I watched NBC's Nightly News last night and was amused when NBC's man in "County Clare, Ireland" described the welcome the President received as "warm". This morning's NY Times describes the welcome as "chilly". The Guardian says the Presient received a "cold" reception. The Irish Independent described the protest in Clare as a "damp squib".
So, which is it? I haven't got a clue. I wasn't in Clare or Dublin yesterday evening. Like most of Ireland, I was watching France lose to Greece in the European Championships. There were ten to twenty thousand people in Dublin last night at the protest, but that was way down on the 100+ thousand who marched in February 2003. {The Associated Press is referring to the protest as 10,000 "left-wing activists".}
At least last night's 10,000 had good weather. I don't know what the weather is like in Clare for this morning's protest march, but if a hurricane were to blow into Dublin this morning it would represent an improvement in the weather.
