Several death threats against JFK during visit 1963 to Ireland

SEVERAL death threats were made against President John F Kennedy ahead of his official visit to Ireland in 1963, Government papers have revealed.

Gardaí were alerted to two telephone messages alleging that the US leader would be assassinated during his three-day trip and a third was phoned in to the news desk at Independent Newspapers.

The first threat claimed a sniper would be waiting on a roof near the president’s route from Dublin Airport to Áras an Uachtaráin. The second claimed a bomb would be planted on board an aircraft at Shannon as Mr Kennedy prepared to return to the US.

The classified files from the Department of Justice in 1963 have just been released. They reveal that the threat phoned in to Independent Newspapers, when a man claimed that an attempt would be made on the president’s life at Dublin Airport, was treated as a hoax. A letter was also sent to the American Embassy, claiming that a bag of flour would be dropped on Mr Kennedy’s head.

Briefing notes from the Garda Commissioner’s office about security for the historic visit said that, although the threats were thought to be bogus, extra precautions were taken. These included gardaí travelling ahead of the motorcade using binoculars to check all roofs near the route from Dublin Airport.

Officers were armed with rifles, Thompson guns and revolvers. US Secret Service agents were also allowed to carry side arms.

Garda Commissioner Daniel Costigan warned officials at the Department of Justice and gardaí that the eyes of the world would be on Ireland.

In a letter the Commissioner stated: “[The visit is the] most important visit to this country since the establishment of the State, with worldwide publicity, and British journalists are likely to be ready to criticise any fault in arrangements.”

He added: “While any attempt on the life of the president is most unlikely, we cannot overlook the possibility of some lunatic, fanatical, Communist, Puerto Rican or some other such like person coming here to try to assassinate the president.”

Mr Kennedy’s three-day whistle-stop tour of the country ran from June 26 until June 29, 1963, with visits to Dublin, Wexford, Cork and Galway.

The US Secret Service praised the gardaí for their efforts to protect the president. On the night of JFK’s arrival in Ireland nearly half (42%) of the country’s gardaí were deployed on duty between the airport and the Áras. Over each day of the visit, an average of 2,969 gardaí were deployed.