More than 40 years after John F Kennedy's historic visit to Co Wexford, New Ross is to commemorate the event by erecting a statue of the late American president.
The sculpture will be unveiled next year during celebrations to mark the 800th anniversary of the town receiving a "royal charter" in 1207. New Ross Town Council has commissioned the work as a permanent reminder of one of the highlights of JFK's four-day Irish trip.
On June 27th, 1963, he visited the Kennedy ancestral home in the townland of Dunganstown and addressed the people of New Ross on the quayside.
An arboretum dedicated to his memory was established the year after his assassination on the slopes of Slieve Coillte, south of New Ross. The 600-acre park, which was formally opened by Éamon de Valera in 1968, contains 4,500 species of trees and shrubs from all five continents.
Both the arboretum and the homestead at Dunganstown have become tourist attractions, especially for American visitors to the region, but there is no memorial to JFK in the town of New Ross.
Town clerk Gerard Mackey says officials are examining submissions from artists for the statue in response to a tender.
New Ross 800 will be launched at ceremonies tomorrow.
