diplomatic relations.
Frank Posted May 23, 2011 Posted May 23, 2011 His speech was surprisingly emotional. I listened to it on the way home, live. I, strangely, felt like I could cry.
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