Discover the Kilkenny connection to the US Presidency

Donald Trump has emerged victorious in the 2024 US presidential election, securing a historic return to the White House. 

The announcement was made on November 6, after a dramatic and closely watched contest, with the Republican candidate surpassing the necessary 270 electoral college votes.

Trump celebrated his win with jubilant crowds in Florida, stating: "America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate."

Closer to home, Kilkenny has had its own unique connection with US Presidents over generations.

Both George H W Bush, the 41st president of the United States, and his son George W Bush, the 43rd president have distant local links.

The father and son are said to be direct descendants of Richard de Clare or Strongbow as he was commonly known. Strongbow was a leading figure in the Norman invasion of Ireland and built the original Kilkenny Castle in the 12th century.

Meanwhile, Callan native James Hoban famously designed the White House in the 1800s.

After the American Revolution Hoban emigrated to the US and by 1795, had established himself as an architect in Philadelphia.

He travelled to South Carolina in 1787 where he was responsible for many buildings including the Charleston County Courthouse. This building so was admired by George Washington while he was on his Southern Tour in 1791 that he subsequently summoned Hoban to Philadelphia (the then temporary capital) in 1792. 

FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE

There, Hoban was named the winner of a competition to design the President’s new home. His original drawings featured three storeys and a nine bay facade, but under the influence of Washington this was changed to two storeys and an 11 bay facade. Washington also insisted that the entire front of the mansion be faced in white stone. 

By all accounts a modest yet capable man, Hoban was appointed to also supervise the construction of the President's residence at a salary of 300 guineas a year and remained in Washington for the rest of his life. In total the Kilkenny man devoted 29 years of his life to the White House, including a rebuild from 1815 to 1829 after a fire, when his use of white paint to camouflage the blackened building gave rise to the name, White House.