Navan schoolboy's admiration for former US President Carter

A 12 year old Navan boy impressed the nation last week, with his extensive knowledge and admiration for former US President, Jimmy Carter.

Eanna Clynch is such a fan of President Carter, that while on holiday in Disneyworld and Florida, he asked his Dad to undertake a 12 hour round trip to visit Plains, Georgia, the hometown of the 39th President of the United States.

On RTE's Liveline recently, Eanna spoke to Joe Duffy about his fascination with President Carter and impressed everyone with his knowledge of US history.

"He was elected in 1976, and ran against Gerald Ford, who was president at the time. It was after the Nixon era where people were kind of left with no trust in their government, but then Jimmy Carter came along and Gerald Ford, who was Nixon's vice president, didn't win a second term. And Jimmy Carter was in and everybody seemed to have great confidence in him," Eanna told Joe Duffy.

Eanna, who is a son of Martin and Wendy Clynch, is a sixth class student of St Oliver Plunkett's School in Navan and spoke to Joe Duffy from the office in the school.

He told Joe that he went to President Carter's home place , while on holidays last year, saw his high school and the boyhood farm where his dad originally started his peanut farm.

"It was all very fascinating," he said.

Eanna, his parents and siblings, Emma and Eoin visited New York and Florida last September on holiday.

"I was over the moon, as it was my first time the United States and I had so much interest in everything there. We went to New York City and Orlando. While in Orlando, we actually had a car rental. We had been talking about going to Plains for such a long time, but I never really thought it would have happened until then.

Eanna and his dad undertook the 12 hour round trip to Plains on their own one day.

Eanna explained that Plains was "in the mid countryside of Georgia.

"I remember we went to the tour guide for information. And there was this lovely old Southern lady there and she was telling us all about it. And something I found very fascinating was that everyone who seemed to live in Plains grew up with Jimmy Carter and they still meet Jimmy Carter to this day."

They visited the place from where Jimmy Carter ran his presidential campaign.

"It was originally called the Plains train depot. Since Plains was a very small town and it had a majority of cars, he decided to take it over and run his presidential campaign there. Inside the building, there's loads of that information on his presidential campaign."

Eanna says he has read up on other American presidents. "I am very fond of the Democrats. I like Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter - other presidents - maybe George W Bush and Donald Trump, are a bit controversial.

"I would love to meet Joe Biden when he comes and I'd like to kind of express my support for the Democrats and maybe even colleagues of his."

Eanna's teacher, Ms Jennifer Gorman, was very proud of him and was delighted to receive a card from Joe Duffy after the show. "Eanna was brilliant, as cool as a cucumber. He is very knowledgeable."

Dad, Martin was delighted and proud to hear his son on the radio. He said he has a passing interest in current affairs. "I am a bit more interest in politics now because of Eanna," he said.