John C. Reilly made a welcome return to Barack Obama Plaza in Co Offaly this week after presenting at the IFTAs in Dublin.
"John C Reilly made Obama Plaza his destination of choice (again) as he visits Ireland!" Barack Obama Plaza said in a social media post on Monday, May 8.
"John was happy to stop and be pictured with Cathal & Kinga today!"
? John C Reilly made Obama Plaza his destination of choice (again) as he visits Ireland! John was happy to stop and be pictured with Cathal & Kinga today!
Posted by Barack Obama Plaza on Monday, May 8, 2023
Barack Obama Plaza is a motorway service station located at Junction 23 of the M7 motorway on the border of Offaly and Tipperary beside the village of Moneygall, the ancestral home of former US President Barack Obama.
The plaza opened in 2014, three years after Obama's visit to Ireland, and features several eateries, including a Supermac's, Papa John's Pizza, SuperSubs, Mac's Place Deli, and Bewley's Coffee Barista station. It also boasts a conference facility as well as The Barack Obama visitors center.
In 2018, a bronze statue of Barack and Michelle Obama was unveiled at the site.
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This wasn’t Reilly’s first visit to the Irish American presidential pit-stop.
"We were delighted to have John C. Reilly in," the plaza said on social media back in January 2019.
"Like everyone else he had to get a selfie & a Supermacs."
We were delighted to have John C Reilly in, like everyone else he had to get a selfie & a Supermacs
Posted by Barack Obama Plaza on Monday, January 28, 2019
Reilly popped into Barack Obama Plaza after attending the IFTAs on Sunday night in Dublin, where he presented the award for Best Film, which went to "The Banshees of Inisherin."
Our final guest presenter of the night is the legendary John C Reilly!#IFTA pic.twitter.com/DFNadhOXQe
— Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) (@IFTA) May 8, 2023
A native of Illinois, Reilly has strong Irish roots and served as the International Guest of Honor at the 2022 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin.
Speaking the day before the 2022 parade, Reilly said: “It might just seem like a goof to just appear at a parade but to me, it has deep meaning as an Irish American and I know that my father who is somewhere watching right now couldn’t be more proud.
“You know, I have always been a big supporter of Ireland. I have come here many, many times over the years; I have vacationed here, I have worked here but it feels especially important to come here now to let people know that Ireland is open for business again.”
While in Ireland for the festivities in 2022, Reilly made an appearance on "The Late Late Show" where he performed heartfelt renditions of the Irish classics "Raglan Road" and "The Wild Rover." He later traveled to Co Kerry.
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