Irish Prepare Welcome for Obama

Obama to visit his great, great, great grandfather's home (h/t Balloon Juice):

A small Irish village is pulling out all the stops and making sure it's spotless in anticipation of one of its most famous sons.

Moneygall in County Offaly is getting a facelift, as the rural village prepares to welcome the most powerful man in the world, Barack Obama, next month.

The impending visit to Ireland by the U.S. President has transformed the appearance of Moneygall.

President Obama's great, great, great grandfather came from Moneygall and the president plans to swing by to his ancestral home during a two-day visit to Ireland.

And preparations for his arrival are giving the village a whole new look.

For instance, to ensure the presidential feet are made as comfortable as possible, the pavements are being dug up, re-laid and smoothed over as part of a huge refurb.

Pint for the President: Majella Hayes in her bar named Ollie Hayes

I bet folks in Western Ohio wouldn't be too excited by a visit, even though they renamed a street after the last president because he came to Tipp City to tell people things were going good in Iraq right after the surge started.  But, I'm used to people around here liking their politicians dumb.