Barack Obama Plaza

The Barack Obama Plaza is a motorway service area on the R445 road at Junction 23, just off the M7 motorway in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is beside the village of Moneygall, which is just across the county border in County Offaly. The plaza was opened in 2014 and is accessed using the Junction 23 slip roads.[1][2][3] 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.[4]

Barack Obama Plaza
View of the services from the Junction 23 slip road
Barack Obama Plaza (Ireland)
Information
CountyTipperary, on the County Offaly border
RoadR445 road at Exit 23 off the M7 motorway
Coordinates:52.884894°N 7.945059°W / 52.884894; -7.945059
FacilitiesPetrol, shop, meals, fast food, sandwiches, coffee, toilets, visitor centre, meeting rooms, and wifi.
OperatorPat and Una McDonagh
Date opened30 May 2014
Websitehttp://www.barackobamaplaza.ie

The Plaza cost €7 million to construct and opened on 30 May 2014.[5] An Obama museum–visitor centre opened on the following 4 July.[6][7] The Plaza is owned and operated by Pat McDonagh and his wife Una McDonagh.

Facilities

The service station operating under the Circle K brand has 26 petrol pumps across two fourcourts offering unleaded petrol, diesel, MGO (marine gas oil), Adblue (diesel exhaust fluid) and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), as well as a fast-charge ESB electric car charge point.

In addition to fuel supplies there is a variety of food outlets including Supermac's, Papa John's Pizza, Mac's Place Bakery and Carvery, Bewleys coffee and a Spar shop. The Plaza also includes a visitor centre that provides information on Obama's family connections to Moneygall where his great-great-great-grandfather lived,[8] as well as five meeting rooms and a large function room.

A bus service, No. 854 between Roscrea and Nenagh, calls at Barack Obama Plaza seven days a week. The service connects with the local communities of Toomevara, Cloughjordan and Shinrone.[9][10] [11]

Obama art
Bronze sculpture of Barack and Michelle Obama by Mark Rhodes

A bronze bust of Barack Obama by Mark Rhodes, and commissioned by Plaza owner, Pat McDonagh, was unveiled inside the Plaza by the US Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin O'Malley, on 22 September 2016.[12] On 20 August 2018, life-sized bronze sculptures of Barack and Michelle Obama, also by Mark Rhodes, were unveiled outside the Plaza by Cody Keenan, a former Obama speechwriter.[13]

See also

References
  1. O'Connell, Hugh (26 January 2013). "Moneygall to get a 'Barack Obama Plaza', creating 60 new jobs". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  2. "Offaly Independent - Barack Obama Plaza creates 60 new jobs for Moneygall". Offaly Independent. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  3. "Barack Obama Plaza in Moneygall to create 60 new jobs". Supermac's. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  5. "Rush to finish 'Barack Obama Plaza' in €7 million rest stop development - Independent.ie". Independent.ie. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  6. Obama Plaza opens in ancestral home of Moneygall, Offaly Irish Central, 2014-07-11.
  7. Aaaaannd we're open!! Obama Plaza on Twitter, 2014-07-04.
  8. "Unexpected things named after Obama". The BBC. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  9. New daily services from Local Link The Nenagh Guardian, 2019-09-19.
  10. Local Link Tipperary announces 2 New Daily Bus Services Local Link Tipperary, 2019-09-17.
  11. Route 854 Roscrea to Nenagh Timetable Local Link Tipperary, 2019-09-17.
  12. Statue of Barack Obama unveiled in Offaly hometown Irish Central, 2016-09-22.
  13. Barack Obama statue unveiled in Moneygall, Co Offaly RTÉ News, 2018-08-20.
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