Visit of U.S. President John F. Kennedy to Ireland: Day Four

On the final day of his visit, President Kennedy flew west to visit Galway and Limerick before departing from Shannon. Again huge crowds turned out to see the American leader: there were an estimated 80,000 people in Galway and 6,000 people packed into Green Park race course in Limerick.

In a packed Eyre Square, President Kennedy, in a light-hearted speech, talks of the links between Galway and Boston, and reflects on how Americans of Irish descent can feel at home visiting Ireland. Commentary by Seán Mac Réamoinn can just be heard above the cheering crowds.

Limerick City's Lord Mayor Frances Condell welcomes President Kennedy in an amusing speech, the best-delivered of all the local authority speakers during the Presidential visit.

In this extract the Lord Mayor relates how she pestered the U.S. Ambassador to persuade the White House to get the President to come to Limerick.

In this extract from Lord Mayor Frances Condell's speech, she wishes the President well in his pursuit of world peace. The Lord Mayor also explains how the women of Limerick feel they have a special claim on President Kennedy through his Fitzgerald background.

In another mainly light-hearted address the President thanks Lord Mayor Frances Condell for the best speech he has heard since coming to Europe, greets his Fitzgerald relatives who have come to see him, and expresses his desire to return to Ireland in the spring-time.

At Shannon Airport President John F. Kennedy expresses his thanks for the welcome he has received in Ireland. In his farewell address he quotes lines from a poem Mrs de Valera had told him about the previous night and states he will return to see "old Shannon's face again".

President Kennedy boards Air Force 1 as the band of the Southern Command play 'Come Back to Erin' and the crowd cheer. Commentator Pádraic Ó Raghallaigh wishes the President God-speed.

As the President departs, commentators Arthur Quinlan, John Skehan and Sile Ní Bhriain describe the scene and give their impressions of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.