Obama: Luck O’ The Irish?

Maybe they should call him Barack O’Bama.

That’s because new, in-depth geneological studies from the Emerald Isle have looked into Obama’s family tree, and found that he’s got some interesting roots in Tipperary — a successful politician, a wigmaker, a university provost and even a bishop.

Of course, you’ve all heard the stories that Obama is distantly related to VP Dick Cheney, but the new look comes via one our favorite radio stations, RTE Morning Ireland. It broadcast the news — and it was big in Ireland — this morning that the researchers of Eneclann, one of Ireland’s leading historical research groups, did a rather unprecedented and intense look into Obama’s Irish ancestry.

The findings by researchers Fiona Fitzsimmons and Helen Moss show that on mom’s side, the Illinois Senator is directly linked to the Kearney clan of Moneygall Co.

”The clan came from Tipperary originally.. were Gaelic Irish in origin and members of the Church of Ireland,” the study notes.

”They were skilled artisans,” prosperous in the the 18th Century, according to the study.

One distant Obama cousin, John Kearny, ”went on to become the Provost of Trinity College Dublin, and later Bishop of Ossory.”
And then there’s the ”where’d he get the politics bug?” matter:

Michael Kearney, Obama’s 6th great-granduncle, ”was very active within the politics of his trade guild,” the study said.

”In 1720, within three years of joining, he was elected house warden. In 1724, he was openly critical of the master and warden of his guild, and led a petition against them.”

He rallied ”the support of his fellow guild members, and within two years in 1726, Michael Kearney was elected master of the Guild of Barber Surgeons,” the study says.

Looking for history to repeat itself?

Despite some tough attacks from his opposition, the Obama great-granduncle won that election — in a landslide, the research notes.

Just asking, but — does the conservative radio crowd, constantly hammering ”Barack Hussein Obama,” give this one a mention?

Posted By: Carla Marinucci (Email) |
August 07 2008 at 11:01 AM