JFK: A Homecoming
Ryan Tubridy's passion for history and politics is well-documented and one of the characters that has long fascinated him is President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Having spent the past 18 months researching President Kennedy's historic visit to Ireland in 1963, Ryan now takes us on a remarkable journey behind the scenes at this era-defining visit.
What is less well known is that John F. Kennedy was in Ireland on three other occasions, revealing a much deeper relationship between Kennedy and Ireland. This documentary delves behind the well-known story of the 1963 visit to examine his relationship with us - and ours, as a nation, with him. Was the 1963 visit actually important? Why did Kennedy have such a profound effect on us? Did Ireland really affect Kennedy or was it for show? Was it all just sentimental or was he closing a significant circle of history?
JFK: A Homecoming, also examines and reflects on the Ireland into which Kennedy arrived. The echoes of modern times are also present as the documentary looks at the comparisons between the Kennedy story and that of President Obama - both presidential mould-breakers in their own way.
The documentary features contributions from Ted Sorensen, one of Kennedy's most trusted advisors who was with him on the trip to Ireland. Jean Kennedy Smith, Jack's last surviving sibling, who was also on the trip, reveals her memories. There's insightful analysis, too, from author Colm Tóibín who, as a young boy in Wexford, vividly remembers seeing him, historians Gearóid O Tuathaigh, Gary Murphy, Diarmaid Ferriter and JFK's American biographer Robert Dallek.
The film also features the stories and memories of eye-witnesses from all over the country and their impressions of the man and the visit. These include photographer Stan Shields who, aged just 19, leapt into JFK's car to get a close up; and two surviving politicians who heard first-hand one of Kennedy's most memorable and accomplished speeches: his speech to a joint session of the Oireachtas.
In addition, rare film archive and previously unheard audio archive from the JFK library in Boston, including audio speeches, photos and personal testimony, will form a part of the telling. Press and personal photos and of course expert opinion will also feature.
Ryan Tubridy is both obsessed by, and passionate about, the impact this event had on Ireland. For Ryan, the documentary is both a private and a public journey - as he reflects on his own fascination with Kennedy's visit, as well as engaging with its broader public meaning and historical significance.
