KENNEDY, John. F. House of the Oireachtas. Joint Sitting on the Occasion of the Visit of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, with an original memorial card for President Kennedy, issued on 22 November 1963.

Baile Átha Cliath [Dublin]: Published by The Stationery Office, 1963. Octavo. pp. 24, printed in both Irish and English. Original cream wrappers with gilt harp and title Houses of the Oireachtas – Joint Sitting – Visit of President Kennedy on the upper cover. A fine copy.

This official publication was issued to commemorate the historic address by President John F. Kennedy to the joint sitting of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann, held in Leinster House on Friday, 28th June, 1963. The speech was one of the most significant moments in modern Irish-American relations, marking the first visit of a sitting U.S. President to Ireland.

Printed at the Government Publications Office by Cahill & Co. Ltd., the pamphlet records the proceedings of that memorable day – including the introductory remarks of Taoiseach Seán F. Lemass, leaders James Dillon and Brendan Corish, and Kennedy’s eloquent address linking the Irish experience of independence with America’s democratic ideals.

This copy is accompanied by an original memorial card for President Kennedy, issued after his assassination on 22 November 1963, featuring the text of his closing prayer and a short biographical tribute. The inclusion of this rare ephemera adds poignant context, uniting Ireland’s warm welcome with the nation’s later mourning.

A fine association item uniting two defining moments of Kennedy’s relationship with Ireland.

[WR Politics]