MONEYGALL, Ireland -- President Obama can expect a hero's welcome Monday when he sets foot in Moneygall, County Offaly, Republic of Ireland -- his ancestral homeland.
The whole place -- home to 296 people, officially -- has been painted and spruced up. Irish and American flags line the main drag. Police guard the home where Obama's great-great-great grandfather lived before emigrating to America in 1850.
But the central focus -- this is Ireland, remember -- is definitely Ollie Hayes' pub, where a bust of the 44th president sits on the bar and Obama paraphernalia is everywhere.
There's a painting of the president holding a pint of Guinness. A framed "O'Bama's Irish Pub" T-shirt. A green "Welcome to Ireland Barack Obama" banner. Even Obama-Biden posters reading, "Vote Nov. 4."
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