You can never hear these speeches enough…

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Tuesday:

President Obama attends more G-8 meetings at Lough Erne

The First Lady, Malia and Sasha go walking in the Wicklow Hills on the morning and visit the local lakes and Glendalough (see here).

They will then rejoin President Obama for their visit to Germany

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The signatures of British Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama on a patchwork quilt made by students working on a school project about the G8 summit

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First Lady Michelle Obama with her daughters Malia and Sasha in the crowd at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin for a special performance of Riverdance

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Cracked. Me. Up:

BBC: A young boy was rendered speechless when he met First Lady Michelle Obama in Dublin on Monday.

The boy, named only as Billy, was dumbstruck with shyness when he met her backstage at the Gaiety Theatre.

…. Rebecca Morgan, aged 11 and a pupil in Moneygall National School in County Offaly – US President Barack Obama’s ancestral homeland – revealed her classmate’s embarrassment.

“She is so beautiful and very tall,” the 11-year-old said. “She looks even prettier in real life than on TV.

“A boy in my class was really embarrassed when she touched Billy’s hand because he thinks she is so beautiful. He was so shy.”

More here

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See all posts from the Ireland visit here

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Scarily vicious anti-G8 protests in Northern Ireland #FrTed pic.twitter.com/EfYt5FEec5

— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) June 18, 2013

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More in the morning

Chat Away

President Obama reacts as the sun comes out as he works alongside Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron and students on a school project about the G8 summit during a visit to the Enniskillen Integrated Primary School

Body Language

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President Obama meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G8 Summit at Lough Erne in Enniskillen

This pic cracks me up – completely.

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See all posts from the Ireland visit here

Michelle Obama at the ‘Gaiety Theatre’, Dublin

The videos are, well, glitchy, but hang in there!

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See here for all posts on the Ireland trip

Chat Away

@PeteSouza

More in a bit

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

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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

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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, 2013

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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, 2013

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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

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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, 2013

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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, 2013

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Photo of Pres Obama and British PM David Cameron at the G8 today in Northern Ireland pic.twitter.com/aZpzxrcIdX

— petesouza (@petesouza) June 17, 2013

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PM Cameron and President Obama help paint a mural at Enniskillen Integrated Primary School in Northern Ireland

Rise and Shine: Ireland

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“What’s the craic?!”

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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

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Belfast airport

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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.

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

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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, 2013

FLOTUS to students: "Leadership is about stepping out of your comfort zone, exploring new ideas." #G8 #Belfast

—
Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) June 17, 2013

President Obama and his wife Michelle, pictured with First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness

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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.

Early Birds? Chat Away

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LIVE LINKS

BBC

RTE

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