Presidential candidate Obama has Irish kin in southern Ohio

[usregimechange]

Source: Plain Dealer


Roger Kearney squats to place a flag at the cemetery where his and Sen. Barack Obama's ancestors are buried in Fayette County, Ohio. At right is the tombstone of Phebe Kearney, who was Obama's great-great-great-great-great-grandmother.


NEW HOLLAND, Ohio -- Joshua Rea, 30, heard the news while having a bite at CC's White Cottage restaurant. "This is crazy, man," he said incredulously, reaching for a phone to call his dad.

"Obama's ancestors lived right down the road," he told his father, a local farmer. "Our ancestors were probably kicking it with his ancestors."

Here in rural Pickaway County, 30 minutes south of Columbus, word is spreading that a pair of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's ancestors are buried just a few miles away and that the Democratic nominee has loads of distant relatives living in southern Ohio. All of them are white.

Rea and plenty of other diners at the White Cottage admitted it comes as a big surprise to hear that Obama, often regarded simplistically as the black candidate for president, is related, on his mother's side, to the Kearney family, who migrated from Ireland two centuries ago and were early settlers in this part of the state.

Read more: http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/10/kin.html

---

Home field advantage in Ohio!

[Indenturedebtor]

1. Haven't these guys heard of Black Irish?

Sorry that was in a movie I saw hehehe. Stupid I know.

This is cool :D I hope that this gets some national media attention!

[Peggesis1]

17. Black Irish

Actually, many of us Irish-Americans are "black Irish," also called "Spanish-Irish." When the Spanish invaded the south of Ireland in the days of the Spanish Armada, Spanish-Irish children were one result. (We think that some of those Spanish sailors could have also been of Moorish ancestry, too.) So, anyway, we are all interrelated much more than we might think. Maybe in this century, we can all just get past this. Maybe Barack Obama can help us do it.

[madmom]

31. we are all interrelated....I am of Italian descent, all my life I have cursed my

kinky curly hair(this is not a slur), finds out I also have Moorish ancestry

[kestrel91316]

43. I don't have a speck of Italian anywhere, and any known Spanish is

way back during the Renaissance. But my grandmother always has with her family mementos a very old tintype photo of a family who were all very dark-haired and dark complected and could have been part black, or Hispanic, or even Indonesian (we have some Dutch blood in the 1700s). Nobody ever knew who these people were. We're mostly medium to very fair.

The photo had belonged to my g-g-grandmother. We haven't been able to trace her branch very far, but there was some Irish and Welsh and Dutch. That this photo was kept for so many years tells me it HAD to be family. Nobody back in the time of tintypes kept friends' photos, lol.

[madmom]

75. what I don't understand is, my dad is the Italian, he has beautiful hair, black-black and wavy,

at least before it went gray, my mom mousy brown straight as a board, me mousy brown curly frizzy can tell the weather as soon as I look in the mirror hair.

[kestrel91316]

41. Even in my dad's family, where there isn't much Irish, but a hell of a lot of English,

my uncles were all either red/blonde/freckled "Irish", or "black Irish". And interestingly, the "black Irish" ones inherited our family alcoholism tendencies, and the red did not. Genetics is weird.

My assistant and I are BOTH distant cousins of O'Bama through our NC Allred families.

[Myrina]

44. O'Bama ... i LOVE that!!

:applause:

[HEyHEY]

51. much of the western world is past it. I don't know what your country's problem is

[Indenturedebtor]

66. Hahahaha I wish you were right and we were the only ones

Unfortunately Europe isn't as enlightened as they like to pretend ;) We ALL have our idiots unfortunately.

[HEyHEY]

68. Well, I said "Much" not "all"

It is sad, funny thing is that most of the poorer countries seem to be the ones past it.

[Indenturedebtor]

69. I think that's only because they're not as visible. Mexico and Brazil spring to mind

There is an awful lot of brazenly racist crap in those two countries. Hell, Brazil is 50% black and they have yet to have a black president.

[polly7]

77. Well in all fairness, we have our share here, too.

First Nation people are discriminated against all the time.

[patrick t. cakes]

61. myth.

[Indenturedebtor]

65. Thanks for the explanation that's cool! n/t

[Scairp]

72. Not quite an invasion

More like being washed ashore after the ships broke up on the rocky coast of Eire.

[endthewar]

2. Time to pull a Hillary and claim these roots

:rofl:

[safeinOhio]

3. I never could understand why

so many people will not vote for a man because he is half Irish.

[Chemical Bill]

5. What if he does whatever the Pope tells him to?

:sarcasm:

[Iterate]

8. Only half the time.

[ellie]

4. I just love these stories!

It makes people realize that we are all closer than we think.

[NMDemDist2]

10. I gotta tell a story

I owned a little coffee shop in PHX and we had a regular customer, a black guy who loved our "Death by Espresso" coffees

One day I noticed his ID when he was paying and we shared our last names. Our name is quite unusual so we got to talking and figured out we were cousins thrice removed.

You could literally see the family resemblance in the brows, eyes and jaw lines when we stood side by side. But the looks on people's faces when I sang out "Hey cuz, good morning" when he walked in

:rofl:

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. I found a black co-worker's name in my family tree

Been calling her 'cuz' ever since. :rofl:

[ellie]

23. That is very cool!

[ellie]

24. What a great story!

I wish I had something happen like that. My dad's parents came over and they had to change their name, so even if I do meet people with my maiden name it isn't my "real" name.

[iamjoy]

6. Go O'Bama!

:)

[Spiffarino]

73. Erin Go Bama!

:D

[tanyev]

7. Barack O'bama!

[crazylikafox]

26. Yep! O'Bama O'Bama O'Bama O'Bama

Luv it.

People used to talk about this early in the Primaries, so it's old news to us. But surprising how many weren't paying attention. Now's the time to reemphasize how Barack's got "a little bit of all of us" in him, both literally & figuratively

[NOLALady]

9. Heavens.

I LOVE genealogy.

Actually, all of Barack's American distant relatives are White. Most American Blacks have black as well as white distant relatives.

[MasonJar]

11. I would say that all of Barack's American relatives are white; his dad

was from Kenya.

[glinda]

12. Soft-Coated Irish Wheaten Terrier

The AKC had a poll for what non-allergenic dog the Obama family should get. One of his daughters has bad allergies. The poodle and Wheaten were near tied at the top. I have had two Wheaties and they are the true old Irish homestead guarding Breed, intelligent, stately and calm, great fighters only if provoked and have a super sense of humor. With Obama's Irish roots, this is defiantly the dog for him and for the White House!

[annabanana]

63. AND they are cute as the dickens!

[stillcool]

13. Quintessentially American...

Obama's campaign did not comment for this story but offered a statement Obama has made in the past about his heritage: "I've got pieces of everybody in me."

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

21. He's a cannibal!

I knew ya couldn't trust them Afferkans!

[Spiffarino]

74. Sarah Palin...

...is that you?

:sarcasm: noted

[bronxiteforever]

14. "The Irish are the blacks of Europe"-from the movie the Commitments

Jimmy Rabbitte: Do you not get it, lads? The Irish are the blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland. And the Northside Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin. So say it once, say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101605/quotes

[Zambero]

18. A great line from a great movie

The birth, life, and death of an Irish soul band.

[muriel_volestrangler]

27. That deserves the clip

Because it's all in the delivery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxWLrO2Fbsw

[tilsammans]

38. I am cracking up!

:rofl:

Thanks for posting that. That is one excellent film. A must-see-again!

[lins the liberal]

15. Obama's roots in the Ozarks

On Friday our local paper ran an article on Obama's Ozark roots.


Liberty Cemetery in extreme northwest Newton County is about as far as a person can get from the harried, hectic seat of power for which Barack Obama is striving.

Against a backdrop of wild, wooded mountains, rows of silent grave markers bear such names as Allred, Bunch, Stamps and Fancher. Across the dusty red road, the small, white Liberty United Baptist Church stood guard among the trees.

A heavily weathered stone at Liberty Cemetery in Newton County marks the grave of Samuel T. Allred, the great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Allred was an early pioneer of the area, moving to Newton County from Tennessee in 1839.
Yet, it is at this humble cemetery deep in the Arkansas Ozarks that the man who seeks the most powerful job in the world has some of his roots.

Within an enclosure made of stone lies buried Samuel T. and Anna Bunch Allred, the great-great-great-great-great-grandparents of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. In fact, many of Obama’s ancestors, including Samuel’s parents, John and Phoebe, and Anna’s parents, Nathaniel and Sarah Bunch, are also buried at Liberty. He has many living relatives still living throughout northwest Arkansas.

http://www.harrisondailytimes.com/articles/2008/10/03/news/doc48e64f8181477007577610.txt

[kestrel91316]

46. The Allreds came from the Carolinas and then went to TN, and from there their huge families

sort of split up. The branch I am from went west with the Mormons and became prominent in UT.

[Heather MC]

16. I love how so many people want to claim a piece of Obama. Hey I am in the PTA if I get picked for

VP one day
do you think my white family in southern VA will want to claim me then?

[SallyMander]

19. This will resonate here in Central Ohio

In fact, i'm going to send this story to my in-laws... :evilgrin:

[Fire1]

22. Why is this always such a surprise?

The only PURE African Americans are immigrants. There are FEW African Americans BORN IN THIS COUNTRY, who are considered African.
Just as Tiger Woods considers himself, "Caublasian", the majority of us are MIXED with other ethnicities, thus the vast hue of shades, colors and features. I, myself, have a heritage that includes American Indian, Scotch Irish, German and African.

