Words of JFK still ring true after 55 years


It was only an 80-minute visit, but a fleeting appearance that left a huge impression on the people of Cork after he received the Freedom of the City.

Cork was not originally part of the president’s itinerary but press secretary Pierre Salinger told journalists during a reconnaissance visit to Ireland earlier in 1963 that Kennedy had insisted he visit Cork due to a family linkage on the Fitzgerald side of his family. The president arrived in Dublin on a Wednesday and visited Wexford to explore more of his Irish ancestry with relatives the following day.

Lord Mayor Finn said the people of the city still remember it with fondness.