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Watch out! Obama is presented with a hurley by Kenny after their bilateral meeting today. Carolyn Kaster/AP/Press Association Images

Kenny tells Obama: Bring your golf clubs next time

The bailout, Northern Ireland, the Queen’s visit, the Republic’s role in the world, and golf were among the topics discussed by president Barack Obama and Taoiseach Enda Kenny at Farmleigh house this morning.

US PRESIDENT BARACK Obama and Taoiseach Enda Kenny have held bilateral talks in Dublin this afternoon after which they spent a few minutes briefing the media.

Kenny said that the discussions involved a range of issues including the ways in which Ireland is dealing with the banks, unemployment, the budget deficit, and the conditions of the EU/IMF bailout.

The Taoiseach expressed appreciation for the general support of America in dealing with these issues. The situation in Northern Ireland was also discussed including the election of a new assembly as well as the historic visit of Queen Elizabeth last week.

Kenny said that there would be no change on the policy of Shannon and the continued use of it by US forces on their way to the Middle East.

Matters of immigration were also discussed following a recent speech by Obama.

Kenny finished by saying that there had been some “unfinished business” in that the next time Obama visits, “he’s going to bring his golf clubs.”

Obama said he was “extraordinarily grateful” for the hospitality and said the “friendship and bond between US and Ireland could not be stronger.”

He said he wanted to “continue the bonds of trade and commerce” and said the US was “rooting for Ireland’s success” and would do everything it could to help Ireland on the path to recovery.

Obama expressed extraordinary appreciation to Ireland for its international work and said that Ireland “punches above its weight” when it comes to its efforts abroad from peace keeping to the avocation of human rights.

He said that the US has been “inspired by the progress in Northern Ireland,” adding:

It speaks to possibilities of peace and people in long standing struggles being able to re imagine their relationships.

To see Her Majesty the Queen of England come here and to see the mutual warmth and feeling that took place as a consequence of that visit and to know that the former Taoiseach FitzGerald was able to witness the Queen coming here…that sends a signal around the world.

He quoted former US politician Bobby Kennedy in saying it sent “a ripple of hope” that he hoped would manifest itself in a range of ways around the world.

In closing, Kenny said that a collection of Hawaiian children’s stories by Padraic Colum had been given to the Obama’s as gifts for their children Malia and Sasha.

Obama thanked Kenny for the gift and added:

If you need someone to do some good writing – you hire an Irishman.

The president also received a hurley from Kenny, waving it purposefully outside Farmleigh house as he departed and joking that he might use it on congress in the US.

The presidential party then departed, bound for Obama’s ancestral home of Moneygall.

Obama’s visit: A timeline of the day’s events >

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3 Comments
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    Mute Michael McLoughlin
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    Jul 29th 2017, 9:52 AM

    Still use my nano for runs and the gym , it’s great.

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    Mute Seeking Truth
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    Jul 29th 2017, 9:47 AM

    We had the classic iPod, then our daughter got the nano5 and our son the nano7. His has broken since, but hers still works.
    Would be nice to have an mp3 player not reliant on the internet to give kids to let them have music in their bedroom….tjat did not have a camera, text messaging, etc. In other words, can we have separate devices for each activity? Oh wait….we used to have it that way…..

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jul 29th 2017, 12:57 PM

    @Seeking Truth: I bought my daughter a low tech stereo system and CDs! She loves that the radio never buffers!!!

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    Mute Seeking Truth
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    Jul 29th 2017, 5:04 PM

    @Deborah Behan: she has a CD player and can listen to the radio on her iPod nano. But Spotify makes things tricky!! Looking at a Sonos wireless speaker that runs from an app anywhere in the house so the device can stay downstairs but they are fairly spendy!!!

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    Mute Will Keane
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    Jul 29th 2017, 9:46 AM

    Still have me 2gb nano and 80gb iPod 2nd edition and they are still going strong!

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    Mute wiklagirl
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    Jul 29th 2017, 10:30 AM

    I still use my 120gb iPod. Long may it last !

    34
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    Mute WilhelminaMCallaghan
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    Jul 29th 2017, 9:32 AM

    I wish I had any iPod

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    Mute Mr. Dragmire
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    Jul 29th 2017, 11:12 AM

    I won an iPod nano 4th gen in college in 2004. I wasn’t into music really turn so I gave it to my sister who was. A few years later she gave it back when she got a phone that could store music. I used it for podcasts and music then. In 2010 I got an iPod touch 4th gen and used that instead. A couple years ago I gave the iPod nano back to my sister and she uses it for music in her car. It’s a great little device.

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Jul 29th 2017, 1:07 PM

    What’s a Walkman ??? :) I’m still hauling a record player around with a long extension lead :)

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    Mute Melina Roberts
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    Jul 29th 2017, 12:09 PM

    I have the first Generation IPod, took great care of it and think I even have the original box for it.I’m hoping it will be worth something in the future

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    Mute Revolting Peasant
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    Jul 29th 2017, 10:57 PM

    @Melina Roberts: It probably will be. Apple recalled them a few years back due to battery issues and replaced them with a newer version (the small square thing whose button always breaks). If the screen wasn’t broken we wouldn’t of sent ours away. It was the original classic design.

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    Mute ivan lynch
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    Jul 29th 2017, 10:20 AM

    Pity…
    very tough to get a device these days that children want and can satisfy parents at the same time.

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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Jul 29th 2017, 1:42 PM

    Over rated over priced just like VW Audi cars.

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    Mute Rui Firmino
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    Jul 30th 2017, 12:02 PM

    @Alan Scott: I got a nano 9 years ago and still works fine. Worth every cent!

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    Mute Ger
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    Jul 29th 2017, 3:13 PM

    I had a 5th gen Nano about 10 years ago. It was a perfect piece of kit and had I not lost it it would probably still be my preferred way to listen to music.

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    Mute Eamonn Sheen
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    Jul 29th 2017, 2:21 PM

    I had a 160gb iPod classic and have an iPod touch but never use it now. I use Spotify on my phone as my main source of music these days.

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    Mute Lily
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    Jul 29th 2017, 6:00 PM

    I waited for the first generation iPod touch. I still have it (though for a time I thought I lost it and got a 4th or 5th generation iPod touch and found the 1st generation one a few days later.)

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    Mute Leitrim303
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    Jul 29th 2017, 7:28 PM

    never liked apple devices

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    Mute Ciaran O Reilly
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    Jul 30th 2017, 7:59 PM

    Classic

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    Mute Charles McCarthy
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    Jul 29th 2017, 8:08 PM

    I have a one of those iPod classics U2 edition jobbys somewhere in the house, never even been used as I can’t find it. I’m sure that it is a great little device when it turns up! : O

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    Mute Gary Mason
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    Jul 29th 2017, 7:55 PM

    Never owned an Apple product and never will.

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    Mute George Roche
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    Jul 30th 2017, 8:11 AM

    My neck’s killing me carting this boombox about.

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