Obama Receives Freedom of Dublin in Private Ceremony Ahead of Dublin Arena Event
Former U.S. President Barack Obama received the Freedom of Dublin Thursday in a private ceremony, marking the city’s highest civic honor ahead of his Dublin Arena appearance.
DUBLIN, Ireland —Former U.S. President Barack Obama formally received the Freedom of Dublin Thursday in a private ceremony at the Shelburne Hotel, marking him as the 91st recipient of the city’s highest civic honor.
For security reasons, the ceremony was closed to the media, with around 30 guests witnessing Obama sign the Roll of Honor alongside names such as John F. Kennedy and Nelson Mandela. Lord Mayor Ray McAdam presented the former president with the first edition of Ulysses and a bottle of Teeling whiskey, noting that the honor is reserved for those whose lives and legacies embody the spirit of Dublin.
Obama, who joked that he does not yet have any sheep to graze on St. Stephen’s Green—a ceremonial privilege associated with the award—also received a briefing on the city’s ceremonial sword and mace, dating back to 1393. McAdam said Obama appreciated the symbolic significance of the honor to the people of Dublin.
The ceremony precedes Obama’s commercial appearance at Dublin’s 3Arena on Friday, where he will be interviewed before a live audience and take part in a meet-and-greet. Among the attendees will be 14-year-old Jamie Barack Nolan of Bandon, County Cork, who was famously held by Obama as a five-week-old infant during his 2011 visit to Moneygall, County Offaly.
“It’s not every day you get to meet a former president,” Nolan said. “I’m most looking forward to seeing his reaction to my middle name.”
The Freedom of Dublin has previously been awarded to former U.S. presidents Ulysses S. Grant, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton, as well as global figures including Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, environmentalists Greta Thunberg and Duncan Stewart, and cultural icons like U2 and Brian O’Driscoll.
Michelle Obama, who was also awarded the Freedom of the City, will not attend the ceremony. Only 91 individuals have ever received the honor, making it one of Dublin’s most exclusive civic awards.
