ONE OF the key guests at this year’s inaugural Kennedy Summer School in New Ross will be Maxwell Kennedy, the son of the late Robert Kennedy.
The announcement was made during the launch of the Summer School programme in the Dunbrody Visitor Centre last Wednesday. He will join a host of other very high-profile speakers who will visit the town for the three-day event.
It will be held in New Ross from September 6 to 8 and will be essentially a festival of Irish and American history, culture and heritage.
The first main event of the programme will take place on Thursday, September 6, at 1 p.m. when historian and broadcaster, John Bowman, will present an extended audio visual talk on the coverage of Irish politics on Irish television news and current affairs – beginning with the coverage of President Kennedy’s historic visit in 1963.
A very significant aspect to the event will also take place at 4.30 p.m. that same day when local secondary schools will be encouraged to participate in a debating competition. Students from all the local secondary schools will be competing. The competition will be hosted by Beat FM presenter, Dave Cronin.
The first day’s events will culminate in a reflective talk on Ireland, America and the Kennedy legacy under the title, Wexford Voices.
On Friday, September 7, the day’s events will begin with a seminar at 11 a.m. titled ‘The Kennedy Civil Rights Legacy: Lessons for Modern Ireland’.
At 1 p.m. that day a special interview will take place with former editor of the Irish Times, Geraldine Kennedy. She will speak about her 40 years working in or around Irish politics.
John Waters, Mary O’Rourke, Sean McGraw and blogger, Suzy Byrne, will talk on ‘Irish Politics: New Frontiers’ at 4 p.m. on Friday, September 7.
One of the premiere events of the weekend will take place that night when the Kennedy Summer School Dinner is held in a ‘Political Canvass Marquee’ on the grounds of the Brandon House Hotel.
On Saturday, September 8, an event will take place focussing attention on the Obama V Romney 2012 US Presidential election forum. Among the guest speakers will be Tad Devine, who was very involved with Bertie Ahern, among others, in an advisory capacity, Gary Murphy, and Aine Kerr.
A very interesting take on the whole Kennedy story will be witnessed at 1 p.m. when Dennis C. McAndrews takes to the stage to present his one-man show ‘What if John Kennedy Had Lived: A One Man Show’.
At 3 p.m. that day a tea party will be held at the Kennedy Homestead in Dunganstown. The programme of events will culminate in a tribute night to Eunice Kennedy Shriver at 8 p.m. where guest speakers will include Fergus Finlay, Matt English and Keith Wood
