Dublin, 23 June 2014: The leading Irish and American festival of history, culture and politics, The Kennedy Summer School, today announced the schedule of events taking place in New Ross, Co. Wexford from September 11th– 13th 2014.
Run in association with the JFK Trust in New Ross, the three day event will highlight the strength of political, historical and cultural links between Ireland and America through a series of presentations and discussions. The festival will focus on the theme ‘History Repeats Itself’. Upon announcing the details of this years programme, Summer School Director Noel Whelan said, “the task we have embarked on for the New Ross JFK Trust is to leverage the extraordinary success of last year’s 50th anniversary celebrations of President Kennedy’s visit to Ireland and to build the Kennedy Summer School into a sustainable high profile annual event which brings hundreds of visitors to New Ross every September.”
Prominent Irish and American participants confirmed for the Kennedy Summer School include: Dr Christine Kinealy Professor of History and Irish Studies at Quinnipiac University in New York; Professor Nina L. Khrushcheva; space commentator Leo Enright; Nicole Mary Kelby author of “The Pink Suit”; Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh and Paraic Duffy speaking about the GAA -The Emigrant Game; journalist and commentator Eoghan Harris; political commentator Larry Donnelly and others.
The Summer School attracts guests and members of the public from across Ireland and the US, with an interest in Irish American links. One very notable event is the “The Edward M Kennedy Lecture”. This lecture, in association with the Edward M Kennedy Institute for Conflict Intervention NUI Maynooth, will be held in St Michaels Theatre on Friday, 12th September with a special address by Baroness Nuala O’Loan, the first Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. Baroness O’Loan is a Roving Ambassador for Conflict Resolution and Special Envoy for the UN Programme on Women, Peace and Security.
‘A Cold War, Then & Now Again’ will the presentation by Nina L. Khrushcheva, Associate Professor of International Affairs at the New School and Senior fellow at the World Policy Institute in New York City. Khrushcheva is the great granddaughter of former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev
One of the highlights of the weekend is screening of ‘Letters to Jackie’ followed by a public interview with Nicole Mary Kelby author of ‘The Pink Suit’.
The Kennedy Summer School will build on the special links between New Ross and John F. Kennedy and the extended Kennedy family. President Kennedy’s great grandfather was born in nearby Dunganstown, and the then President visited this homestead in 1963. His tour on that occasion also included an historic public address at New Ross quayside.
Supported by Fáilte Ireland, Brandon House Hotel, Edward M Kennedy Institute for Conflict Intervention at NUI Maynooth; and Wexford County Council, The Kennedy Summer School has a mixture of events to suit all interests from space and science to politics, history and fashion. Each event is a showcase of the Irish American experience.
