Jesse Jackson sees President Obama’s visit to Ireland as a rebirth

American civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson has said that U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Ireland is an important symbol of Ireland’s rebirth.

Speaking during his visit to Ireland, Jackson said that Ireland’s new Prime Minister Enda Kenny and Obama had a lot in common.

"They're both young, bright men who are looking forward to grappling with the imbalances in our economies,” he told the Irish Independent.

Jackson was speaking after receiving a gold medal for his outstanding contribution to public discourse by the Trinity College Historical society last Tuesday.

The civil rights activist told students that their generation must not only build on the advances of civil rights over the past 60 years, but they must also work to rebuild democracy, which is currently being threatened by rich and powerful elites.

He also addressed University College Dublin’s Law Society where he was bestowed with an honorary life membership.

He returned to his home in Chicago on Wednesday.