FROM THE ARCHIVES:The penultimate event of President John F Kennedys historic visit to Ireland in 1963 was a visit to Limerick racecourse where he was presented with the Freedom of the city . – JOE JOYCE
Half-an-hour before he left for Shannon Airport on Saturday, President Kennedy moved into an excited crowd of 6,000 people at Greenpark Racecourse, shook hands with many and waved to and greeted others. Wooden barriers creaked and bent in a tremendous surge as people rushed from vantage points to meet him.
Children had to be rescued by policemen and two girls fainted. Over 50 people, most of them children, were helped into the reserved section over the wooden barriers which divide the enclosure from the track.
The big barrier began to crack, policemen rushed to the weak section and threw their weight against it in a bid to stop it from collapsing. Their efforts were successful, and again, people immediately behind it were lifted into the reserved section. But, while this danger was being averted the crowds had surged down the line and similar difficulties were being experienced elsewhere.
The secret service men were “up to their ears” helping to keep the President from being mobbed and there was consternation everywhere for several moments. His walk back to the helicopter, where the Taoiseach, Mr Lemass, was waiting, was not uneventful. The short journey across the grass was made with a great deal of noise from people trying to shake his hand and from others seeking autographs. But this, obviously, was what the President wanted, when he opted to meet the people personally instead of following his schedule of leaving immediately for Shannon.
He grinned and laughed and waved and said “hello” constantly. He showed nothing but desire to greet the Limerick people first hand. They tossed his hair, slapped him on the back and pumped his hand for 10 minutes and in the end he was as cheerful as ever.
When he arrived from Galway to become the 42nd Freeman of Limerick, nearly 6,000 people waited to greet him. Many had been patiently in their places since 10 a.m. – three hours before the helicopter landed.
Half-an-hour after mid-day there was a tremendous ovation for the Mayor, Mrs. Frances Condell, when she led her red-robed councillors towards the 12-foot high dais. For Mrs. Condell this was the biggest moment of her life. She had worked for many weeks to try to get the President to visit Limerick and it was only at the last moment that she was successful.
Less than an hour later she received the highest tribute ever paid to her in public life – President Kennedy said that her’s was the best speech he had heard since he came to Europe. No little wonder then, that Mrs. Condell raced 17 miles in a police car, which at times reached speeds of nearly 80 m.p.h., to say good-bye to Mr. Kennedy at Shannon Airtport.
When Mr Kennedy greeted her at the steps of the big Boeing jet he asked her: “Did you have your own helicopter? How nice of you to go to all this trouble.”
President Kennedy was met at Greenpark Racecourse by the Mayor, accompanied by the Most Rev. Dr. Henry Murphy, Bishop of Limerick; the Rt. Rev. Dr. Wyse-Jackson, Bishop of Limerick; the Rt. Rev. Dom Dowdall, O.S.B., Lord Abbot of Glenstal; Mr. T. F. McDermott, Limerick City Manager, and Mr. D. B. OMalley, T.D., Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance.
Mrs. Condell presented the Certificate of Freedom to President Kennedy and declared him elected a Freeman of the City.Earlier, in her speech of welcome, the Mayor thanked Mr. McCloskey, the American Ambassador, for his understanding and patience in allowing her to use him as an “ambassadorial pin-cushion”, whom she kept prodding to renew their request to the White House that Mr. Kennedy should visit Limerick.
“Is it any wonder that the dear man eventually said in exasperation – ‘Heaven protect me from a persistent woman’.”
Sending warmest greetings to Mrs. Kennedy, the Mayor said: “We mothers, especially, only excuse your not bringing your charming Jackie with you to Ireland for the excellent reason that she has for staying at home.”
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