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THE US FIRST Lady and her two daughters visited Glendalough, Co Wicklow and Dalkey, Co Dublin today as their two-day visit to Ireland draws to an end.
Michelle, Sasha (12) and Malia (14) Obama first took a guided tour through the monastic site in the Wicklow Mountains National Park. They then headed to Finnegan’s Pub in Dalkey for a spot of lunch with local and U2 frontaman, Bono and his wife, Ali.
The three Obama ladies are due to meet with the US President Barack Obama later as he leaves the G8 summit and they will all fly to Germany this evening.
Here are the Obama’s day out in pictures:
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Riverdance and Bono? Those poor, poor girls.
All this for a presidents wife! Well at least it promotes tourism.
Not sure lunch with bono and private riverdance shows are standard tourist fare…
You mean to say you havent received your lunch with Bono yet?
I don’t really see what business Bono had going for lunch with them?? He goes around like he’s some head of state or something
Sure he’s just round the corner.
Maybe he was invited?
Bono invited them………
I hear that they’re ancestors were originally from Ireland?
And I’ve heard that Kim Jong’s family used to run an Asian Food stall in the Moor Street Markets.
Or was it Pol Pot?
Bono ya big legend
the kids looked so bored
Your dog looks like he’s having a barrel of fun ! Conjuring up ways to escape
The Obamas must be starting to think that Ireland is a nation of people standing on the streets waving at any passers by
We haven’t lost u know, a nation of begrudgers , what a sour little people we have become. Time to have a good look in the mirror , we that perceive ourselves to be so perfect. When did clothes make a man or woman. I welcome the Obamas with open arms and hope our tourist industry will reap the rewards. Well done to all involved.
while i am all for promoting tourism ,who made bono an irish embassador,sure he doesnt pay an ounce of tax in this country and doesnt even live here most of the year
Paula and anyone else for that matter – who would you have sent the obamas for lunch with and where?
Well said
Shed have probably sent tubbs gaybo or the plank
Where did you get this pearl of information from Paula, he and U2 actually pay a lot of tax here. check it out from a reliable source not the red top newspapers.
God sure we said the same aul crap when your one the queen came..Oh think of the tourism!!! The looks on the obamas faces says it all..
Just because he was born here dosent make him irish
The local chipper and to meet Paddy and Mary Irishman and woman.Why not! After all her hubby and US politicans make a big deal of going to greasy spoon diners all over America to meet real Americans in election year and to hear the average Joe and Jane Schmos problems,and to then promptly ignore them and never set foot in another such dive for another four years.
So why not let Queen Obama and the princesses meet the commoners??after all if she is so “with the people.” she should have no trouble dining with them along with God…er sorry… Bono!
Hi I’m Barry Scott (and I’m angry)
Bono – he really can’t help himself.
This is actually embarrassing. …
I agree with Theresa Daly we mostly sound like a nation (or at least those who subscribe to the journal) of miserable, bitter, begrudging old sods. For God’s sake why can’t people enjoy the international attention both the G8 & the visit of Michelle & her girls have given Ireland. I must say Michelle Obama comes across as a very warm, fun-loving, bright, intelligent woman & why shouldn’t we make a huge effort to welcome her here. Now I do agree with those who are critical of Bono being a kind of ambassador for the day, to be honest I can think of plenty other people who would be better suited & more worthy of such an honor, how about Mary McAleese & Joanne O’Riordan? Mary McAleese strikes me as being great company & of a similar personality to Michelle & I’d say Joanne would hit it off brilliantly with the 2 girls & keep them well entertained!!! Anyway I hope they enjoyed their trip & the Irish tourist board couldn’t buy that publicity if they tried.
Now there’s an alternative to bono – I love it!
Why oh why do we always have to bring international visitors to pubs? Is this a policy of Bord Failte?
FFS…Bono, why does this man have to be the centre of attention while worlds media must be thinking “Ah sure we’ll just send out our most renown citizen to help us oirish do the meet n greet bit among the glare of the media “. This man is an utter embarrassment to most of us and certainly would not represent the views of common proliteriat .
I like Bono!
Not sure why the Bono begrudgers are out in force.He invited her to his local for lunch.Whats wrong with that.Also this was a private engagement and not a public appearance, so i think she dressed just fine.
They can have all the private engagements they like once they don’t get in the way.
Dalkey is not in Wicklow its in Dublin.
No its not. It’s County Dublin.
They could of straightened up a few of the headstones.
They could HAVE………..
I’m beginning to despise all you negativity promoters, moaners and begrudger on here more than bond holders at this stage. Glad I don’t live your lives. The G8 and the visit by Michelle and kids, can only be a good thing got the country.
