Overview
In June 1963, at the height of his presidency, John F. Kennedy visited this farm in Dunganstown, sat in the farmyard drinking tea with his cousin Mary Ryan and raised a toast to ‘all those Kennedys who went and all those Kennedys who stayed’. The farm is in Dunganstown, a quiet townland just south of New Ross on the River Barrow. The Kennedy Homestead is the reason to come.
The Kennedy Homestead
Patrick Kennedy was born here in 1823 and sailed for Boston during the Great Famine in 1848. His great-grandson John F. Kennedy came back as president in 1963. The homestead itself is a modest farm, not a grand house, so come for the story rather than the architecture.
The visit traces the Irish emigration experience, the family’s rise through American politics, and the day in June 1963 when the President came home. That visit is still a landmark in Irish-American history.
Practical Information
The homestead operator lists regular visits as closed from 1 November 2026 until 1 March 2027. During that period, book a private tour online at least 48 hours in advance. Check prices and opening for your date, and use the visitor entrance.
- Opening: Regular visits are closed from 1 November 2026 until 1 March 2027; check the operator’s site for the hours that apply on your date.
- Admission: Prices change, so check the operator’s site before you go. Ask there too about any joint ticket with the Dunbrody Famine Ship in New Ross.
- Getting There: Dunganstown lies a few kilometres south of New Ross. It’s rural, so a car or taxi is the practical way in.
Nearby Attractions
- John F. Kennedy Arboretum – a park in the President’s memory, with a wide range of trees and shrubs, walking trails and a hilltop viewpoint over the surrounding counties.
- Dunbrody Famine Ship – a replica of an 1840s emigrant ship on the New Ross quayside, run separately from the homestead, with tours that lay out the reality of the crossing.
- Dunbrody Abbey – the ruins of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey.
- New Ross – the medieval port town on the Barrow, home to the Dunbrody ship, the Ros Tapestry and a riverside walk.
For another account of emigration from Wexford, the Dunbrody Famine Ship tells the story from the quayside end.