Henry Healy greets his eighth cousin, President Barack Obama, and First Lady Michelle Obama, after their arrival in Moneygall, Ireland, May 23, 2011 (Photo: Pete Souza)
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The very lovely Henry and Stephen’s 2014 St Patrick’s Day greetings to TOD:
I wish all on The Obama Diary a very happy St Patrick’s Day from all of us here in the ancestral home of President Obama in Moneygall! The invitation is open to all to visit & the Guinness is on me! Keep safe, Henry VIII.
Kind Regards,
Henry Healy
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You can follow Henry on Twitter here
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At The Dubliner bar, Washington DC, March 17, 2012
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Myself & @paddyanglican trying to look important in the Green Room in the White House Yesterday pic.twitter.com/gPrFCSWhIr
— Henry Healy (@henryhealy) March 15, 2014
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A St Patrick’s Day word from Canon Stephen Neill, the man who discovered President Obama’s Irish roots:
Greetings to all my friends at The Obama Diary. It was a real joy to attend the White House St Patrick’s reception and experience the warmth of the welcome from your President and the First Lady. Our two countries share so much, including a great reverence for the legacy of St Patrick and I pray that the Spirit of St Patrick may bring blessings to all of you and those you care for.
God bless,
Stephen
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You can follow Stephen on Twitter here
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Reverend Canon Stephen Neill shows President Barack Obama his Irish ancestral records at Ollie Hayes’s Pub in Moneygall, County Offaly, Ireland, May 23, 2011 (Photo: Pete Souza)
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The most excellent moment in the history of TOD?
This video, which the Mighty Meta found, from May 2012 – that’s TOD’s Ireland video (from 1:38), in President Obama’s Moneygall ancestral home!
Woot!
And the updated version:
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Happy St Patrick’s Day y’all!
The Obama Diary 
“In Ukraine’s brief history of independence, no founding visionary along the lines of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton or Thomas Jefferson has emerged. But in recent weeks, Ukraine has seen in Putin its King George III and in Yanukovych its Benedict Arnold.
Putin has given Ukrainians new reasons to focus on cooperation, solidarity, moderation and mutual understanding. And these augur well for the emergence of a stable, democratic and modern European state.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/putins-interference-is-strengthening-ukraine/2014/03/13/1ba90c0a-a865-11e3-8d62-419db477a0e6_story.html
As to Ukraine’s future, well I think Svitlana Zalischuk exemplifies a tradition of exceptional women that dates not decades ago but centuries ago, and Ukraine will be well served the more she and her compatriots persist.
bbl … time to prepare some dinner
#TrustBarack
Should have included a very Happy St Patrick’s Day to you, Chips!!!
Now, off to the kitchen ….
Congrats on 1st Mr. Bobfr! wtg
I am getting the best news from your updates……THANKS a MILLION!!!!
Happy to help Cindy!
Hey Chips.
My favorite PBO trip……. thanks for the trip down memory lance, Chips!
It’s hard to beat the sheer spontaneity and love that shines through on this trip, day after day. Every aspect of this itinerary was SUPERB.
So true, Meta!!! This is one my favorite highlights of all his trips abroad…… Taoiseach Enda Kenny starting things off…and PBO 🙂
Pure exhilaration! PBO reaches out like no one else! You can see how pleased and heartened he is just by being there.
To his beloved mother, Stanley Dunhan, RIP.
One of my faves too. Love how he’s rubbing FLOTUS’ arm. 😀
Yep. In that trip too, Barack Obama was invited to speak in the Parliament in London. That was also a highlight. It was a MARVEL of a speech. Leadership, vision, wisdom, hope. I was watching him and saying to myself that he was in a class of his own. Jaw-dropping. TRUE LEADERSHIP. I can’t say enough about that speech. One of his best. (We always say that don’t we ?). And I remember how everybody wanted to shake his hand afterwards.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day eve to TOD.
Happy paddy day, cousin.
Also. Too. To. Kenyan/Irish/Indonesian/Hawaiian/Manchurian.
You want some?
BTW LP, my opinion on the new Twitter “Me” page: Eh, it’s okay. An improvement on what went before, certainly. Much cleaner and brighter.
It shows up one day…..disappears the next. I’m still learning all the different settings…… One thing I noticed the more times a tweet is shared …. the bigger the font becomes in your timeline. Have you had this pop up yet?
