Sir, – In your supplement (June 19th) to mark the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s visit, Colm Tóibín writes “During the euphoria . . . it might have been possible to mention anyone’s name in a speech and win applause”. Well, not quite.
In his address to the joint session of the Oireachtas, Kennedy referred to “the little five feet high nations”. He attributed this comment to “one of the great orators of the English language”. In fact, the comment was made by David Lloyd George. However JFK’s speech-writers had the good sense to realise that Lloyd George’s name might not be favourably received by his audience, many of whom would have bitter personal memories of him. – Yours, etc,
LIAM DUNNE,
Blackrock Road,
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Cork.