People gather to see the eternal flame delivered to the port of New Ross. (Niall Carson/PA Wire)
IT MAY HAVE been 50 years ago, but the people of Wexford have not forgotten.
Thousands of people have turned out in New Ross today to mark the visit of US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy to the town half a century ago this week.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny described today's events as "the Gathering of The Gathering."
A number of events have been taking place in the town all day, including an American-theme homecoming parade through the streets of New Ross.
A new visitor centre at the Kennedy Homestead - the birthplace of John F Kennedy's great-grandfather Patrick Kennedy - was opened by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and junior Minister Brian Hayes this afternoon.
Caroline Kennedy, JFK's daughter, and Jean Kennedy-Smith, JFK's sister and a former ambassador to Ireland, attended the ceremony, which also served as the launch of a major new permanent exhibition on Kennedy's presidency.
Speaking at the opening of the visitor centre, Taoiseach Enda Kenny paid tribute to the legacy of the Irish-American family.
"The Kennedys were and are more than emigrants, politicians, an Irish-American family," he said. "They are an idea that endures and fascinates."
The Taoiseach described the relationship between Ireland and America as being one of "hope and history".
Today, the Irish story is writ large across America. Now the torch is passed to a new generation. I ask the young Kennedys to keep that ancestral flame alive and in all they do to honour and deepen the Irish-American connection.
The Taoiseach also spoke about how Ireland has changed over the past half century.
"The Ireland you visit today is a very different Ireland to that of 1963," he told the audience.
"On this anniversary we are emerging, slowly but certainly from difficulty. Just as President Kennedy wanted 'to show the world what a free economy can do', we want to show the world what a recovering economy can do."
A bust of Senator Ted Kennedy who died in August 2009, was unveiled in the town as part of the commemorations. Ted Kennedy was the third longest-serving member of the US Senate in American history, representing the state of Massachusetts for almost 50 years.
The main event of today's ceremonies has been the flame lighting ceremony this evening. The 'emigrant flame', the only flame to be taken from JFK's grave at Arlington National Cemetry in Virginia, arrived in Ireland on Thursday morning on board a flight from New York. The flame was given to the Irish Naval Services who transported it to New Ross on board the naval vessel LE Orla.
This evening the flame was carried along a specially constructed boardwalk in New Ross and lit by the Taoiseach and members of the Kennedy family. Irish dancer Michael Flatley narrated the story of the flame as it was lit.
Speaking at the opening of the visitor centre, Minister Brian Hayes paid tribute to the staff at the Office of Public works for their "sterling work in ensuring that generations to come can experience the many achievements of the Kennedy family."
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