President Kennedy's visit to Ireland: 60 years on

On June 26, 1963, President John F Kennedy touched down on Irish soil, the first serving US President to do so. His visit spanned four days, and included trips to Áras an Uachtaráin, followed by ancestral home in Co Wexford, and also Leinster House, where he gave his famous address to the Dáil and Seanad Éireann.

His arrival in Dublin was a spectacular affair, with thousands lining the streets to catch a glimpse of “the smiling grandson of a Co Wexford emigrant”, as he was described by The Westmeath Independent at the time.

RTÉ's first television channel, Teilifís Éireann, had only been broadcasting for 18 months when they were tasked with covering President Kennedy's much-anticipated homecoming.

The RTÉ Archives contain high-quality footage of the President's arrival in Dublin, with thousands “straining their necks to see him”, and grabbing chairs or standing on pillars to get a “better vantage point”. Click here to view this incredible historical footage.

The footage shows President Kennedy, accompanied by one of his sisters, surrounded by masses of people. Also in attendance was then-President of Ireland, Éamon de Valera, who only a mere five months later would be attending the state funeral of President Kennedy after his assassination in November 1963.

This page from The Westmeath Independent on Saturday, June 29, 1963 provides an insight into how his visit was reported on by the press and also how the public welcomed home a man who treasured his Irish ancestry so proudly.