President Barack Obama managed to take in a visit to Áras an Uachtaráin, a meeting at Farmleigh, a trip to Moneygall all before returning back to the capital for tonight’s concert and rally.
Mr Obama and his wife Michelle arrived in Dublin shortly before 9.30am at Dublin airport and were transferred to the Phoenix Park by helicopter, where they met President Mary McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin.
Mr Obama then travelled to Farmleigh for a meeting with the Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
Mr Kenny said the two leaders had discussed issues such as the use of Shannon airport by the US, the role of Irish peacekeepers in Afghanistan and the EU-IMF bailout.
Speaking after the 40-minute meeting, Mr Obama said he was “extraordinarily grateful” for the welcome he and his wife had received from the Taoiseach and the Irish people. He said the friendship and bond between the United States and Ireland “could not be stronger”.
"Obviously it is not just a matter of strategic interests. It's not just a matter of foreign policy, for the United States and Ireland carries a blood lineage," he said. "For millions of Irish-Americans this continues to symbolise the homeland and the extraordinary traditions of an extraordinary people."
Mr Obama said the US wanted to help strengthen the bonds of trade and commerce between the two countries, and to do everything it could to help Ireland on the path to recovery. “Ireland is a small country but punches above its weight on a range of issues,” he said.
On progress in Northern Ireland, Mr Obama said it spoke “to the possibilities of peace and people in longstanding struggles being able to reimagine their relationships”.
He noted the “mutual warmth and healing” that accompanied the visit of the Queen here last week, which sent a signal not just here in Ireland but around the world, he said. “It sends what Bobby Kennedy once called a ripple of hope.”
Mr Obama paid tribute to all those who had “worked tirelessly” to bring about peace in Northern Ireland. The president said he was proud of the part that America had played in getting both sides to talk and to provide a space for that conversation to take place.
Later in the day the president travelled to Moneygall, Co Offaly by helicopter with his wife Michelle where they were greeted by Mr Obama's cousin Henry Healy and spent about 20 minutes meeting people in the village before visiting his ancestral home.
The couple then spoke to locals over pints of Guinness in Ollie Hayes' Bar. Mr Obama said "sláinte" before taking a healthy gulp of his drink and insisted that he "always pays his bar tab".
The Obamas spent more time greeting the crowd gathered in Moneygall before leaving the village shortly before 4.30pm to travel back to Dublin for the College Green rally.
At this evening’s event, Mr Obama spoke before a cheering crowd of up to 60,000 people.
Mr Obama said Ireland and the US are bound by "history, affection and bonds of friendship" and said never had a nation so small inspired so much in another.
Ending his speech, the president returned to the catchphrase which he used during his election campaign.
"Ireland, if anyone ever says otherwise, if anybody ever tells you that your problems are too big, or your challenges are too great, that we can't do something, that we shouldn't even try - think about all that we've done together.
Remember that whatever hardships the winter may bring, springtime is always just around the corner. And if they keep on arguing with you, just respond with a simple creed: Is féidir linn. Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Is féidir linn."
This evening's speech was the final official engagement of his visit to Ireland and the president is to cut short his visit and depart from Dublin airport this evening.
The early departure is based on fears that an ash cloud from the erupting volcano in Iceland may force the closure of Irish air space tomorrow and effectively trap him here.
Mr Obama is the sixth US president to make an official visit to Ireland during his period of office, beginning with John F Kennedy in June 1963. Richard Nixon visited in 1970, Ronald Reagan came in 1984, Bill Clinton was here three times between 1995 and 2000 and George W Bush visited in 2006.