Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, but to be young was very heaven.
My spot for Obama
What a week it has been for Ireland. I feel sorry for whoever has to edit together Reeling In The Years 2011!
If last week’s visit of Banríon Eilís was about closing one chapter of history, the short visit of President Obama was about opening a new one.
I must admit that while I was personally excited about having the opportunity to go see Obama in the flesh at his Dublin event, I was sceptical about the visit overall as it seemed to me to be little more than a perfunctory effort to fulfill a promise made by the President to Ambassador Dan Rooney. My scepticism increased after the massive success of the Queen Elizabeth’s visit and I thought that Obama’s brief stopover would be an anti-climax in contrast. I was totally wrong.
It was clear that not only were the Obamas extremely well briefed on Ireland but that they were genuinely enjoying themselves and, whether it was through the tales they had heard from Ambassador Rooney or through the warmth of the welcome they received, they had an affection for our country.
Standing in the crowd on College Green on Monday what struck me most was the amount of young people who had queued up for many hours to hear Obama. I know some smartarses are going to say that a lot of them were there just for the free Jedward and Westlife concert, and some of them were. But the gender balance of the crowd suggested to me that unless Jedward have a lot of previously closeted fans amongst 16 – 30 year old males, Obama was the main attraction for most of the crowd.
Given the age profile, I was pleased that Obama had a special message of encouragement and perseverance for young people. Obama may have rock star qualities but, ultimately, he is a politician. When was the last time the young people of Ireland heard such a hopeful message from a politician? When was the last time we believed it?
Our economic recovery will not come about as a direct result of a visit by the President of the United States, or indeed of the British monarch. But, no matter how clichéd or corny it may be, the lift that the past week and a bit has given to the morale of the nation has been massive. In the same way as the visit to Ireland of President Kennedy in 1963 represented a coming of age for our country, I think in time to come the visits of the past week will be seen as a Renaissance moment for Ireland.
I promised myself I wouldn’t say it, but what the hell: Is féidir linn!