Is it any wonder this country is the shit for 6 years. negative everything anti this blah blah. Cop on folks, whether you like it not American money is what its about. Try survive without it. BTW best Craic in along time in Finnegans today!!!
This groveling and fawning just has to stop. And while we are at it can we outlaw the cringe-making use of double- barreled names by jumped up pseuds ?
Michelle obama has lunch with bono one of the biggest tax dodgers in the country while her husband meets with the G8 and one of the things they are talking about is tightning up on tax avoidance are they taking the piss?
If we are going to pick on Michelle obamas fashion sense,what was enda Kenny wearing,that suit was appalling,no tie and the colour scheme was dire…sort him out Louis copeland…
Ah but Shane his hair was lovely…………………….I’d say he got the color done especially for the occasion!!!!!
Shouldn’t bono be at the G8 summit sure that’s where they are talking about tax evasion after he’s an expert on the subject
Bono. Ugh! Puke..
To be fair about the Bono thing, I would be far more mortifiedby the thought of them being brought to lunch by the wrong person then I am by them being brought by Bono. I am not for a minute saying that any one of them are impressed by Bono but theres a greater chance they’d be impressed and excited about a lunch with him then some Irish politician fawning all over them, which could easily have been the choice. I’m sure the girls have the opportunity to meet lots of interesting people but U2 are huge in the states, so hopefully that lunch might be something enjoyable for them to take away and tell their friends about, as they seem fierce bored in all the other photos!
For all the people slagging Bono and U2 for not paying Tax ask yourself an honest question what would ye do in the same position ? And how much good have they done for the country,
Why are we still a nation of begrudgers ??? Fair play to all involved in welcoming the Obamas to Ireland
They obviously got the memo about girls wearing pyjamas out in public.
Grovel grovel grovel anyway the yanks are not the big spenders in the tourist game, the Germans leave them way behind.
What a horrid outfit for Mrs. Obama to wear on a foreign visit — white paint-splatter jeans, dark abstract blouse, and biker jacket! She’s the First Lady on a very public tour, surely she could have found an demure casual outfit that reflected well on her position. Does she ever look in the mirror?
Annie, I suppose you get dressed up in all your finery for a walk around Glendalough and a pub lunch? And those trousers are clearly patterned, not paint splattered…
Well I’m sure you’re an international style icon, unlike Michelle Obama. Oh wait, no, think I got that one a bit backwards.
I think she looked great .. Can’t blame the daughters for being bored ! Surrounded by adults 24/7 … zzzzzzzzzz. At least Bono brought his sons along . Nice touch !
Actually whats a disgrace is the tour guide. Would you not wear a bloody suit for that. He was big let down. Shocking sloppiness
Annie I’ve never seen so meny red thumbs ever ? That says it all really !
I think it’s a thundering disgrace that she wasn’t wheeled off by some sleazy PR person from Diageo to be photographed drinking Guinness. After all, most Heads of State visiting this country allow themselves to be used for free advertising for Guinness (most recently the Prime Minister of Canada) . I don’t see why the wife of the American Head of State shouldn’t lend her services to them as well.
She is a teetotaller that’s why,and her daughters cant legally drink in the USA until they are 21.So it would be abit of a PR disaster for both The Obama royal family and Diageo.
Seems the Journal is a no go area for any criticism of Obama or “god”. Thanks for deleting my comment, The Journal goes centre-right sandwiched between the Irish Times and the Indo
Michelle should have visited Kerry and met the healy-raes cos there would be more of the craic.
I’m all for good publicity concerning Irish tourism,then we let ourselves down and fleece the tourist!!..it would be interesting to access what money flowed into Ireland after the previous visit of the obamas and the queen?…or did we let it flow out again in security costs and paying the bond holders and banks?…just a thought,as we see businesses shutting down daily…
Shane surely the question of the bond holders & the banks is a totally different issue? regardless of what the previous visits have or have not done for tourism it isn’t going to change those situations. I do think there is a spin off from good publicity, I have been told that since the Queen’s visit to the English Market in Cork there are much more tourists visiting there. I’d imagine the same will probably happen with Glendalough. To be honest I am ashamed to say as an Irish person that I have never been there but it is now on my list of things to do. I don’t think there is any definite way of putting a monetary value on what such visits are worth to the country but if Tourism Ireland were to buy that much publicity it would cost an arm and a leg so I can’t see it being anything but a positive.
Mr Putin has just left the building on flight RSD011. Thank you.
Kazakhstan Government flight BE007 has left Manchester airport but WTF has that got to do with us?
Knob
NAO22 has taken off from Knock, wonder who is on that one?
One presumes Mr Hewson filled the Obamas in on the best ways to avoid paying tax around the world while asking us mere mortals to contribute more to World Aid ! Puke stuff
Feck off Bono
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