Emigrant Trail - Irish Ferries

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Welcome to Wexford, the ancestral home to the Kennedy
family. Wexford is located on the most south-easterly tip of
Ireland and boasts some 171 miles (275 km) of stunning
coastline with golden sandy beaches, rocky headlands and
more. It is a county steeped in history featuring some of the
finest castles and historic sites in Ireland including a number
of attractions that tell the story of President John F. Kennedy,
his family and his historic visit to his family homestead in
Ireland on June 27th in 1963.
The Kennedy family legacy is an integral part of life in
County Wexford. The achievements of this distinguished
family are celebrated on ‘The Emigrant Trail’ featuring three
key heritage sites on a 15 mile (24km) trail in the vicinity
of New Ross Town in County Wexford, Ireland.
From the Quayside follow the well
signposted trail, taking the short
4 mile (6km) journey to ‘The Kennedy Homestead’ in nearby
Dunganstown, the birthplace of JFK's great-grandfather,
Patrick Kennedy and home to five generations of the Kennedy
family. The splendid visitor centre at the orginal Kennedy
Family Homestead offers visitors an audio-visual trip through
history, including clips from Hollywood movies to help tell the
story of the famous US president and his family.
To follow in the footsteps of President Kennedy, start your
journey at the Quayside in New Ross. There you will find the
wonderful Dunbrody Famine Ship, the evocative Emigrant
Flame and the life size welcoming sculpture of President John
F. Kennedy. It is from here on this very quayside that President
Kennedy’s great-grandfather Patrick left for America in 1848.
While on the New Ross Quayside stop and read the President's
speech from the replica podium on the exact spot at where he
delivered this most moving and heartfelt address to the people of
New Ross. Feel the warmth of the glow of the Emigrant Flame
burning in remembrance of all those who left our shores throughout
the generations. The flame, lit from the President's grave in
Arlington is an eternal reminder of all those who left New Ross
and Ireland and scattered to every corner of the world.
From the Homestead follow the trail to the nearby
John F. Kennedy Memorial Park. This Memorial Park of
623 acres is dedicated to the memory of President Kennedy.
Opened in 1968 by Irish President
Eamon de Valera to honour President
Kennedy and his achievements.
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Wexford offers a wonderful variety of accommodation,
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from pretty coastal village cottage rentals
to Bed & Breakfasts and a five star Destination
Spa and everything in between. Wexford is a
365-day holiday destination and will keep
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you much longer than you had intended to stay.
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New Ross
Waterford
Wexford
To explore more of the Wexford trails and
for everything you need to know about holidaying
in Wexford. See visitwexford.ie
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Getting to Wexford and New Ross
By Road: Wexford is just over 1 hour 30 minutes from Dublin.
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Other Attractions
Kilmore Quay
TO EXPLORE IN WE X FORD
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By Bus: There are frequent bus services to and from
Wexford and New Ross. For further details, timetables and tickets see:
buseireann.ie and wexfordbus.com
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Duncannon Fort
By Air: Waterford Airport is 30 minutes drive from New Ross and
a further 30 minutes to Wexford. Dublin Airport is two hours drive from
Wexford. See: waterfordairport.ie and Dublin airport.com
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visitwexford.ie
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By Sea: The ferry port of Rosslare Harbour is twenty minutes from
Wexford town with daily services to and from the UK and the continent.
See: rosslareeuroport.ie
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Simply follow the M11/N11 all the way. New Ross is 30 minutes from
Wexford on the N25. Plan your route from anywhere in Ireland on:
aaireland.ie
By Rail: There are good rail connections between Dublin
and Wexford with frequent daily services to five train stations in
County Wexford. For ticketing and timetables see: irishrail.ie
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Irish
K E N N E D Y STORY
visitwexford.ie
Dunbrody Famine Ship
T. +353 (0)51 425239
www.dunbrody.com
Admission charges apply.