Nope, not yet. But mine changed only on Friday.
more suited for my post below this.
Disconnect addon was a great find. Thx again.
No sweat…… I’m pretty stoked myself……..although only a Desi would complain about the setting on a free app!
only a Desi would
complain about the setting onoffer free, unsolicited advice to improve a free app!/fix’t for ya
How are you holding up with the Festival of Color? Do you partake?
No, it’s a typical northie (aka lp) tradition. I hate it.
Throwing colors at total strangers? /smh
Is this referring to Holi?
Yes, a stupid north indian paintball thingy tradition, as ya sez above..
We southies just blow up loud crackers under the feet of unsuspecting strangers. #socool
“northie (aka lp) tradition”? Could be worse than a paint ball camp or bungy jumping.
LOVELY! I never tire of these stories and photos of this wonderful aspect of PBO’s life!
To MONEYGALL and all the wonderful people who thrive there!
To cousin henry
chips claims to be ireesh. We wanna see her birth certificate…. Sorry, no. Only long form.
😆 Long form Burt Sert on the way!
Irish folks don’t like the long form – they are also suspicious about the short form – and they seem to think anything the government wants to know is something they need to keep close – I’ve been explaining this to Ms Chips for years – since we discovered we are Irish cousins. You need to pay attention
So, having access to UK television has made me an aficionado of snooker. God help me.
Good night everyone. Still feeling coldish, and bed is calling me. See everyone on the flip. And Happy St. Paddy’s Eve!
Feel Better LL,
Hot green tea….drink plenty!
Happy St Patrick`s Day greetings to our beloved Chips, cousin Henry and Rev Canon Neill
{{{{{Hugs}}}}}
I second that emotion! Lovely to see this post, Chips, and welcome back to our Irish “extended TOD family”!
Aaaw, that’s so sweet!
Every time I see a tweet by Canon Neill I always wonder how his son is doing. Do you ever see mention of his son, Chips? Shortly after I ‘met’ him (my timing may be off) I seem to remember there was a story about his son being very ill, and then I never heard any more about his progress.
Hiya VC, had a chat with Stephen a few months ago, he said his son was doing great, so hopefully all’s good still.
THANK you, CC! I’ve always been ‘afraid’ to ask when I saw him on twitter
All out for the party
😆 Thank you LP!
You must be still basking in glory about the wonderful video you made playing in the visitor center/museum….. What an accomplishment!!
I’m cracking up at your Irish dancers LP, as I confessed to Dotster earlier today, I couldn’t even master the basics in the art as a kid in school!
Don’t worry I can’t dance either……….for a consultation prize I’ll reward you w/ this…… (AMK forced me)
yeeeah, amk this. amk that.
Morning, dear! *They* all hide behind your name like the GOPs behind PBO’s; shameful, I know. It’s for the same reason I think. They haven’t courage enough to stand alone. /insert innocent smilie here/
Oh my goodness CHIPS!! That is so wonderful and amazing that your video is in POTUS’ ancestral home, omg. You have got to be so proud~ standing O for you dear lady 🙂
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to Cousin Henry, Stephen, and all of Moneygall !! Always such a joy to hear from you all. Wishing you all the best of everything.
and Happy St. Paddy’s Day to our dear beloved Chips, your mama & that sweet wee Danny too 🙂 🙂
Happy Greetings on St. Patrick’s Eve cousin Henry. So elated that you are able to be here during this celebration with you wonderful cousin, our beloved and precious gift, President Barack Obama and our beautiful First Lady, Michelle Obama.
Enjoy TOD family. Now sipping a little red for the heart. Dental procedure on Tues., so hoping to rest and relax tomorrow and enjoy All of my Irish heritage beginning from my great, great, great grandfather and my ex husband. Celebrate!!!!HZ
Hello HZ! Happy St Patrick’s Eve; hope you enjoy your lovely wine, and wishing you a smooth safe procedure on Tuesday. 🙂
I, Paul Ryan, as a christian my religion tells me to help the needy, and my needy happens to be corporate polluters.
Happy St. Patrick’s Eve to Chips, TOD, Cousin Henry VIII, Stephen, lurkers, everyone 🙂 PBO’s Moneygall /Ireland visit in 2011 was indeed one of my favorites. The reception he got from the people there was fantastic.