[ej510]

29. Did you read the racist repuke responses to that article?

[Fire1]

30. No, ej, didn't read response. What did they say?

[madmom]

32. they are disgusting

[Quantess]

35. I'll take your word for it.

I'm not wading into that cesspool.

[NOLALady]

54. No surprise here.

I don't have Irish but I also have American Indian, African, French and German ancestry. :hi: Around here, it's common knowledge that we share ancestry with most of the old colonial Louisiana families.

[Fire1]

67. I'm told I'd fit right in down there!

[NOLALady]

70. Hey,

If you have any Louisiana French and/or German ancestry, I probably could find at least one person who's researching that line.

[halobeam]

76. I'm always amazed at how people know so much about their ancestry.

I can't get past my great grandparents.. no one remembers anything else! You are very lucky to know all of this! :toast:

[Smarmie Doofus]

25. Actually, Wiki says the Kearneys settled in Indiana.

Or "resettled" actually. Perhaps allowing for an unmentioned layover in Ohio. The Kearneys would be ancestors on Mr. Dunham's ( Barack's maternal Grandpa who helped raise him in Hawaii)
side of the family. Tipton County is the middle of the state, two counties north of Indy. Reeeaaaall rural.

From wiki:

>>>>Ancestry
Both Madelyn and Stanley Dunham are descended from European colonists, mostly from England, who settled in the American colonies in the 17th and 18th century. The most recent native European ancestor is Stanley's great grandfather, Falmouth Kearney, an Irish farmer, who immigrated from Moneygall, County Offaly, Ireland during the Great Irish Famine and resettled in Jefferson Township, Tipton County, Indiana. Falmouth Kearney's youngest daughter, Mary Ann (Kearney) Dunham, is Stanley Dunham's paternal grandmother.<5> Stanley Dunham is a fourth cousin, twice removed, of President Harry S Truman. Stanley is also a seventh cousin, once removed, of Vice-President Dick Cheney and a seventh cousin, twice removed, of through their common ancestor, Mareen Duvall, a wealthy French Huguenot merchant who immigrated to Maryland in the 1650s.<6> Madelyn Dunham's mother, Leona (McCurry) Payne, was of partial Cherokee descent which Madelyn herself took great pride in.<7>>>>>>>

[TurningColoradoBlue]

28. There's no one quite as Irish as Barack O'bama !!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x199390

[CaliforniaPeggy]

34. Welcome to DU!

It's a grand time to be here!

:hi:

[beac]

36. Ah you beat me to posting it, laddie!

I've had that song stuck in my head for about a week now. LOVE it!


Welcome to DU! :hi:

[tilsammans]

42. Fabulous!

Thanks for posting! :applause:

Just sent the link to "blue" Irish friends and family.

[GinaMaria]

57. Thank you. I was looking for this

it is the perfect addition to this thread!

[BrklynLiberal]

33. Good news. Emphasizes how we are all related..and color is just a matter of degree

[flamingdem]

37. Obama ancestor was bigwig in Dublin of 1700s

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/obama-ancestor-was-bigwig-in--dublin-of-1700s-1448302.html



By Colm Kelpie

Thursday August 07 2008

Genealogists have uncovered fresh evidence of Barack Obama's Irish ancestry revealing the US Presidential hopeful descended from an 18th century Dublin property mogul.

Previous records found Mr Obama's fourth great grandfather was a shoemaker in the village of Moneygall in Co Offaly, whose son Fulmuth Kearney left for the US in 1850.

But researchers at Trinity College Dublin, delved further into the would-be-president's colourful past to find his sixth great granduncle was a prominent Dublin businessman in the 1700s.

Wig-maker Michael Kearney brushed shoulders with Ireland's aristocracy on a daily basis and bought and sold property throughout the country.

Obama's political dynasty can also be traced to Kearney who was heavily involved in the trade politics of Dublin.

A distant cousin was also discovered -- John Kearney -- who served as the head of Trinity College and Bishop of the midlands Diocese of Ossory in the early 19th century. Research director with the Trinity heritage group Eneclann, Fiona Fitzsimons, said they were amazed by the discovery.

"When we started off we had Joseph Kearney shoemaker, that sounded like a country shopkeeper. But we were surprised to find any link to Dublin.

Invested

"Michael Kearney made his money from wigs, but then he invested the profits from that into a lot of property.

In the 18th century wigs were worn by the aristocracy, professionals and gentry, so Kearney would have been mixing with the elite of the Irish capital on a daily basis.

