Darina Allen and Brendan Grace to recreate Kennedy tea party

Television chef Rachel Allen and comedian Brendan Grace are teaming up to re-create the most famous Tea Party in Ireland’s history, as they are set to host the Kennedy Tea Party during a summer school in Co Wexford.

Guests will be treated on Thursday, September 6, to an array of sweet delights made by experts at Ballymaloe along with a traditional fruit cake, which is what President John F Kennedy along with his sisters Eunice Shriver and Jean Kennedy-Smith had been served by his cousin Mary Ryan during the famous visit in 1963.

History recalls the President had cut a slice of the cake which he ends up giving to Mary Ryan, his second cousin once-removed.

He thanks her and her friends for doing all of the cooking and offers a toast: “a cup of tea to all the Kennedys who went and all the Kennedys who stayed”.

At the 2018 Tea Party in New Ross, Ms Allen will be on hand to discuss the delights on offer such as butterfly buns, miniature meringues with strawberries and cream, gingerbread, sweet white scones with raspberry jam and cream, lemon drizzle cake and salted cameral cupcakes and the top tips for hosting a tea party. Transatlantic entertainer Mr Grace will provide the entertainment.

Ms Allen said: “I’m delighted to host and re-create the Kennedy Summer School Tea Party. It was such an iconic occasion and a real tangible piece of Ireland’s social and hospitality history; welcoming family home into the kitchen regardless of their status for tea and cake is something that will always be synonymous with a warm Irish welcome.”

Meanwhile, on a more serious note, the annual Kennedy Summer School is set to host a number of expert discussions and is billed as ‘A festival of Irish and American, History, Politics and Culture’.

There will be over 40 guest speakers participating in debates on a wide range of subjects such as current US politics, the final phase of Brexit negotiations and the recent Referendum to Repeal the 8th Amendment featuring prominently from September 6-8.

Highlights include audiences with Kerry Kennedy, a human rights activist and daughter of Robert F Kennedy; a sit-down interview with Miriam O’Callaghan of John Weaver who was a presidential campaign strategist for John McCain and John Kasich, and also advised George H W Bush while the Kennedy Speaker’s Lunch will see EU Commissioner Phil Hogan give his update take on Brexit.

Gerard Doherty former chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party will present his book “They were friends of mine, Bobby, Jack and Ted” to the John F Kennedy Book and Research Archive at New Ross Library along with a number of politicians, news correspondents and global academics who will all join in the discussions billed for the annual Kennedy Summer School.

A special screening of Greg Barker’s fly-on-the-wall documentary about Barrack Obama’s final year in office will take place, followed by a Skype interview with Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to the United Nations.

For further details and event tickets see kennedysummerschool.ie or call St Michael’s Theatre on 051 421255

Pic: Cecil Stoughton, White House/John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston