Guinness, The President and Irish credentials

After The Queen turned her nose up at a pint of the black stuff last week, you can almost imagine the whoops of delight in the Guinness marketing department as both Prsident Obama and the First Lady got stuck into a pint of Guinness in Irish pub in Moneygall.

The President then did his bit for the Irish tourist board by explaining that the stuff tastes a lot better in Ireland than it does in America. This is true. Best Guinness I ever had was in Castletownbere, in McCarthy’s Bar.

But it probably won’t endear him to the Orish bar owners in America, of which there are a lot. Certainly in NY City there appears to be a city ordinance that every block must contain at least one bar with a neon shamrock in the window.

But it was good to see him actually drink the stuff. Most politicians just take a half inch out of the top and leave the rest. Looking at the President on telly, it appears he downed a third of a pint in one gulp. If he had then wiped his mouth with his hand and commented ‘Christ, I needed that!’ then the scene would have been complete.

Also, having just rid the world of Bin Laden, the man deserves a pint, no?

What’s obvious from the telly is the tremendous personal charisma the guy has. Could it be that the American President is beloved? Certainly is in Ireland.