This article is from page 16 of the 2011-05-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
THERE’S was no chance for President Barack Obama to echo the famous words of “seeing old Shannon’s face again” – used by President John F Kennedy on the runway of Clare’s international airport as he left Ireland in 1963 after his historic State visit.
The airport link was still present in Moneygall on Monday on the double. President Obama spoke of drinking Guinness in Shannon when he made a whistle-stop visit to his ancestral home during his brief one-day stay in Ireland, while a former Scariff Garda told of his brush with the Kennedy clan at the airport 44 years ago.
Garda Mick O’Dwyer was on duty in Shannon in 1967 when President Kennedy’s wife, Jackie, daughter Caroline and son John Jnr left Ireland through the airport after holidaying in Waterford.
“There was a massive crowd and we were trying to hold them back,” he re- called of the Kennedys’ visit.
“She (Jackie) had a hold of the two children by the hands and the young fella, John Jnr, had a small plastic bucket with seashells and a book. He passed by me and this little book entitled Spr ings of India n Wisdom