TED KENNEDY VISIT:THE DIPLOMATIC background to a visit by Senator Edward Kennedy and his son Teddy to Ireland in 1974 is revealed in Department of Foreign Affairs files released for public view through the National Archives.
The visit was arranged by Bord Fáilte, now Fáilte Ireland, following an approach to its New York office by the senator's sister, Patricia Kennedy Lawford (1924-2006).
A meeting took place at Iveagh House on June 6th between a Bord Fáilte representative and two officials from the department to prepare for the visit. Teddy Kennedy, then aged 12 years, had been taken ill with bone cancer the previous year and had a leg amputated in November 1973. The group would include a number of Teddy's classmates and their teacher.
It was uncertain whether Senator Kennedy and his colleague Senator John Tunney from California, son of the boxer Gene Tunney and father of one of the boys in the group with Teddy jnr, would be able to join their sons during the latter part of the month-long visit. According to an internal Iveagh House memo, "their plans are dependent on developments in the Watergate hearing".
Senator Kennedy telephoned Ireland's ambassador in Washington, John Molloy, to discuss arrangements for the visit. Young Teddy would be arriving on June 18th and the senator would join him at the end of the month, "for four days or perhaps a week".
"A house had been taken in Galway and he intended to have a quiet time," an official writes. "Nevertheless, ambassador Molloy thought that consideration should be given to the question of an official function for Senator Kennedy." The senator's office indicated that "he wishes the visit to be private and quiet and that the visit envisaged would not include the Dublin area".
A handwritten note in the file states: "The minister [Garret FitzGerald] will give Senator Kennedy a lunch. Pl. [Please] inform Washington ask them to so inform senator to ask for suitable date."
However, another handwritten note states: "Senator Kennedy has declined the minister's invitation since he would not be visiting Dublin."
In the event, Senator Kennedy did pay a brief visit to the capital on July 1st, since Teddy jnr had been taken into St Vincent's private nursing home, Elm Park, on June 28th, suffering from side-effects arising from his treatment.
Father and son paid a 10-minute courtesy call on taoiseach Liam Cosgrave.