US President thanks artist for ship painting

SOUTHSIDE artist, Nuala Holloway, was stunned recently when she
received a letter of gratitude from Barack Obama for a gift she gave the US
President during his official visit here last year.

Nuala, from Blackrock, had depicted the
famous emigrant ship

‘The Jeanie Johnston’ in a painting for the president as
she believed it was a fitting symbol of the history between Ireland and
America.

The artist, who is also a teacher at St Kilian’s
German School in Clonskeagh, subsequently showed the work to the US embassy in
Ballsbridge in the hope that it would present the painting to Mr Obama during
his brief official visit last May.

Nuala told Southside People that she decided to paint
the famous coffin ship, which transported Irish emigrants to the US in the mid
19th century, after she learned that a direct ancestor of the president was
also named Holloway.

Charlotte Holloway Kearney is the great, great, great
grandmother of President Obama. She was married to his great, great, great, grandfather,
Fulmouth Kearney, who emigrated to the US from Moneygall in Co Offaly. Mr Obama
visited his ancestral home in Moneygall while he was here.

To coincide with the president’s official visit Ms
Holloway presented the painting to staff at the US embassy and offered it as a
gift to Mr Obama.

A few weeks after she made the proposal an official
from the embassy called her back and accepted the offer. The embassy then
shipped the painting to the White House.

Nuala said she was stunned and elated just two weeks
ago when a courier unexpectedly delivered a registered letter from the White
House to her home in Blackrock.

“I got a call from the embassy asking me would there
be anybody at home to take a parcel coming from the White House,

? she related.

“I was wondering what could this be.

“At first I thought that someone might be joking
because he visited last May and I only received this letter the other week. I
had totally forgotten about it. It was a lovely surprise. I was so impressed
that he would take the time to write back to me and it shows you the depth of
the man.

?

The letter signed by President Obama states:

“I would
like to extend my deepest thanks for your kind gift. Your thoughtfulness and
generosity are much appreciated.

“As our world grows increasingly interdependent, I
look forward to working together to the benefit of our two nations and to
strengthening the bonds between our two people.

?

Nuala intends to try to find out more about her own
family history. She believes she could possibly be related to Mr Obama because
she learned recently that her own branch of the Holloway family originally came
from the same part of southern England as Charlotte Holloway and also emigrated
from there to the US.

“This is something that I hope to eventually follow up
on when I have the time,

? she revealed.

“It is going back a long way but I
think there could be a link between the two families.

“I am not interested in politics generally but I have
always liked President Obama,

? she added.

“He is different and he is fresh and
he has great charisma. Hopefully he will be re-elected again.

?

In addition, Nuala said she has had many requests for
a copy of the

‘Obama painting’. She is currently organising limited edition
prints of the work, which will be sold for a

“very manageable

? price through
her website: www.nualaholloway.com.