JFK WELCOMED TO IRELAND BY CHILDREN SINGING IRISH TUNES
New Ross, Ireland (JFK+50) On June 27, 1963, President John F. Kennedy arrived by helicopter at the Gaelic Field here in New Ross*. JFK was welcomed by children waving U.S. flags and singing his favorite Irish tunes.
JFK joined in singing "The Boys of Wexford"**.
"We are the boys of Wexford
Who fought with heart and hand
To burst in twain
The galling chain
And free our native land."
In his speech at New Ross, JFK said...
"When my great grandfather left here to become a cooper in East Boston, he carried nothing with him except two things: a strong religious faith and a strong desire for liberty.
I am glad to say that all of his great grandchildren have valued that inheritance."
JFK was on the second day of a four day tour of the land of his ancestors.
SOURCE
"One of Ourselves: JFK in Ireland" by James Robert Carroll, Images from the Past, Inc., Bennington, Vermont, 2003
New Ross, Ireland (JFK+50) On June 27, 1963, President John F. Kennedy arrived by helicopter at the Gaelic Field here in New Ross*. JFK was welcomed by children waving U.S. flags and singing his favorite Irish tunes.
JFK joined in singing "The Boys of Wexford"**.
"We are the boys of Wexford
Who fought with heart and hand
To burst in twain
The galling chain
And free our native land."
In his speech at New Ross, JFK said...
"When my great grandfather left here to become a cooper in East Boston, he carried nothing with him except two things: a strong religious faith and a strong desire for liberty.
I am glad to say that all of his great grandchildren have valued that inheritance."
JFK was on the second day of a four day tour of the land of his ancestors.
*New
Ross, located on the River Barrow in County Wexford, is Ireland's only
inland port. The ancestral home of the Kennedys is located 4 miles
south of the town.
**"The Boys of Wexford" is an Irish ballad commemorating the Irish Rebellion of 1798 & the Wexford Rebellion to remove English control of Irish affairs.
The ballad was composed by Robert Dwyer Joyce & music provided by Arthur Warren Darley. The song was used in the opening & closing of the 1964 TV series "Profiles In Courage" based on JFK's book.
"One of Ourselves: JFK in Ireland" by James Robert Carroll, Images from the Past, Inc., Bennington, Vermont, 2003
