Obama fever sweeps ancestral home

Catriona Morrison, from Pensylvania, takes a picture of US tourists Darrell Sheeley and his wife Marsh outside a bungalow painted with the US flag in Moneygall, Co Offaly

Residents in US President Barack Obama's ancestral home in Ireland queued for up to six hours to secure a "golden ticket" to see his homecoming.

Two thousand people will be part of the president's sweeping visit to the rural village of Moneygall, Co Offaly, on Monday.

Henry Healy, a distant relative of Mr Obama, said everybody was excited that locals will be giving Ireland's world famous welcome.

"I liken this to his presidential campaign, when he was the underdog," said Mr Healy. "Then we were the underdogs to secure this visit and both of us are the winners. He said he wanted to come to Moneygall and it's the people of Moneygall he is going to meet. Everybody has been extremely patient. They've been queuing five to six hours for their golden tickets."

Mr Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are due to touch down in Dublin on Monday morning and start their trip with the obligatory meeting with the heads of state and government.

It is speculated the couple will fly by helicopter to the midlands for an hour, which could include a visit to the local pub Ollie Hayes.

Obama fever is sweeping the village, with US secret service agents moving in as locals paint their houses and repair the footpaths.

Mr Healy said even the surrounding green pastures have been prepared for the president's landing.

Records show Mr Obama's great-great-great-great-grandfather was a shoemaker in Moneygall and his son, Falmouth Kearney, left for New York in 1850.

Although generations have passed, blood ties to the president remain in the guise of Mr Healy.