President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 visit to Ireland was a momentous occasion in modern Irish history. The President referred to the trip as ‘the best 4 days of [his] life,’ during which he visited Wexford, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Dublin. A highlight of the visit was ceremony in Dublin Castle at which he received an honorary doctorate in Laws from Trinity and was awarded the freedom of Dublin.
To mark the 60th anniversary of the visit, Trinity is hosting this year’s JFK Moonshot in partnership with the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the Kennedy Summer School.
"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
President John F. Kennedy
JFK Moonshot: Reimagining Human Potential and Progress will take place in the Dargan Theatre at Trinity College Dublin on Thursday, June 29th from 12:30 – 14:30. CEO and Founder of Stripe, Patrick Collison will join Lant Pritchett, Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics, for a fireside chat to discuss whether the rate of economic, scientific, and technological progress that has driven human prosperity for centuries is slowing and, if so, how we can accelerate it.
Mary Aiken, Chair of the Department of Cyberpsychology at Capitol Technology University, Martin Curley, Professor of Innovation at Maynooth University, and Rodrigo García González, Co-Founder and CEO of environmental start-up Notpla, will discuss how the Moonshot spirit lives on in the quest to find solutions to the most pressing challenges we face today. Dearbhail McDonald, award-winning Irish broadcaster and author, will moderate. U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy (by video), Trinity College Provost Linda Doyle, U.S. Ambassador Claire D. Cronin, JFK Library Foundation Executive Director Rachel Flor, and Kennedy Summer School Program Director Charles Larkin will also feature in the program.
Booking is essential. Register here.
President John F. Kennedy receiving an honorary Doctorate of Laws from Trinity College Dublin
President Kennedy sent a letter of thanks to the Chancellor from the White House
President Kennedy's honorary degree certififcate
Listen to President Kennedy’s speech at Dublin Castle in 1963 in which he commends Ireland on its educational institutions, its role in educational Enlightenment, and highlights the role of education in the protection of democracy.