OBAMA'S ANCESTORS & HERITAGE

LordSutch · 05-11-2008 1:09pm #1

A lot has been made in Ireland of Obama's Irish heritage - but who cares if 'one' of his ancestors was Irish?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1550485/Obama%27s-Irish-roots-found-to-be-Protestant.html

Upon hearing about Obama & his 'Irish Roots' I thought I would do a little research of my own from this site. http://genealogy.about.com/od/aframertrees/p/barack_obama.htm and it transpires (not surprisingly) that not only does Obama have an ancestor from Ireland, but he has them from all over the place :eek: from Belgium to Scotland (& Ireland), so why do we in Ireland feel compelled to shout about the Irish origins of his Great Great Great Great Grandfather?

Here is a short list of many of Obama's (Family Tree) ancestral surname origins as found on this site: http://www.houseofnames.com/fc.asp?sId=&s=Dunham

ARMOUR - English
CLARK – Anglo/Scots
DUNHAM - English
HOLLOWAY - English
KEARNEY - Irish

MCCURRY - Scottish
OBAMA - Kenyan
OVERALL - English
PAYNE - English
STROUP - Belgian
WOLFLEY - English
WRIGHT – Anglo/Scots

Obama does indeed have an Irish connection, but is it any more important than any of the others? can the Belgians, the English or the Scots claim him as one of their own? or is it just the Irish ancestor that counts?

I do realise that this Topic is lightweight piffle, but the way some Irish Radio & TV commentators are going-on about Obama being 'Irish' makes me belly laugh - hence this enlightening Thread . . . . . .

brianthebard · 05-11-2008 1:13pm

Have you researched all the news reports in all those countries to see if they also get excited about his ancestry?

Dave! · 05-11-2008 1:14pm

ehh I don't think most Irish people care that he has a tiny % of Irish in him...

Benedict XVI · 05-11-2008 2:17pm

The Irish media (and politicians) always hype up something with an Irish\American angle. I heard that Cowen has extended an invitation to Obama to visit Offaly already.

It's a bit like the papers telling us that an Irish film has 'Taken Hollywood by storm', when it may actually be only playing in some back steer independent cinema and only Irish ex-pats going to it.

Most Irish people here and in America take it with a pinch of salt.

Obama's ancestors from Offaly where not your typical Irish, Catholic famine ship immigrants.

One was Provost of Trinity College, a pretty prestigious job on anyone one's CV

Mammy2oo8 · 05-11-2008 2:18pm

OBAMA rulles....the best

lisbon_lions · 05-11-2008 2:23pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eKZryEAzUg

Benedict XVI · 05-11-2008 2:25pm

lisbon_lions wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eKZryEAzUg

that was posted here months ago, it's awful muck.

Dudess · 05-11-2008 2:28pm

Benedict XVI wrote: »

Obama's ancestors from Offaly where not your typical Irish, Catholic famine ship immigrants.

One was Provost of Trinity College, a pretty prestigious job on anyone one's CV

And now suddenly, Camelot is fawning over Obama's ancestors...

lisbon_lions · 05-11-2008 2:30pm

Benedict XVI wrote: »

that was posted here months ago, it's awful muck.

I though it was quite good - very catchy. You just have no taste in music

Crash · 05-11-2008 2:53pm

Benedict XVI wrote: »

One was Provost of Trinity College, a pretty prestigious job on anyone one's CV

1799 - 1806 – John Kearney <---thats interesting, didn't know that. Thanks Benedict.

Mr.Nice Guy · 05-11-2008 7:22pm

Obama is actually aware of the Irish connection which surprises me. Anyone see this clip? Check out about 1:32 into it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4wZuEnoEZU

"There's a little village in Ireland where my great, great, great, great-grandfather came from. So I'm looking forward to going there and having a pint."

Top man!

LordSutch · 05-11-2008 7:39pm

Here's another one .................

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EADUQWKoVek

amacachi · 05-11-2008 7:46pm

OMG! The chosen one may come to Ireland!

Tabnabs · 05-11-2008 7:49pm

Saw his "ancestral home-town" on the news. One look at the locals and he'll stay away :eek:

eoin2nc · 05-11-2008 11:10pm

Biden is far more Irish, hope he visiits here

Húrin · 06-11-2008 1:53am

Biffobama?

dennisthemennis · 06-11-2008 2:01am

eh because ireland is seen as one of the sort of 'cool' countries to be from, whereas ulster-scotts and scot irish aren't really deemed irish...basically nobody cares about this.

