A BARACK OBAMA Plaza is to be built in the US President’s ancestral home of Moneygall in Co Offaly with the creation of around 60 new jobs, it has been confirmed.

Work on the €6 million plaza will get under way in June but is subject to planning with Supermac’s owners Pat and Una McDonagh confirming the news yesterday as the government launched its JFK50 programme of events.

The government hopes that Obama will visit Ireland this year as a series of events are planned to mark the 50th anniversary of John F Kennedy’s iconic visit to Wexford.

It’s unlikely that the plaza in his own name will be constructed by then but the McDonaghs hope it will create 60 new jobs for Moneygall with 75 jobs created from the constriction phase of the motorway service site.

An artist's impression of the Barack Obama Plaza

It will also house a community facility for the use of the local people with ongoing displays of both historic and current material marking Obama and America's relationship with Moneygall.

The McDonaghs also says that the development will be the only major purpose built motorway service facility on the new M7 route between Dublin and Limerick.

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