The reception he gets anywhere outside of the DC media set is amazing – he could visit Russia and be the most popular politician in the country
I agree. And that’s why the DC media blacks out his foreign trips – they don’t want America to see how much people DO love & respect this President. They don’t want America to see how popular he is. They want America to be brainwashed by their endless 24/7 drivel about his “sagging polls” and “milliennials/blacks/jews/latinos/catholics/single mothers/gays/puppies/kittensetc. abandoning him.”
what, kittens too? I can understand others, especially the frigging puppies.
Well, might as well – just fill in the blanks with whatever group, and it’s all good for the media. Even the electric eels are disappointed in this President and will sit out 2014, Chuck Todd tells me.
Ha. Too funny. How you came up with “electric eels” at the drop of a hat is beyond me, but I laughed out loud!
So awesome, Chips.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to Henry and Stephen!
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!
I really, really, really, …………, really despise putin & here is why:
pushing a political agenda using ethnic divisions as propaganda tool is one of the most combustible & vile acts one can perpetuate in an ethnically diverse community;
no good come of this!!!
It is a government-funded means of pushing genocide & fratricide;
it sets up situations whereby family members who never focused on their ethnic differences before are pushed to vicously turn on each other;
it often leads neighbors to turn against neighbors , friends against friends, and families members against each other;
it leads to massive destruction of life and property;
even violence against children and domesticated animals is part of the means of inflicting pain to “the other” ;
while it is easy to ignite this violence, it quickly turns into a vicious cycle that is very hard to stop/reverse;
many participants and by-standers carry the guilt and wounds for the rest of their lives;
the wounds it creates go on for a period that can last generations;
I have seen this in my own life and in my own country – situations in which a diverse community starts butchering each other when they are manipulated by politicians who seek personal power;
has putin stopped to contemplate how families and communities are now being forced to focus on their diverse heritage as the main reason to make a choice to break up and hurt each other?
sorry people but once you have lived through civil wars, you can’t afford to recall the fears and acts of violence humans can inflict on each other once the right “buttons” are pushed by an experience political manipulator;
there is no way you can look at the fear and anxiety in the faces of the vulnerable community without putting yourself back in their shoes;
that is WHY throughout this Ukrainian crisis, I have been very impressed by the way people have tried to avoid further bloodshed even when pushed by the aggressor & I hope they can hold on a little longer;
You are so right…
Maybe we can have some hope, because there are reports that outside Crimea, Putin’s actions have UNITED ukrainians. They don’t want Putin to invade the rest of the country. There may be a few pro-russians who wanted to make trouble, but apparently it didn’t go very far.
Crossing fingers.
spam bin !!! really bt?
I remember that special Ireland video from Chips – I played it over and over back in 2011. Very impressive that it’s being featured on site at PBO’s ancestral home!! Congrats Chips 🙂
And the very lovely Henry emailed me at the time for permission HF, like the images and music were mine 😕 Really thrilled, an absolute honor to have the video playing in that very lovely place!
Wow..what an honor. Well, you did put the images and music together as only you could, so I guess it was YOUR work!! 🙂 🙂
Chips, Lovely videos and memories. Happy St. Patrick’s Day TODVille!
Love seeing Cousin Henry. One can tell how happy he is of the kinship he shares. Moneygall is a great little town. May God bless its inhabitants, and may He protect those of TODVille.
Happy St Patrick’s Day No Child!
Okay, I’m going to start pushing back hard on bullshit when I see it. I’m sorry about who feels offended on Twitter, but I really am sick and tired of this. I’m calling it for what it is:
also, the same people who made up this hooey about him being ‘cautious and weak’ and broadcast that lunacy repeatedly, are now saying ‘look, there are people out there who think he’s weak’. then the ‘balanced’ reporters pick it up, ‘fair or not’, and spread it around as if it’s smoke and that means fire. it’s all propaganda, demonstrably untrue.
Go for it, hf2!
Bravo Hopefruit! I had a longer comment but it disappeared! But I liked your tweets so much that I decided to re-write it. Mainly, I just wanted to thank you for calling a spade a spade! If I tweeted, here is how I would respond to Laura Rozen:
“Fair or not, the perception that the media, including people like you, are driven by racist attitudes in their evaluation of President Obama, is real. Many Objective people, not driven by racism, wonder why the President, who killed the mastermind of 9/11, helped eliminate the Libyan dictator, and has been hunting down terrorists intent on harming our country, is viewed as “weak and cautious.”
