President Kennedy’s visit to Ireland in June 1963 was a pivotal moment in Irish history and one that ignited the spirit of the nation. A key point of the President’s trip was when he visited the Family Homestead at Dunganstown to have tea with his Irish cousins.
For Irish people, Kennedy was a hero, an idol; he embodied the ultimate Irish success story – Famine emigrant to the most powerful man in the world, all in just three generations.
John F Kennedy changed the face of emigration in Ireland, he changed how Irish people perceived themselves and his homecoming gave each and everyone a renewed sense hope for the future.
The President’s 1963 visit is commemorated as a key feature in the Kennedy Homestead and visitors can relive the sounds and scenes of that iconic day.
Kennedy himself referred to his Irish visit as “the best four days of my life”.
