Moneygall

The village of Moneygall (population 320) is an unassuming place on the main N7 Dublin–Limerick road, but it was thrust into the spotlight in 2011 when President Barack Obama paid a visit to check on his ancestors. His great-great-great grandfather came from the village and his maternal ancestors lived and worked in the Moneygall area more than 160 years ago. Ollie Hayes' Bar on the main street has an "Obama Corner," and on a Thursday evening you may see the Obama Set Dancers strutting their Cashel and Ballycommon sets and practicing a mix of jigs, reels, polkas, and hornpipes. In 2014 the President Barack Obama Visitor Centre was opened, which explores the links between the village and the president. It's based in Barack Obama Plaza, a service station at junction 23 of the M7.