As for Syria, what exactly did right wing and left wing members of Congress do when President Obama sought Congressional support to use military force to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons? If I remember correctly, they bitched and whined and were poised to say NO! Moreover, does Laura Rozen, and all these macho people she talks too, believe that the Assad regime in Syria would have voluntarily given up chemical weapons (which, by the way, Assad had said he didn’t have) had it not been for President Obama’s threat to use military force to destroy them? As far as the Syrian Civil war, what are these macho men proposing to do? Are they prepared to shed American blood, in yet another war in the Arab world, to intervene in a Syrian Civil War? What of the cost of such military intervention? Are they prepared to go to the American people, millions of whom are still struggling to find jobs, to ask them to pay more taxes to support U.S. invasion of Syria? I really want to hear specific plans from all these macho men who criticize the President on Syria. Speaking in generalities like”we need a stronger response” is a cowardly cop-out!
I am sorry, but as far as I am concerned, U.S. journalism is being destroyed by “group think.” For example, Laura Rozen thinks that “perception,” no matter how untrue it is, is more important to report on than reporting on the TRUTH! As a journalist, her obligation is to honestly evaluate the President’s policies and actions. Although she pretends to be reporting on others’ perceptions, what she doesn’t admit is that she is simply jumping on the mainstream media/rightwing bandwagon meme! President Obama must be quite a man because any one can project their negative feelings on him! On the one hand he is a ruthless, socialist chicago thug, dictator who is destroying America; but on the other hand he is such a weakling, timid, and cautious President who is being outwitted by macho Putin. It doesn’t matter that facts and reality contradict these “perceptions.” What matters to people like Laura Rozen is that these perceptions, false as they may be, are “real” for people who hold them. This is the sad state for what passes for most of U.S. journalism!
What has caused this is the Syria episode. Plain and simple. Don’t scream at me, but I can see where they’re coming from. HOWEVER, I SUSPECT that President Obama’s cautiousness with Syria has had A LOT TO DO WITH IRAN. Negotiations with Iran. There had been all sorts of behind the scenes conversations for quite some time, and the President couldn’t talk about it. WE DON’T KNOW THE WHOLE STORY. Something happened that famous week when he seemed to change course and go to Congress for approval.
Either it’s Iran, or , and it’s a little bit CT, the President realized that he hadn’t been given all the right info from the intel community and he was maneuvered into attacking Syria prematurely. I don’t know…
I hope that some day we know the whole story, and that the WHOLE world, not just us, will appreciate President Obama’s courage, patience and wisdom.
Pushing back against the present narrative of him being “weak” is important, very important.
Yes Obama is a dictator too.
Sleep is calling. I think it’s time I answer. Toodle-di-doo, y’all!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day Chips, Cousin Henry, Rev. Stephen Neil, Moneygall and all of you here at TOD who celebrate the day.
So before the NCAA tournament brackets were released on CBS this evening (A brand new ACA commercial aired w/ Alonzo Mourning) this is different then what was released 3 days ago……… and just now I saw the Lebron James ACA add air during SportCenter……… tomorrow afternoon HHS is releasing Web ads w/ big name NCAA Bball coaches as well…….. all parlaying w/ the March Madness theme. ……….Don’t forget President Obama will fill his brackets with Andy Katz probably Tuesday before the play-in games.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to a couple time zones already full of TODers, with more to come! I’m one-quarter Irish, the part I identify with, so this day has a real special place in my heart. Goodnight and sweet dreams.
The Irish spread around the world when the English took their lands and helped create a massive famine, for which they took no blame – there are few in our worlds who don’t have some Irish blood in their veins 🙂
Reality ….
More reality …
#TrustBarack …. and be forever grateful that he is the President of the USA!!
Putin is no match for humanity and definitely no match for our President Obama leading on behalf of every person seeking freedom.
We now enter the time zone of momentous consequences ….
#TrustBarack
Interesting that Iran isn’t in the list …
good night TOD ….
Just had to write a letter to our President before trying to get a bit of rest.
Submitted via whitehouse.gov
16 March 2014
Dear President Obama,
I was old enough to experience the intense fear that the Cuban Missile Crisis elicited. Have had no similar experience since, until now.