JohnJericho · 06-11-2008 2:11am

Biden comes from a Irish catholic family. Obama is very aware of his Irish roots, i have heard him refer to us more than once.

indough · 06-11-2008 2:37am

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

"There's a little village in Ireland where my great, great, great, great-grandfather came from. So I'm looking forward to going there and having a pint."

Top man!

i see that as pandering for irish-american votes to be honest

Black Swan · 06-11-2008 2:58am

Obama was born American, not born Irish. If we start tracing all our ancestry to show links, it will illustrate that we are all hybrids (mutts in doggy terms). So what's the big deal about Obama's distant ancestors?

Oh, I know! This is all about getting kissed! St Pat's Day is a big deal in Chicago, where they dye the river green, dress in green (or get pinched), parade down the Miracle Mile, and drink from dusk to dawn on Rush Street, running all about with sweat shirts that claim they are Irish and wanting to be kissed.:D

dennisthemennis · 06-11-2008 11:35am

ancestry is different in the us than it is to other places. while it would be laughable for someone in ireland to be like 'ye im french, cause my family are french hugenots' in america someone would i presume be comofrtable with this and identify themselves as french.

bridget.laitly · 06-11-2008 10:12pm

dennisthemennis wrote: »

ancestry is different in the us than it is to other places. while it would be laughable for someone in ireland to be like 'ye im french, cause my family are french hugenots' in america someone would i presume be comofrtable with this and identify themselves as french.

I second that, Den. Growing up in the states kids are shockingly good at percentages when it comes to their family ancestries...

"So like, I'm half Irish, fifteen percent French, twelve percent Polish, ten percent Lithuanian and three percent Navajo... so really, I'm Native American."

And the thing is, we're all ok with that. In fact, we encourage it. I don't think there's another place on earth where you can be any nationality as long as a sliver of someone in your family history mucked through there.

Of course, on a less cynical note: to me Obama's more of an American president than any I've been alive to see. I don't want to over-attribute graces to the man, but yes he's the face of change. And sanity.

Benedict XVI · 07-11-2008 12:17am

dennisthemennis wrote: »

eh because ireland is seen as one of the sort of 'cool' countries to be from, whereas ulster-scotts and scot irish aren't really deemed irish...basically nobody cares about this.

Really,
Tell that to the millions of Ulster-Scots 'Irish' that live in Virginia, Tennessee and the Carolinas that see themselves as 'Irish'

Back around 1999 there was a documentary series on RTE about the Irish in America, and I recall them saying that of the Americans that claim Irish ancestry, 55% of them are of Ulster Protestant origin, rather than Catholic origin.

Can anybody remember the show, I would like to watch it again if it is available.

cooperguy · 07-11-2008 3:11am

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gCkF0hziZXo&feature=related

LordSutch · 07-11-2008 11:40am

Benedict XVI wrote: »

Back around 1999 there was a documentary series on RTE about the Irish in America, and I recall them saying that of the Americans that claim Irish ancestry, 55% of them are of Ulster Protestant origin, rather than Catholic origin.

Can anybody remember the show, I would like to watch it again if it is available.

Yes indeed, I remember the programme & the 55%, but that shouldnt be a surprise really, there is no reason why only 'one' religion would have emigrated to the New World - Sorry, I cant remember the name of the programme either, maybe RTE can help out.

Bottle_of_Smoke · 07-11-2008 12:25pm

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Obama is actually aware of the Irish connection which surprises me. Anyone see this clip? Check out about 1:32 into it...

"There's a little village in Ireland where my great, great, great, great-grandfather came from. So I'm looking forward to going there and having a pint."

Top man!

See there's this thing called the "irish lobby"

Bottle_of_Smoke · 07-11-2008 12:27pm

dennisthemennis wrote: »

eh because ireland is seen as one of the sort of 'cool' countries to be from, whereas ulster-scotts and scot irish aren't really deemed irish...basically nobody cares about this.

This is true. Ironically the majority of "irish americans" are actually "ulster scot americans"

Benedict XVI · 07-11-2008 12:47pm

Camelot wrote: »

Yes indeed, I remember the programme & the 55%, but that shouldnt be a surprise really, there is no reason why only 'one' religion would have emigrated to the New World - Sorry, I cant remember the name of the programme either, maybe RTE can help out.

Well it will surprise a lot of people. Irish America is seen as very 'Nationalist', pro 'United Ireland', 'brits out'.

So to hear that most Irish Americans are the descendants of Ulster Scots Protestants would surprise many.

OBAMA'S ANCESTORS & HERITAGE

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