It is unusual to come across a little-known fact about Ireland’s all-time favourite US President, JFK.
But visitors to Boston’s John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum will come home with a nugget of information that will impress even those who thought they knew everything about his short life.
On display among such artefacts as the iconic red dress Jackie’s wore for her interview on CBS is a humble coconut – with a mayday message carved by JFK himself.
“This is the coconut he carved when he was shipwrecked after his boat was rammed in World War II”, explains the museum’s Director of Special Events and Visitor Services, Lee Statham.
“The crew, including JFK, swam to Nauro Island in the Solomons and had to wait to be rescued. While they were on the beach, a local man helped them. JFK carved a message into the coconut: ’11 alive. Native knows position. Need small boat. Kennedy.’ They were eventually rescued.”
Lee was in Dublin’s L’Ecrivain restaurant as part of a delegation from Massachusetts to meet members of the Irish travel trade this week.
To celebrate the fact that JFK would be 100 if he were alive today, they are promoting not just the museum but the state where the President enjoyed some down-time from his hectic schedule. Cape Cod was one of his favourite haunts where he spent weekends with family and friends, sailing and entertaining.
Tourists can even copy JFK this summer and attend the Tall Ships Regatta which sails into Boston on June 17 and stays for five days before heading to Quebec, or the JFK Centennial Commemorative Concert (May 28 in Hyannis).
Other must-see activities in Massachusetts this spring-summer include the Boston Calling Music festival from May 26-28 (primarily an indie fest with a strong comedy element), Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival from June 23-25 (this is bound to attract art-lovers as it’s set on the campus of the Mass MoCA), the Three-County Fair from September 1-4 (the oldest agricultural fair in the country and guaranteed to make the Irish feel at home, given the popularity of agricultural fairs here), the Boston Flower and Garden Show (March 22-26), the Daffodil Festival on Nantucket (April 28-30) as well as exhibitions celebrating the lives of Henry David Thoreau (runs from July 12-16) and Dr Ted Seuss, whose museum, which opens in June, will particularly appeal to children with its emphasis on interactive experiences and art.
Sports fixtures include the Red Sox Opening Day when they will play the Pittsburg Pirates (April 3 at Fenway Park), the Boston Masrathon (April 17) and the US Senior Open (June 26-July) when some of the world’s top golfers take on the greens at Salem Country Club.
If all that sounds too hectic for your clients, point them in the direction of the scenic coastal towns, dotted with historic lighthouses and quaint wooden houses. Here, you can really get a sense of the history of the region where the first settlers from England arrived – and it’s easy to see why they made this their home.
Best of all, Boston is “just a short flight away on Aer Lingus from either Dublin or Shannon”, says Jackie Ennis (Director of International Marketing, Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism). “Every single flight has been full” in recent times, she added.