In March of 2014 it’s not hyperbolic or irrelevant to ask what it would have been like for the world to confront a nuclear-armed tyrant in March of 1939.
With that as context, especially given your expansive understanding of history and your proven ability to confront adversity with definitive, effective actions my only reason for penning this note is to indicate that you are not alone in recognizing the reality that the next hours, maybe days, are momentous for the very persistence of humanity.
With that as further context, my only advice is don’t restrain – inflict massive, immediate and unrelenting economic consequences on Tzar Vlad. Unlikely anything less will be effective in thwarting his megalomania-induced steps toward extinction of humanity. The only folk with strong incentives and sufficient leverage to curb his march toward oblivion are Russian oligarchs who, hopefully, care more about living well rather than being front row center attendees at the first ever nuclear winter show.
Yes, Mr President, it is very fortunate that you came along when you did because no President in my 66 years would have even remotely been up to the challenge you now confront.
As I frequently note, #TrustBarack, because, #YesWeCan.
Thank you for your service to America & humanity,
Bob
Morning, still-sleeping(I hope) Bobfr! I really like the tone and language you used. Indeed, “it is very fortunate that [PBO] came along when [he] did because no President in my [29…oops…49] years 😉 would have even remotely been up to the challenge [he] now confronts.”
♥
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all you lovely TOD folks. And a special thanks to you, Bobfr for all the priceless information you’ve shared on Ukraine.
morning to those beginning the day !
good day everyone who is already in the middle of your day!
so Russia is issuing a request for new Eurobonds – ha!
Hey, I’m no Warren Buffet when it comes to stocks and bonds, but shouldn’t you have your financials in order before you invade a sovereign nation?
Apparently Joe Scarborough spoke at a Republican event in New Hamshire over the weekend and was a HUGE hit with the sheeple. Perhaps those of you on the twitter machine needs to remind Morning Joe he just might have a little problem with his 2016 plans. Be warned. Joe gets a little testy when this subject is brought up: 🙂 🙂
http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2011/03/is-morning-joe-scarborough-murderer.html
That story is always there – and more people know about it than is assumed by the author you quote. I’ve rarely seen a blog post about Joe that doesn’t mention it.
Found in the comments at LGF
Well, all that green is a sure way to remind folks it’s St. P’s Day!
Wishing you all a terrific St. Patrick’s Day, light on the ale of course!
Good Morning TOD.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day Everyone.
Unfortunately I have to go out in the mess today. 😦
Time to come on down to Arizona for a visit Donna!
Good Morning Everybody! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
What a great visit that was! Happy St Patrick’s day to all who are Irish and all who are Irish at heart!
The US has taken control of a tanker full of oil loaded from a rebel-held port in Libya, the Pentagon says.
The raid by Navy Seals took place in international waters south of Cyprus, said Rear Adm John Kirby.
The Morning Glory’s evasion of a naval blockade at the eastern port of Sidra prompted Libya’s parliament to sack Prime Minister Ali Zeidan last week.
The oil terminal has been under the control of militia wanting autonomy for eastern Libya since July 2013.
…
Adm Kirby said the operation had been authorised by President Barack Obama and that no-one had been hurt.
…
The BBC’s Rana Jawad in Tripoli says the US move is likely to act as a deterrent to any further attempts to illicitly buy oil from the rebel-controlled ports.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26609025
paging rozen or frozen, whasshername.
[Tapping my foot waiting for the Early Bird Chat ] … ahem!
Oooohhhh da cuteness!
Moooooooooooorning!
http://theobamadiary.com/2014/03/17/top-o-the-morning-chat/
If any place can do it, it’s Seattle!! I am all for it!!
Morning everyone! Happy St. Patrick’s Day:) So glad to see a message was sent to us from Henry and Stephen! They didn’t forget us:)
Anyway, found this little nugget this morning…wonder how he chose just 10? So many to chose from….anyway, Cesca’s Top 10:
http://thedailybanter.com/2014/03/the-top-10-most-egregious-republican-lies/
I relived the excitement of the visit to Ireland all over again via your video. I felt chills as if it happened just yesterday. Thank you for all you do Chips. You are and forever will be my favorite Rock Star.
Ha, thank you sooooooo much Nospin, thrilled you enjoyed the trip down memory lane!
Wow. I love this TOD and this post.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day all 😉
And a happy St Patrick’s Day to you Nena!