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Did President Kennedy Have Celiac Disease?

By Dr. Peter Green, Contributor

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Dr. Peter Green, Professor of Clinical Medicine, Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, suspects that JFK was the victim of an undiagnosed disease common to the Irish. John F. Kennedy’s long-standing medical problems started in childhood. In Kennedy’s adolescence, gastrointestinal symptoms, weight and growth problems as … [Read more...] about Did President Kennedy Have Celiac Disease?

The American Cousin: Memories of JFK’s Trip to Ireland

June / July 2013

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In June 1963, President John F. Kennedy made a series of state visits throughout Europe. To Germany, where he made his famous Ich bin ein Berliner speech; to Italy; to England; and to Ireland, the country his great-grandfather Patrick Kennedy had left in 1848. Dave Powers, assistant and close friend to the president, described JFK’s four days in Ireland as “the happiest of his … [Read more...] about The American Cousin: Memories of JFK’s Trip to Ireland

Joe Biden’s Irish Roots

By Megan Smolenyak, Contributor
IA News April 12, 2023

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It’s well known that President Joe Biden spent his early years in the very Irish city of Scranton, Pennsylvania. But what about his ancestors? Genealogist Megan Smolenyak, who also traced President Obama’s Irish roots, has delved into the President’s family tree and unearthed a few surprises. How can you not love a name like Finnegan Biden? I find it charming when family names … [Read more...] about Joe Biden’s Irish Roots

I’ll Be Back In the Springtime – JFK in Ireland

By Sean Reidy, Contributor
April / May 2013

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Sean Reidy, CEO of the JFK Trust, looks back on President Kennedy’s visit to New Ross in 1963, and forward to celebrations on the 50th anniversary of that visit. "I’ll be back in the springtime” were the last words spoken by President John F. Kennedy before he boarded Air Force One to return to the U.S. after his momentous visit to Ireland in 1963. His desire to return was … [Read more...] about I’ll Be Back In the Springtime – JFK in Ireland

The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick

By Tom Deignan, Contributor
April / May 2013

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The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, or The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland, was founded in Philadelphia on March 17, 1771 and continues on as a benevolent society today. Tom Deignan looks at the history and ongoing tradition of one of the best-known Irish-American organizations in the U.S. today. At the end of 2012, St. Rose … [Read more...] about The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick