Moneygall to exhibit at holiday show to coax visitors

Offaly village Moneygall is living up once more to its "Yes We Can" name. The village development committee has arranged for the village to be part of hundreds of exhibitors at a holiday show in the RDS in Dublin this weekend in a bid to attract more visitors to the village that hosted American's President Barack Obama on May 23 last year. "We said we'd bite the bullet and do it," President Obama's eighth cousin Henry Healy - a Moneygall resident and one of the exhibit organisers - said. "If it brings an extra person into the village it'll be worth it." Mr Healy said the village that was thrown onto the world stage when President Obama visited his ancestral homestead on its main street has not had much attention from tourist agencies since the visit last May, and so a recently formed local development committee have decided to take things into their own hands to ensure the village's future as a tourist destination. "The visit itself gave us a boost," Mr Healy said, adding that it was also a "kick in the backside to wake up". "If we want people to come to the village we'll have to get out there and remind people we're here," he said. Mr Healy manned his village stall at the Holiday World Show yesterday (Friday), after officially opening an American holiday exhibition at the event with American Ambassador Dan Rooney in the morning. He and other exhibit organisers will be telling visitors about a festival weekend planned for Moneygall from July 6 to 8 to coincide with America's Independence Day on July 4 and a day commemorating last year's Presidential visit on May 23. They will also be welcoming everyone to come to the village next November 6 to join in with American election fever. Now famous bar owner Ollie Hayes will staff the same exhibition on Sunday. The latest initiative is not the only thing Moneygall's development committee are working on. According to Mr Healy the group is currently working on a development plan for the area and is in the process of starting a local business network. The Holiday World Show opened to the public in the RDS Simmonscourt yesterday (Friday) at 1pm and remained open until 7pm. Saturday hours are 11am until 5.30pm, with Sunday hours the same. Exhibitors are grouped into distinct categories including "Home Holidays", "Adventure Travel" and "Caravan and Motorhomes" and adult tickets are available for just €7. Moneygall's exhibit, aptly titled "Is Feidir Linn" can be found at location T2a.