JFK’s visit to Cork to be remembered at Dublin exhibition

John F Kennedy’s visit to Cork is to be remembered at the ‘Homecoming: JFK in Ireland’ exhibition in Dublin.

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, in collaboration with the John F Kennedy (JFK) Presidential Library and Museum will run the exhibition celebrating 60 years since JFK visited Irish shores from this Wednesday until September this year.

Catherine Healy, Historian-in-Residence, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum said visiting Cork was not on President Kennedy’s itinerary but his address in the Rebel county turned out to be iconic.

“On his third day in Ireland, JFK landed by helicopter in Cork and made his way to City Hall, where his speech was broadcast by loudspeakers to thousands outside.
"The city wasn’t included in the original itinerary, but Kennedy had told White House officials that he wanted to visit — and the address he gave here turned out to be one of the most memorable of the trip.”

The exhibition delves into the cultural and political significance of Kennedy’s four-day trip in 1963, utilising original documents, photography, and oral history interviews to convey what the visit meant to Irish politicians, diplomats, and onlookers, the purpose it served during a time of national transition, and how international observers perceived the event.

EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum’sHead of Exhibitions and Programmes Nathan Mannion said: “Although there are many US presidents who can lay claim to Irish roots, JFK is probably the most well-known of them all. 

"When he visited Ireland in 1963, the entire nation was won over by his charm, charisma, and genuine affection for the Irish people.” 

The visit itself was filled with fanfare as Kennedy was welcomed by large crowds in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, New Ross and Wexford town — his family’s ancestral county.

Visit www.epicchq.com to find out more.