It’s a great time to be Irish!

'Is feidir linn.' That means 'Yes we can' in Irish and has became the motto of the Irish people, thanks to a visit from the world's most powerful person, the US president, Barack Obama. I just returned to Los Angeles from a trip to my home in Co. Cork and for the first time in years, I feel excited about the future of my native country.

On 17 May, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland in a hundred years. The queen spent three days touring the country with the Irish president and everywhere she went, people lined the streets cheering and waving Irish flags. She even visited the Garden of Remembrance, which is dedicated to people who died while fighting for Irish freedom from British rule.

A few days later, the US president, Barack Obama, arrived in Ireland for an official visit. He went to a village called Moneygall, which was home to his great-great-great grandfather Falmouth Kearney. He spent over an hour there meeting locals in the rain and visited a pub where he drank a pint of Guinness. Later he made a speech at Dublin's College Green inspiring Irish people to believe in themselves.

You might have heard that Ireland has had a financial crisis since 2008 and many people there have lost their jobs and homes as a result. The two visits have boosted the country's economy and more importantly, they have made people feel proud to be Irish again. Obama says, ‘Yes we can!’ Now Irish people are saying, ‘Is feidir linn!' You better believe it!

Watch the US president celebrating his Irish roots in the village of Moneygall: