"When my great-grandfather left here to become a cooper in East Boston, he carried nothing with him except two things: a strong religious faith and a strong desire for liberty. I am glad to say that all of his great-grandchildren have valued that inheritance."

John F. Kennedy – June 1963 – Dublin

In 1917, 100 years ago one of the United States’ most loved presidents was born. With his strong Irish heritage and deep rooted religious views he was widely accepted as America’s first Irish-Catholic President. For such a short term as president he managed to win the hearts of Americans everywhere and influence so many.

The epitome of sixties glamour, he brought a sense of hope and progress to the presidency, embracing the civil rights movement and introducing the Peace Corps while at the same time standing firm against the threat to  peace posed by communism, notably during the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).

To commemorate the centenary of his birth, as a first for the Dublin Mint office, we thought it fitting to release this 1/60^th oz gold coin. Struck in the finest quality, the detail of these coins in relation to their size is simply staggering, using the newest minting techniques to create. The Dublin Mint is only making 150 of these available for customers making this issue incredibly limited and will be highly in demand.

In June 1963, John F. Kennedy became the first serving President of the USA to visit Ireland. He flew to Dublin from Berlin after delivering his “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech, in which he talked about the struggle for freedom and the threat of communism. Following special permission, television cameras were allowed inside the Dáil chambers for the first time when JFK became the first foreign leader to address the Houses of the Oireachtas.

At Arbour Hill the president placed a wreath on the grave of the leaders of the 1916 Rising. Huge crowds greeted him everywhere he went, and the radio clips in particular give a flavour of the atmosphere and excitement created throughout the country. JFK later described his 4 days in Ireland as the best of his life.