Robert Kennedy's grandson, Joe Kennedy, will make a keynote speech at the 2022 Kennedy Summer School in New Ross, Co Wexford.
The festival of Irish and American politics, history and culture, is held annually in the Wexford town, where former US president John F Kennedy visited in 1963 to visit relatives who he shared ancestry with.
It will take place from September 8th-10th this year. .
Joe Kennedy is an American lawyer and politician who served as the US representative for Massachusetts's 4th congressional district from 2013 to 2021.
The 2022 Summer School will focus on topical issues in Irish and US politics with leading expert speakers from both sides of the Atlantic along with a focus on Russia and Ukraine plus a focus on the 100th anniversary of Michael Collins' death.
**NEWS** #JFKSS 2022 is launched. In New Ross from Sep 8- 10, with US politician and grandson of JFK, Joe Kennedy, giving a keynote address. There be talks on: #UkraineRussianWar, Michael Collins 100 years on, & experts on Irish & US politics. For more, https://t.co/imrBR4HStR pic.twitter.com/Vib1qCTrSA
Advertisement— Kennedy SummerSchool (@JFK_SS) July 20, 2022
United States Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin will officially open the festival, while Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris is also set to speak at the Summer School.
On Thursday evening, Fáilte Ireland will take to the stage with a panel of tourism experts to discuss the impact of the global economy and the pandemic on Ireland’s tourism and hospitality sector. This will be followed by the Edward M Kennedy lecture which will see Senator Tom Clonan, Professor Donnacha Ó Beacháin, Tony Connelly and Shona Murray discuss ‘Putin’s War: The Invasion of Ukraine and what it mean for Europe?’.
On Friday afternoon at 12.30pm, Minister Harris will take to the stage at the Kennedy Summer School Speakers Lunch.
The annual Kennedy Summer School session bearing the name of the summer school founder, the late Noel Whelan, ‘The Noel Whelan Interview’ with a "yet-to-be-revealed VIP guest" will be unveiled closer to the 2022 Kennedy Summer School opening date.
The keynote with Joe Kennedy will follow this interview.
A discussion on Ulysses and Gatsby will take events to a close on Friday evening: 'Irish and American geniuses at work' with Prof Philip McGowan, Prof Sarah Churchwell, and Ambassador Dan Mulhall.
On Saturday morning, the Kennedy Summer School History Symposium will take place focusing on lost leaders; Michael Collins, Parnell, JFK and Bobby Kennedy with a panel discussion joined by guest speakers Dr Martin O’Donoghue, Neal Thompson, Dr William Murphy and Dr Anne Dolan.
At noon on Saturday, "taking things off the air and onto the stage" will be Cal Thomas and Marion McKeone. At 2pm a session on Irish Women Covering Politics will be the focus of attention for political journalists Aoife Moore, Christina Finn, Mandy Johnston, Ciara Phelan, Mary Regan and moderator Ivan Yates.
At 3pm the focus will be placed on Irish Politics as Minister Jack Chambers, TD Richard Boyd-Barrett, TD Sorca Clarke and moderator Gavin Reilly will take to the stage.
Later in the afternoon, US politics will be the discussion topic with Prof Sarah Churchwell, John Feehery and Royston Brady. Events will come to a close on Saturday evening as a panel from the American Irish State Legislators’ Caucus, which has already attracted a membership of more than 800, will join Senator Mark Daly in conversation with Larry Donnelly.
Tickets for the 2022 festival of culture and politics will be available for sale from 12pm on Wednesday, July 20th. See kennedysummerschool.ie or call St. Michael’s Theatre on 051 421255.
