Michelle Obama’s life-sized bronze statue stands next to the statue of her spouse, Barack. They are holding hands and waving to the visitors.
Mark Rhodes created the sculptures, and Obama’s former speechwriter, Cody Keenan, dedicated them on August 20th, 2018. They are standing at the entrance to Barack Obama Plaza, a rest area on Ireland’s M7 highway next to the village of Moneygall.
The rest area has a gas station, several food options, a shop, and a museum dedicated to the Obamas and other US presidents with a US-Ireland connection. Visitors can also purchase all kinds of Obamas-related merch.
The Obamas visited Ireland in 2011, and on May 23rd, 2011, they came to Moneygall to visit the birthplace of his great-great-great-grandfather (from his mother’s side) Falmouth Kearney, who lived there before emigrating to the US in 1850 looking for a better future.
People in the area wished to commemorate the connection with the 44th US president of the US, so in 2014, the Barack Obama Plaza was opened.
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson grew up in the South Side of Chicago. She was a gifted child, skipped 2nd grade, and participated in gifted programs. After graduating from Princeton and later Harvard Law School, Michelle became an associate at a prestigious Chicago-based law firm. There, she mentored the summer associate Barack Obama who later became her life partner (married in 1992). Michelle took an active part in his presidential campaign, toured the country, and gave speeches. From 2009 until 2017, she served as the first lady of the United States, the first African-American first lady. Michelle advocated for a healthy lifestyle, education, and poverty awareness. She became a fashion icon and one of the most popular women in the US (by Gallup’s poll).
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