Obama: ‘ ‘I would love to pay visit to Galway’

Date Published: 20-Mar-2009

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama has expressed his wish to visit Galway during a future trip to Ireland. He was responding to an invitation from Mayor of Galway, Councillor Pádraig Conneely, one of only 40 people to get a private audience with the President and his wife, Michelle, in the White House
on St Patrick’s Day .
The Mayor, as guest of the Mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, personally delivered an invitation to visit Galway when he attended the White House for the annual ceremony celebrating the Irish.
It had been said during President Obama’s campaign that he had little interest in Ireland or Irish issues, but on Tuesday, the new President was in fine form as he received a bowl of shamrock from An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, and later hosted a party for 400 people which included Mayor Conneely.
But the Mayor, who got a tour of the White House, got further access to the ‘first couple’ in the Diplomatic Room when they posed for photographs with special guests.
“I was one of the first to invite him to Galway when he got elected in November and again on Tuesday I told him I had delivered a letter to his aides reiterating this invite and he replied, ‘why not, I would
love to visit Galway’.