US President Barack Obama will start his European trip in Ireland. The small village of Moneygall has been in a state of excitement for weeks. The village of 300 people expects the president to pay a visit because Obama's great-great grandfather came from here. In 1850 he emigrated to America at the age of 19. A distant Irish relative of Obama has inspected the village, the roads have been repaired, houses given a new coat of paint and gardens tidied up. The expectation of Obama's visit to Moneygall has also deflected attention from Ireland's dire economic situation.