An excerpt from
WELCOMED LIKE A HOMECOMING HERO
June 27th, 1963
Cheering thousands line route from airport to Áras an Uachtaráin
President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States of America and the first US president to visit Ireland, was received tumultuously by the people on his arrival for his three-day visit to Ireland . . .
The president said he was glad to accept the Government’s invitation to visit Ireland, “the land from which eight of my grandparents came to the United States”. He was proud too, he said, to visit Ireland because of his father’s old and valued friendship with President de Valera.
With Mr Kennedy came his sister, Mrs Eunice Shriver, wife of the US Peace Corps director, and his sister-in-law, the Princess Radziwill. At the airport to greet him with Mr de Valera and members of the Government was his younger sister, Mrs Jean Kennedy- Smith, who had arrived in Dublin earlier in the day.
The president arrived from Berlin on board Air Force One, the big Boeing jet in which he is making his tour of Europe. It touched down at the airport four minutes before 8pm, and taxied to the front of the main terminal building right on schedule.
Five hour wait
By 3pm – some five hours before the arrival of the plane – thousands
of people were already at the airport waiting. The main road from Dublin was packed with cars, and the usual 18-minute drive from town took more than an hour. Parking arrangements, however, were excellent. There were large public car parks near the main entrance into the airport, and hundreds of police and stewards were on duty to direct the thousands of vehicles. Everyone who wanted to was able to see the president, although for a great many it was just a glimpse at a considerable distance.
Air Force One made a single circuit of the airfield then landed in a cloud of smoke from the burning rubber of its wheels. As it taxied to a standstill, the crowds on the balconies of the airport buildings cheered and waved.
Below them on the airport apronthe guard of honour was drawn up, together with the Army No 1 Band and the artillery battery which was to fire 21-gun salute.
Cheers
Five minutes before the aircraft was due, the President, Mr de Valera, the Taoiseach, Mr Lemass, and members of the Government had assembled to greet their distinguished guest. There were cheers for Mr de Valera as he walked out to the ramp with his aide-de-camp, Col Sean Brennan, and Col Michael Heffernon, director of army intelligence, who will be President Kennedy’s aide-de-camp during his stay in Ireland.
There was a pause of a few minutes before the steps were driven up to the rear door of the big blue and white jet, then Mr Gerard Woods, chief of protocol of the Department of External Affairs, ran up the steps and escorted President Kennedy to the door. The crowd cheered again as President Kennedy waved the hat he was carrying (but never wore) and walked briskly down the steps.
He shook hands warmly with President de Valera, talked to him for a minute and was then introduced to Mr Lemass and other members of the Government.
