Moneygall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Moneygall
Muine Gall (Irish)
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Village
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Main Street, Moneygall
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 Moneygall
Location in Ireland
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| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Offaly |
| Elevation | 120 m (390 ft) |
| Population
(2022)
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374 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
| Irish Grid Reference | S028811 |
Moneygall (which means 'foreigners' thicket' in Irish) is a small village in Ireland. It sits right on the edge of two counties: County Offaly and County Tipperary. The village is located on the R445 road, which connects the cities of Dublin and Limerick.
In 2022, about 374 people lived in Moneygall. The village has a Catholic church, a place to buy and fix cars, and a primary school. There is also a police station (called a Garda station) and two pubs. A nearby Church of Ireland church, Borrisnafarney, is just 2 km away.
Moneygall became famous around the world because it is the old family home of Falmouth Kearney. He was a great-great-great-grandfather of Barack Obama, who became the President of the United States. President Obama even visited the village in 2011.
Moneygall is part of the Laois Offaly area for voting in the Irish Parliament.
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Getting Around Moneygall
Moneygall is on the R445 regional road. It is also very close to the M7 motorway. Junction 23 of the M7 motorway gives easy access to the village.
While the main Bus Éireann service no longer stops in Moneygall, some buses from JJ Kavanagh and Sons still do. These buses travel between Dublin Airport and Shannon Airport. Also, a local bus service (number 854) runs between Roscrea railway station and Nenagh. This service stops on Main Street and at the Barack Obama Plaza. It runs every day of the week.
Moneygall does not have its own train station. The closest train stations are in Nenagh, Cloughjordan, and Roscrea. These stations are on a smaller train line that connects to the main line between Cork and Dublin.
The nearest airport with regular flights is Shannon Airport. It is located in County Clare.
Learning in Moneygall
Moneygall has one Catholic primary school. There used to be a Church of Ireland school, built in 1888. It closed in 1976, and its students moved to a school in the nearby village of Cloughjordan.
An even older building, from around 1800, was also used as a school before. Later, it became a small church for the local Church of Ireland community. Today, it is a private home.
Most children from Moneygall travel to Roscrea or Nenagh for their secondary education. For college or university, the closest places are Tipperary Institute in Thurles or the University of Limerick. There are also Limerick Institute of Technology and Mary Immaculate College in Limerick.
Sports in Moneygall
Even though the village of Moneygall is in County Offaly, its Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) playing field is actually in County Tipperary. Because of this, the Moneygall GAA team plays in the Tipperary GAA Championships.
Moneygall FC, a local football club, opened its new grounds in the middle of the village in 2017. This club is based in Offaly but competes in North Tipperary.
Moneygall's Population
Every few years, Ireland counts how many people live in each area. This is called a census. According to the 2016 census, 313 people lived in Moneygall.
The census before that, in 2011, counted 310 people. This included 153 males and 157 females. This number was a small increase of 12 people (4%) since the census in 2006.
Barack Obama's Family Connection
Moneygall is famous for being the ancestral home of Falmouth Kearney. He was a great-great-great-grandfather of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States. Falmouth Kearney left Moneygall when he was 19 years old in 1850. He moved to New York City and later settled in Indiana.
Falmouth's father, Joseph, was the village shoemaker. The Kearney family moved to Ohio in the early 1800s. Falmouth Kearney's youngest daughter, Mary Ann, later moved from Indiana to Kansas. Mary Ann Kearney was the grandmother of Stanley Dunham, who was President Obama's mother's father.
President Obama's Visit
On May 23, 2011, President Obama and the First Lady, Michelle Obama, visited Moneygall. This was part of their trip to Ireland. About 5,000 people came to welcome them to the village.
When they arrived, they were greeted by Henry Healy, who is President Obama's eighth cousin. The Obamas walked along the main street, shaking hands with many local people. They then went into a house built where Falmouth Kearney's home used to be.
Afterward, they visited Ollie Hayes's pub. There, they met more of the President's distant relatives. They also looked at the birth records of his ancestors. President and Mrs. Obama drank Irish stout and made a traditional Irish toast, sláinte (which means "good health"). Mrs. Obama even went behind the bar to learn how to pour a pint of stout!
Barack Obama Plaza
A large service area called the Barack Obama Plaza opened in June 2014. It is located at Junction 23 of the M7 on the edge of Moneygall.
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Presidential helicopter "Marine One" flies to Moneygall
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Henry Healy greets his eighth cousin, Barack Obama
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A large crowd watches President Obama's approach
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Michelle Obama pours a pint of stout
Famous People from Moneygall
- Patrick Cronin: A priest who became an Archbishop in the Philippines.
- Joseph Prosser: A soldier who received the Victoria Cross, a very brave award.
See also