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to/from Enniscorthy
shake hands with the life-size statue of President Kennedy
himself. Stroll along the boardwalk and stop off at the
podium marking the spot from where President Kennedy
spoke so warmly to the people of New Ross. You will also feel the
warmth of the Emigrant Flame burning on the quayside at the
Dunbrody Famine Ship. The Emigrant Flame, lit from President
Kennedy’s Eternal Flame at Arlington National Cemetery and
carried to New Ross is an eternal reminder of the story of the
thousands of emigrants including Patrick Kennedy who ventured
from Ireland hoping for a better life in America. A beacon of
hope and inspiration for all emigrants throughout the world.
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NEW ROSS TOWN
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3 FROM NEW ROSS FOLLOW THE TRAIL
taking the short 4 mile (6km) journey to ‘The Kennedy
Homestead’ in nearby Dunganstown, the birthplace
of JFK's great-grandfather, Patrick Kennedy
and home to five generations of the Kennedy family.
The wonderful visitor centre at the Kennedy Family
Homestead set in the midst of the original Kennedy
farmstead, offers visitors an audio-visual trip through
history, including clips from Hollywood movies to help
tell the story of the famous US president and his family.
Kennedy Family Homestead
Dunganstown
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The legacy, origins and family background of the
US Kennedy family is told through state of the art
interactive displays and family-friendly features.
The interpretive exhibition is laid out as a family
diary, with everything on the outer circle representing
the family and everything on the inner circle representing
their achievements. Audiovisual touch-screens display
edited highlights of Kennedy speeches, including those
of JFK, Ted Kennedy, Jean Kennedy Smith, and
Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Film footage of the President's
visit to Dunganstown, one of the highlights of his
trip to Ireland in 1963 is also on display.
The Dunbrody Famine Ship, it is from here on this very quayside
that President John F. Kennedy’s great-grandfather Patrick left for
America in 1848. President Kennedy when speaking on the quayside
during his visit in 1963 said ‘When my great-grandfather left here to
become a cooper in East Boston, he carried nothing with him except two
things: a strong religious faith and a strong desire for liberty.’
The Dunbrody Famine Ship is a wonderful authentic reproduction of an
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1840’s emigrant vessel. It promotes a world-class interpretation of
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the famine emigrant experience. During the Great Famine
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of the 1840's over one million people left
Ireland, many never to return, it was a momentous moment in Irish history.
Joining the multitudes of Irish fleeing the Great Famine, Patrick Kennedy
departed from his home for the port of New Ross on a wet day in 1848 to
set sail for the United States where his descendants were to become the
world’s most famous family. Starting a journey of epic proportions, full of
triumph and tragedy, moving from steerage on an emigrant vessel to the
slums of Boston and from the Court of St. James to the White House, and
the golden era Americans refer to as "Camelot". The Dunbrody Famine Ship
demonstrates the beginning of the Kennedy journey and that
of millions of other Irish Emigrants.
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T: +353 (0)51 388264
www.kennedyhomestead.com
Admission charges apply.
John F Kennedy
Memorial Park
T: +353 51 388171
www.heritageireland.ie
Admission charges apply.
FROM THE HOMESTEAD FOLLOW THE TRAIL TO THE
nearby John F. Kennedy Memorial Park. This Memorial Park of 623
acres is dedicated to the memory of US President John F. Kennedy.
Opened in 1968 by Irish President Eamon de Valera to honour
President Kennedy and his achievements, it contains over 500
different rhododendron and azaleas, an internationally
important collection of over 4000 different trees and shrubs - some
very rare - and a small islet-studded lake, home to large
numbers of mallard, moorhen and rudd.Interestingly,
Arlington National Cemetery is 624 acres in size.
A permanent exhibition on the life and times of the
late US President features at the Park. Visitors
to this Memorial Park can enjoy the quiet
space on the woodland walks, the playground,
tree house and lake with ducks and fish to feed. Six different
counties can be seen from the spectacular viewing points on
Slieve Coillte. Group guided walks are provided by arrangement.