Ancestral exile
Patrick Kennedy and Bridget Murphy move to Boston from County Wexford, Ireland, during the Great Famine.
When one thinks of the history of the United States in the XXᵉ century, one name immediately springs to mind: John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35ᵉ American president. A symbol of youth, reformist élan and tragedy, he remains one of the century’s most charismatic political figures. But behind the American myth also lies a deeply Irish story, that of a family of emigrants who, in the space of a few generations, rose from the squalor of rural Wexford to the highest spheres of world power.
John F. Kennedy’s roots go back to Dunganstown, near New Ross, in County Wexford, south-east Ireland. His great-grandparents, Patrick Kennedy and Bridget Murphy, left the area in 1848, at the height of the Great Famine. Like so many others, they embarked for the United States, seeking to escape hunger and offer their descendants a better future.
Settling in Boston, the Kennedys joined the city’s large Irish community. They experienced poverty, discrimination and the hostility of an American society still distrustful of Catholics of Irish origin. But thanks to hard work and a supportive community network, the family gradually climbed the social ladder.
John F. Kennedy embodies the meteoric rise of the Irish diaspora in America: within a century, the descendants of starving exiles reached the presidency of the world’s leading power.
Born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy grew up in a well-to-do family. His father, Joseph P. Kennedy, was an influential businessman, diplomat and leading figure in Democratic politics. His mother, Rose Fitzgerald, came from another influential Boston Irish family.
Kennedy had a privileged childhood, marked by a solid education in the best schools. But behind the image of a brilliant young man lay fragile health: suffering from multiple chronic illnesses, he had to overcome repeated hospitalizations. This fragility forged his character and strengthened his ambition to leave a lasting mark.
During the Second World War, John F. Kennedy served in the U.S. Navy. In 1943, his ship, the PT-109, was sunk by a Japanese destroyer in the Pacific. Kennedy managed to save several crew members, a heroic deed which earned him a military decoration and enhanced his public reputation.
In 1946, he entered politics by being elected Democratic Congressman from Massachusetts. Four years later, he became a senator, confirming his rapid rise to prominence. Charismatic, cultured and backed by an influential family, he embodied the new generation of American leaders.
In 1960, John F. Kennedy ran for president against Republican Richard Nixon. His youth, eloquence and mastery of televised communication gave him a decisive advantage. He was elected at the age of 43, becoming the youngest president ever elected in the United States.
His victory was of particular importance to the Irish and Catholic community: for the first time, a descendant of Irish immigrants, from a long-discriminated-against minority, entered the White House. For many, Kennedy was proof that the American dream could become a reality.
John F. Kennedy’s term of office, though brief (1961-1963), was marked by major events.
Domestically, he launched social reforms, promoted civil rights and encouraged space exploration with his famous 1962 speech: “We choose to go to the Moon”.
On the international stage, he had to deal with some major crises:
Kennedy became the symbol of modern leadership, driven by an energetic style and inspiring communication.
Among the most memorable moments of his presidency, his official visit to Ireland in June 1963 remains etched in the collective memory. John F. Kennedy became the first sitting American president to visit the island of his ancestors.
In New Ross, County Wexford, he received a hero’s welcome. Thousands flocked to see “the son of Ireland become President of the United States”. His emotional speech underlined the unbreakable bond between America and Ireland, two nations united by the history of exile and the diaspora.
Kennedy also visited the family farm in Dunganstown, meeting distant cousins. This return to his roots was a symbolic consecration: the child of famine, who had left in poverty a century earlier, had returned as president of the free world.
On November 22, 1963, in Dallas, John F. Kennedy was assassinated during a presidential motorcade. This brutal tragedy put an end to a presidency full of promise, and plunged the world into shock.
His death made him an icon, frozen in the glow of youth and renewal. For Ireland, Kennedy’s assassination was a personal tragedy. The country lost not only an American president, but also a prodigal son returning to the top after centuries of humiliation and exile.
Even today, John F. Kennedy is celebrated as one of America’s most charismatic presidents. His commitment to civil rights, his role in the Cuban crisis and his dream of space remain major references.
In Ireland, his legacy is particularly honored. In New Ross, the Kennedy Homestead has become a museum dedicated to the history of his family and the diaspora. The memory of his 1963 speech lives on, symbolizing the unbreakable bond between Ireland and its children who have gone overseas.
Patrick Kennedy and Bridget Murphy move to Boston from County Wexford, Ireland, during the Great Famine.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, into a family from the Irish diaspora.
An officer in the U.S. Navy, Kennedy saves his crew after the PT-109 sinks. His courage strengthens his public image.
Kennedy became the first Catholic president elected in the United States, a descendant of Irish immigrants.
In June, JFK visits New Ross and Dunganstown, meeting his cousins. Welcomed as a hero, he underlines the link between America and Ireland.
John F. Kennedy is assassinated during a presidential motorcade, plunging the world into mourning. Ireland loses a symbolic “son”.
In New Ross, the Kennedy Homestead perpetuates the family’s memory. JFK remains a symbol of the success of the Irish diaspora.
