Slideshow: Obamas reaffirm 'bonds of affection' in Ireland

SLIDESHOW - President Barack Obama says the enduring, centuries-old relationship the U.S. and Ireland enjoy is bound by history, friendship and shared values...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

DUBLIN (AP) — President Barack Obama says the enduring, centuries-old relationship the U.S. and Ireland enjoy is bound by history, friendship and shared values.

He says Ireland is the first stop on his visit to Europe because he wants to reaffirm those “bonds of affection.”

Obama addressed tens of thousands of people packed into College Green on Monday for an open-air event billed as a celebration of Irish culture. He spoke after paying a visit to his ancestral home of Moneygall and downing a pint of Guinness stout. His maternal great-great-great grandfather lived and worked in Moneygall before leaving Ireland for the U.S.

Obama is on a six-day, four-country tour of Europe that started Monday.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

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