US: Arnold Schwarzenegger is not the first foreign-born governor of California. A Roscommon pharmacist beat him to that title more than 140 years ago.
John G. Downey was elected governor in 1859 after emigrating from Castle Sampson, Co Roscommon. Downey became a hero to many Californians for vetoing legislation that would have allowed the San Francisco waterfront to fall to a wealthy monopoly.
Like Mr Schwarzenegger, he was plagued by allegations of far-right sympathies. He lost favour with the public after it emerged he had sympathy for the Confederacy in the build-up to the American Civil War, and it was alleged he was against granting freedom to slaves.
Downey was born in Roscommon in 1827. He trained as a pharmacist but followed the gold rush to California after travelling through Cuba and New Orleans. He gave up on gold and moved into business in southern California, where the town of Downey takes his name.
Downey used his new wealth in a successful run for the State Assembly and was later elected lieutenant governor and then governor.
In later years, he purchased land near what is now the Compton area of Los Angeles and helped develop the east side of the city. He sold tracts of land to small holders after a serious drought threatened to eliminate the large landowners.
In 1871, Downey established the Farmers and Merchants Bank and helped encourage newly arrived immigrants to live in southern California.
In 1883, his wife and at least 20 other people were killed in a train accident. Downey, who was on the train just before the accident, suffered nervous shock and died 10 years later.