The historical significance of President Kennedy's visit to Ireland in June 1963

Ellis, Sylvia (2008) The historical significance of President Kennedy's visit to Ireland in June 1963. Irish Studies Review, 16 (2). pp. 113-130. ISSN 0967-0882

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Abstract

President John F. Kennedy's visit to Ireland in June 1963 was the first by a serving American President. Using materials from archives in London, Dublin, and Boston, this article re-assesses the motives behind Kennedy's decision to visit Ireland and concludes that it was largely a personal journey. However, the trip was not without wider historical and political significance and was surrounded by controversy. The visit was unpopular in the United States, proved a security nightmare, and provoked much discussion amongst the political leadership in Belfast, Dublin and London over Kennedy's attitude to partition. The visit marked a major development in the history of Irish-American relations as it eased tensions over Ireland's neutrality, marked a shift towards White House activism in Irish affairs, boosted Irish tourism, and fostered increased trading and cultural links between the two countries.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	V100 History by period V200 History by area
Department:	Faculties > Arts, Design and Social Sciences > Humanities
Depositing User:	EPrint Services
Date Deposited:	28 Sep 2009 14:47
Last Modified:	12 Oct 2019 19:22
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/2404

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