An array of speakers from both sides of the Atlantic are lined up for the annual Kennedy Summer School which is taking place in New Ross, County Wexford.
The summer school runs from Thursday, August 31 through Saturday, September 2.
According to a release, 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the historical visit of President John F Kennedy to New Ross and to his ancestor’s homestead at Dunganstown.
"The Kennedy Summer School will celebrate the iconic Presidential visit of John F Kennedy to New Ross and Dunganstown with a packed programme off events from the Kennedy Tea Party to a host of fascinating talks and debates on the stage in New Ross.
"There will be over 60 guest speakers participating with Her Excellency, Canadian Ambassador Nancy Smyth, set to open the occasion."
A highlight of the Kennedy Summer School each year, added the release, is the Edward M Kennedy lecture and interview and this year former Vice Admiral Mark Mellett is set to take to the stage for a conversation with Dr. Stacey L. Connaughton of Purdue University.
Mellett was Ireland’s highest ranking military officer, the government’s principal military adviser and member of the National Security Committee and the EU Military Committee. He will discuss his career and life along with the strategic drivers and implications of the war in Ukraine, Ireland’s neutrality, and the implications of climate breakdown on global security and stability. The interview is set for 3.30 p.m. on Saturday, September 2.
"Dr. Stacey Connaughton is also an expert in military and she has served as a thought leader on distributed leadership for the U.S. Army Research Institute’s Leader Development Unit."
The school, continued the release, is set to host a number of expert discussions and is billed as "A Festival of Irish and American, History, Politics and Culture."
And it added: "The weekend will be filled with panel discussions, debates and public interviews and addresses and the Kennedy Tea Party hosted by RTE’s Eileen Whelan.
"An expert panel will discuss the 50th anniversary of Ireland’s membership of the European Union with moderator Alex White SC, joined by Patrick Honohan, Ray Bassett, Suzanne Lynch, Lucinda Creighton and Dermot Murnaghan. Sports fans will be enthused to learn that football legend Martin O’Neill will also be taking to the stage to discuss his extraordinary life in football and share his views on the future of the beautiful game.
"The Saturday interview will see a husband and wife political duo take to the stage to discuss their opposing political viewpoints. Husband and Democratic political consultant James Carville and Republican political consultant Mary Matalin. An expert panel is also set to discuss ‘Celebrity Politics."
Also in line for an interview is Emmy nominated film director Lenny Abrahamson. On Friday, September 1, the Noel Whelan Interview will see Abrahamson take to the stage for an interview with Sinéad McSweeney.
This session commemorates the founder of the Kennedy Summer School, the late Noel Whelan.
"Over the years, Noel conducted a number of one-to-one interviews with key figures in Irish political and cultural life. We are continuing this tradition in his honour while also taking the opportunity to explore themes which remember and draw from Noel’s life, loves and interests.
Sinéad McSweeney is Noel's wife, and the session will be introduced by Noel’s son, Séamus.
Irish Ambassador to the United States, Geraldine Byrne Nason, will deliver the Summer School's closing address.
Ambassador Byrne Nason, according to the release, "brings with her a remarkable career in international diplomacy, having served as the Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador to France, Second Secretary General in the Department of the Taoiseach, Ambassador and Ireland’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the EU, and Director of the National Forum on Europe. In her closing remarks, she will offer insights into the Kennedy legacy and the enduring strength of Irish-American bonds."
The Kennedy Summer School and Festival is run in association with the Office of Public Works, New Ross District Council, Wexford County Council, Boston College, Purdue University & Failte Ireland. More at www.kennedysummerschool.ie.
