Did You Know There’s a Plaza in Ireland Dedicated to Obama?

Yep! You heard me right, there is a motorway service area in Ireland called Barack Obama Plaza. Located just off the M7 motorway in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is beside the village of Moneygall, which is just across the county border in County Offaly. According to the website for the plaza, they opened “in 2014 and have a vast variety of food offerings which include a Supermac’s, Papa John’s Pizza, SuperSubs, Mac’s Place Deli, and a Bewley’s Coffee Barista station.”

This is something that I thought would never exist but here we are! What is even more interesting is that not only is this a facility where you can get gas (or as those in European countries cal it, Petrol) and some kinds of fast food, but it acts as a history museum for Obama and his family.

Now, like me, you would be asking yourself, “why is there a half gas station, half history museum of a U.S President in Ireland?” well as it turns out “it is named after former US president Barack Obama, whose third great grandfather, Falmouth Kearney, lived in Moneygall and who emigrated to the US in 1850,” according to the Wikipedia page about the plaza.

So now you get a little bit of Irish and American history when you visit the plaza and the website for the plaza even has a page documenting Obama’s third great grandfather’s life! What is even cooler is that there is a bronze bust of Obama, and then even a life-sized bronze sculpture of Barack and Michelle Obama, outside of the plaza!

So If you ever have a moment to say a fun and weird fact, here is a good one! Or if you are ever in the area, you should totally check this place out and learn a little history of one of our presidents away from home.

All information is credited to the websites cited. Click here for the official website of the plaza.