His business dealings also afforded him the opportunity to become a Freeman of Dublin in 1718 and he ended up very active in the politics of his trade guild.

However, after the 1780s the fortunes of this line of the Kearney family went into a fairly rapid decline due to a combination of the economic changes brought about after the Act of Union in 1801 and the decline in the fashion of wig wearing.

- Colm Kelpie

[happygoluckytoyou]

39. O'Bama, and O'Biden..... HOW CAN WE LOSE ! ! ! We get the luck of the IRISH

[liberal N proud]

40. Maybe that will make my mother feel more comfortable about voting for Obama

My mother is very Irish but she is also racist. More so toward Mexicans than any other race but still racist because that is what she learned growing up.

She is going to vote for Obama because she is a Democrat, and would never vote for the rats who call themselves Republican

She did not pass that on to most of my bothers or sister. At least I can say that I am past it.

It amazes me that we have come so far in a generation that many of us no longer look at race but only the qualifications and principles of the one applying for the job.

[OKNancy]

47. I'm nit-picking.. but Mexican isn't a race

it's a Nationality.

[liberal N proud]

49. I realize that.

I don't know how else to frame her prejudice against the people who come here from Mexico.
When our children were little we convinced her to call them our friends from the south.

[NOLALady]

50. Interesting that she's racist..

My husband has an ancestor who lists his birthplace and his parents birthplace as Ireland. This confused the hell out of me for sometime because early New Orleans records (1800-1850) listed him as fpc. Eventually, I learned from New Orleans historians that the Irish were considered people of color at one time in this area.

[GinaMaria]

58. yes they were

they English called them white apes. Human history has a lot of sadness and misery in it, but also a lot of growth.

[liberal N proud]

64. They were all over America

They at one time did the work that people hire the hispanics for now. They worked in the sweat shops of Boston, New York and were forced to live on the worst ground in Cleveland known as whiskey flats.
They were the ones who worked the railroad as it moved west as Chinese worked from west to east.

Yes it always amazes me that my mother is the way she is given the heritage. Just don't know.

[NOLALady]

71. They were brought here to do work

that didn't want the enslaved to touch. The slaves were considered more valuable.

[DissedByBush]

45. It matters not

Obama doesn't much publicly identify himself with the white side of his family and the public doesn't see him as white.

[girl gone mad]

48. I always thought Obama looked Irish.

He would fit right in with many of my relatives on my Irish side. They have the same shape to their faces, big ears, are skinny and tall.

[HEyHEY]

52. Yay, he's got the mic vote! Andback in 1890 that would mean something.

[CountAllVotes]

53. Obama and Biden Both Descend from Irish Shoemakers Who Came to America in 1849

>> If, as the saying goes, the cobbler’s children have no shoes, it seems that the ensuing generations do pretty well for themselves!

Joe Biden has frequently made reference over the years to his Irish Catholic roots, and more specifically, to his “Grandpa Finnegan” -- claiming that it was at his home in Scranton, Pennsylvania that his early political values were formed. Grandpa Finnegan would have been Ambrose Finnegan, so I was curious. What were his roots?

In my attempt to answer this question, I tripped across a few interesting discoveries, including the following:

• Biden’s grandfather was orphaned at an early age
• Biden’s great-grandfather was a blind musician
• Obama’s and Biden’s shoemaking Irish ancestors arrived in New York in May and April 1849, respectively, with their families making the voyage the following year
• Biden’s Finnegan roots are most likely from Carlingford, Co. Louth



much more here:

http://www.rootstelevision.com/blogs/megans-rootsworld/2008/08/obama_and_biden_both_descend_f.html

My great great grandfather was from Co. Louth as well. I wonder if I might be related to Biden/Obama.

:dem: :kick:

[Drunken Irishman]

55. I bet even O'Bama and O'Drunken Irishman are related. ;)

[CountAllVotes]

56. We are all related

the other side of my family is from Ohio and Indiana. They were Irish and Cherokee/Choctaw Indian.

It is the other side that was from Co. Louth.

I bet you and I are related too cousin! :rofl:

[GinaMaria]

59. The Seven Daughters of Eve

Is a great and understandable book on genetics and genealogy that traces every human living today back to 7 different women (mitochondrial DNA). We really are all related.

[tblue37]

78. Since every human on the planet can trace his or her

ancestry to the Seven Daughters of Eve,* the seven women whose DNA runs in all of us, we are all cousins under the skin.

*The title of a book about those seven prehistoric women.

[brentspeak]

60. Obama's mother did have unmistakable Irish features:

For example, check the facial resemblance to Paul McCartney, also of Irish heritage:

[gauguin57]

62. Obama's (white) second cousin lives in Lancaster, PA.

But I think she's a Republican.