Irish Town Gussies Up For President Obama's Visit

03:35

May 18, 2011

After President Obama was elected in 2008, American flags were displayed in the town of Moneygall, Ireland, where the President's great great great grandfather once lived. The President will visit in late May. (AP)

Next week, President Obama will journey to the tiny town of Moneygall, where his great great great grandfather once lived. The BBC's Marsk Simpson reports that the town's 298 residents are busy preparing for the president's visit.

Background: The First Presidential Trip To Ireland

[sidebar title="When was the first time a sitting American president visited Ireland?" width="580" align="right"]President John F. Kennedy was the first American president to visit Ireland. He arrived in his ancestral homeland on June 26, 1963, right after delivering his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner," or, "I am a Berliner," speech at the Berlin Wall.

The brief 3-day Irish visit marked a personal high point for the young president, who would be assassinated in Dallas just 5 months later.[/sidebar]

Report by Here & Now's Alex Ashlock

This segment aired on May 18, 2011.