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festivals · Tuesday 1 September 2026 · Various 
Kennedy Summer School
At St Michael's Theatre and nearby venues · New Ross, Co. Wexford
At St Michael's Theatre and nearby venues · New Ross, Co. Wexford
Each September, New Ross hosts one of Ireland’s most distinctive political and cultural gatherings - a three-day festival that draws journalists, academics, politicians, and curious visitors to explore the long entanglement between Ireland and America. The Kennedy Summer School is not a dry academic conference. It is a lively, argument-filled weekend of talks, interviews, panels and social events, all anchored in a town with a direct and personal connection to the Kennedy family. If you follow politics on either side of the Atlantic, or simply want a weekend that gives you something to think about, this is worth the trip.
The school was founded in 2012 by Noel Whelan - the barrister, author and Irish Times columnist - alongside William Keilthy and Sean Reidy of the John F. Kennedy Trust. It runs over three days at St Michael’s Theatre in New Ross, with some events spilling into nearby venues around the town.
The programme changes each year, but the format is consistent: keynote addresses from high-profile speakers, panel debates, one-to-one interviews, and audience Q&A sessions covering Irish and American history, politics, and culture. Past speakers have included CNN journalists, senior politicians, economists, and prominent writers such as Colm Tóibín. There is usually a social dimension too - in past years a 1960s-style Kennedy tea party has been among the highlights.
The school has strong academic backing from Maynooth University and Boston College, and is supported by Fáilte Ireland, the Office of Public Works, and Wexford County Council. The audience tends to be engaged and well-informed, and the venue’s scale keeps things intimate rather than stadium-sized.
Tickets are sold online through Ticketsolve; the full programme is typically announced in early summer. Check kennedysummerschool.ie for the 2026 dates and lineup.
New Ross sits on the River Barrow in the west of Co. Wexford, roughly 40 km from Wexford town and about an hour and a half by road from Dublin. The N25 connects New Ross to Wexford city, and the N30 runs north towards Enniscorthy and the M11. There is no direct train to New Ross; Bus Éireann operates services from Waterford and Wexford town. St Michael’s Theatre is in the town centre, within easy walking distance of the quayside. Parking is available at various town centre car parks.
The town’s connection to President Kennedy is tangible at every turn - the Dunbrody Famine Ship sits on the quayside, the Kennedy Homestead at Dunganstown is a short drive away, and the JFK Memorial Park and Arboretum is nearby. New Ross itself is an old Norman walled town with a working waterfront and good independent pubs and restaurants along the quays. There is more to see in New Ross and across Co. Wexford.
Heading to St Michael's Theatre and nearby venues in New Ross? Wexford has plenty more to see. Read the New Ross area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.