I Shook Hands with President Kennedy

Pamela Cherry (nee Williamson)

I was 16 and in Dublin with my mother to catch a glimpse of JFK. I think we were on Dame Streeet after he passed by. I don’t remember why but Mum suggested we hurry over to Dublin Castle. We joined a small crowd and the next thing President Kennedy was there, shaking hands with a few people – I stuck mine out and got to shake his hand. One of the things that struk me was that he was SO good looking (in the flesh), the sun was shining on his hair and it had the most marvelous red lights in it – I never saw him on TV after that, that did justice to how good looking he really was. That moment has stayed in my memory as fresh as the day it happened.