Barack Obama’s closest Irish cousin Henry Healy has a unique reason for getting out of jury duty on March 20th this year ----he is expected at the White House by the president.

Healy, a star of the Obama visit to Ireland, has written to court authorities that he will be otherwise engaged on March 20th and has asked to be excused.

Healy said he read the jury notice first and “didn’t cop it” “ that the date he is wanted at Tullamore court is the same day he is expected to meet the most powerful man in the world.

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“It’s a strange one alright” he told the Evening Herald newspaper. He said he had filled in a form asking to be excused because he has to meet his famous cousin.

Also invited to the White House is Moneygall pub owner Ollie Hayes in whose pub Obama drank the now famous pint of Guinness.

“Who would have thought this time last year that we’d be planning a trip to the White House Healy stated”This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Healy said he’d be in New York on St.Patrick’s Day, then in Washington, then in Boston where a new film ‘The Road to Moneygall” will be screened as part of the Boston Irish Film Festival.