BY AILEEN MURPHY

Two Fermanagh men are set to witness history when they attend the inauguration ceremony of Barack Obama, the first ever black President of the United States of America, later this month.

Damien Harris, from Roslea, and James McLaughlin, from Pettigo are second year politics students at John Moores University in Liverpool. They are currently on a year-out and they decided that this hugely historic event was one they just could not afford to miss.

Damien explained: "Both James and myself have been friends since we went to St Michael's College in Enniskillen, and it is there that we were first introduced to American politics by our teacher, Niall Oliver."

Naturally, as a politics student, Damien followed Mr Obama's campaign to the White House diligently, and he revealed that both Fermanagh men are keen supporters of the President-elect.

He explained: "The reaction of people to the election of Obama was very poignant to watch. Scenes like Jesse Jackson and Oprah Winfrey in tears on his election were memorable."

Damien and James have already decided where they will watch the inauguration ceremony, which will take place on the steps of Capitol Hill on Tuesday, 20th January, when Barack Obama will be sworn in to succeed George Bush as the 44th President of the United States.

The two Fermanagh men will be among the millions vying to get a birds-eye view of the proceedings as they pack into the famous Pennsylvania Avenue and other roads leading up to the iconic Capitol Hill building to see history being made.

As a politics student, Damien has to study a range of countries and their governments; however, he does admit to having a particular interest in how the Americans run things.

Indeed, he is hoping to progress to complete a Master's Degree in American Politics and would love the chance to secure an internship in Washington, although he recognises that this would be an incredibly difficult ambition to achieve.