The complete interior of the Ronald Reagan pub in Ballyporeen, Co Tipperary has been sold to a wealthy Republican supporter and is being moved to the Reagan Library in California over the next few weeks.
Irish-American businessman Frederick Ryan jnr has confirmed that the bar will be moved to a new building that also houses Mr Reagan's presidential aircraft.
The bar is due to open on October 22nd and President Bush will open the building the next day.
The bar will look out on to the nose of the former Air Force 1 aircraft, according to Mr Ryan, who made a snap purchase of the bar from its previous owners, John and Mary O'Farrell, during a visit to Ballyporeen the week after Mr Reagan died last year.
He had travelled to see the bar and discovered it had shut down as the O'Farrells were planning to make more room for their family.
"They had planned to sell off the contents at auction, but I told them that I wanted to keep everything together and ship it all to California," Mr Ryan said. He said their asking price was "very considerate".
While the exterior of the building will remain in Ballyporeen, all the pub contents will move to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California, including the two bar counters, the wallpaper, furnishings, alcohol bottles and memorabilia of the president's visit to Ballyporeen in 1984.
The exterior of the bar has been recreated at the new library building, which will also house a Reagan motorcade and helicopter.
Mr and Mrs O'Farrell have agreed to be at the Reagan Library to pull the first pints on October 22nd.
Mr Ryan, a former Reagan adviser and now chief executive of Allbritton Communications, said he rang Nancy Reagan from Ireland to tell her of the purchase. "At first I think she thought I must have been drinking, but she is delighted with the idea.
"I don't know how many times the president talked about his visit to Ireland and how much it meant to him," he said.