From Whence I Came: Eclectic essay collection casts a cold eye over the Kennedy years

Founded nine years ago in Wexford by the late Noel Whelan, the Kennedy Summer School was host to a variety of speakers, 15 of whose papers are reproduced in this entertaining book

John F Kennedy during a visit to New Ross, his ancestral hometown, in Co Wexford in 1963. Photo: Getty

HISTORY

From Whence I Came: The Kennedy Legacy, Ireland and America

Edited by Brian Murphy and Donnacha O Beachain

Merrion Press, €19.95

Noel Whelan was a man of many talents. Before his untimely death at the age of 50 in 2019, he made his mark as a barrister, historian, political commentator and campaigner for marriage equality.

He even thought about running for president before dropping out when Michael D Higgins decided to seek a second ...