In the quaint village of Moneygall, Ireland, former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama are waving hands to everyone who is coming to fill their gas tanks. Yeah, you heard me right, but the power couple isn’t there in flesh and blood, it’s their intricate statute curved in white cement.
TikToker Emily Howard and her fiancé discovered a gas station dedicated to Obama, complete with statues of him and his wife.
This peculiar homage is rooted in Obama’s ancestral connection to Moneygall, where his maternal great-great-great-grandfather hailed from before emigrating to Ohio back in 1850.
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The gas station, opened in 2014 and gained international fame after Obama visited his ancestral village in 2011. It also features a souvenir coin maker where visitors can press coins bearing Obama’s likeness.
Over time, the site has become a tourist hotspot, serving food from various fast-food joints, including Papa John’s Pizza and Supermac’s.
Howard’s TikTok video, set to the tune of “There’s No One As Irish As Barack Obama” by the Corrigan Brothers, went viral in a hour, and has amassed over 10 million views since.
The lyrics, “From Kerry and Cork to old Donegal. Let’s hear it for Barack, from old Moneygall. From the Lakes of Killarney to old Connemara. There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama,” can be heard humming in the background.
Viewers were astounded by the dedication shown to the Obamas
One ‘aww’ exclaimed comment:“THE WHAT,” to which Howard replied, “They don’t play about Obama!!”
Another one commented, “The audio has hooked me.”
“Man here’s my card, just take me there,” another one chimed in.
The phenomenon of “Irish Obama TikTok” seems to be a recurring theme, with some viewers encountering it annually, while others remember it as their first encounter with the concept.
The gas station also a features large service station to accommodate international tourists, ensuring that visitors can comfortably enjoy this unexpected slice of Americana in the heart of Ireland.
{The above video is just for reference purpose, not the Howadr’s TikTok one}