THE late Senator Edward Kennedy’s visit to Adare in 1964, was recalled this week by his distant cousin, Mike Reidy, Patrickswell.
Expressing his sadness at the Senator’s death this Wednesday, Mr Reidy told the Limerick Post that his family was connected to the Kennedy’s through his mother, Mary (nee Morgan), now aged 89, and who resides in Dooradoyle.
“To the best of my knowledge, her grandmother was a cousin of the wealthy Fitzgerald family, whose daughter Rose married Joe Kennedy, renowned banker, and who later became US Ambassador to London
“When Ted Kennedy arrived in Adare as part of his visit to Ireland, we met him over dinner at the Dunraven Arms Hotel.
“He was very friendly and traced family roots. It was a great occasion”.
Mike added that his mother was very privileged to have been an invited guest at the reception afforded to President John Kennedy, when he visited Greenpark Racecourse in 1963.
“Jim Hogan, the well-known victualler, is also a distant cousin of the Kennedy’s”.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin paid this tribute to Ted Kennedy.
“He was, to the very end, a true profile in courage. For over 40 years, Ted championed many causes. His extraordinary and progressive contributions in areas such as healthcare and education are legendary and enduring.
“Ted Kennedy knew and loved Ireland – its people, its music and its culture. As the embodiment of the Irish immigrant story, his special dedication to the peace process was unrivalled and deeply held. We owe him a debt of gratitude for his true and loyal friendship and steadfast support, particularly during the process which resulted in the Good Friday Agreement.
“Today, our minds are flooded with memories, of Ted himself, of the extraordinary days of President Kennedy’s visit to Ireland in 1963, and of the immense pride all of us here in Ireland take in our kinship with the Kennedy family”.
