Obama family research revealed ahead of his visit

FORMER US president Barack Obama's Irish ancestor stood for election and was trolled by opponents, his genealogist has revealed.

- BY SEAN MURPHY

Family history expert Fiona Fitzsimons told of Barack's political lineage ahead of his return to Ireland this week when he will be given the Freedom of Dublin.

Michael Kearney, who was a wigmaker in the 1720s, stood for election to the Guild of Barber Surgeons, which was the group that regulated the wig trade.

Ms Fitzsimons, the genealogist who traced Obama's roots, found out that the ancestor was also an elected representative who faced down dirty tricks.

She said: "We found a pamphlet that was written in 1726 by an opponent of Michael Kearney. It was found in the Trinity collection.

"This pamphlet railed against Kearney, trolling him as a bad person. There were a lot of insults and also slurs against his character. But he still got elected."

Kearney went on to be made Master of the Guild.

Fiona went back 300 years to find out about Obama's Irish connections, and was asked by his wife Michelle to give a presentation to their daughters about Kearney's election.