President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrived in Ireland on Monday for a 24-hour visit, and a man with notable NFL ties was there to greet them.
After Air Force One touched down in Dublin, U.S. ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney joined Ireland deputy prime minister Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore in meeting the Obamas on the airport tarmac.
Rooney is the longtime owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Obama -- who has Irish roots on his mother's side -- has a busy schedule for his Emerald Isle visit, according to *The Telegraph*, meeting with Ireland President Mary McAllese before traveling to his ancestral home in Moneygall. Obama will conclude the day with a public concert back in Dublin.
Rooney was sworn in as the ambassador to Ireland by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on July 1, 2009. As Steelers owner, he succeeded his father, Art Rooney Sr., who held the title before passing away in 1988.
Obama is the sixth sitting president to visit Ireland. John F. Kennedy made the first trip in 1963.
