Irish Flag Raising at the JFK Monument in Holyoke, MA, a Grand Tradition Honoring President John F. Kennedy

The Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade Committee invites the public to the Irish flag raising ceremony at the JFK Monument  near the corner of Appleton & Sycamore streets at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday, February 18, 2024.

 

The annual ceremony is part of a series of events leading up to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Holyoke on Sunday, March 17.  The parade was first held in 1952 and is considered one of the finest parades in the United States.  

 

Here is a calendar of Holyoke events taking place in the next month.

History of the JFK Memorial 

 

The plan for a memorial to President John F. Kennedy in Holyoke was initiated in the weeks after the president’s assassination in 1963.  The Holyoke St Patrick’s Day committee immediately put up $1,000 to start the fundraising process.  

 

The committee decided on locating the memorial at Appleton Suffolk and Sycamore Streets, since that was “the exact spot from which the late President started the 1958 St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” reported the  Holyoke Transcript-Telegram on May 29, 1967.  As US senator, Kennedy was the first to receive an award ‘to an American of Irish descent who has distinguished themselves in their chosen field.’  The award became known as the JFK National Award, and the 2024 recipient is Boston Celtics announcer Mike Gorman. 

 

Early suggestions for the memorial included a seven foot statue of the president, or a depiction of JFK sitting on his rocking chair, which he used frequently because of back pains caused by the war.  There was also discussion about creating a scholarship fund or contributing funds toward a new library in Holyoke.  

 

The committee decided it wanted a permanent type of memorial,  saying it would “be an inspiration to the youth of today, recalling how this young man named Kennedy gave his life for his country. In essence, he represents every soldier fighting in Vietnam and every soldier that has ever fought for his country in any war. He represents all those who have died or will die in defense of their country,” according to theTelegram-Transcript on May 29, 1967. 

 

The committee accepted a concept of a cross-shaped design of the park, with walking pathways leading up to the center of the park, submitted by Harold J. Shaller, president of the American Institute of Contemporary Art in New York City. 

 

Rock of Ages Company of Barre, Vt was awarded the park design, which included a series of granite markers with a bust of JFK as the centerpiece.  Albert Yeager was chief designer of the bust, and artist Bruno Sarzanini sculptured the bust in 35 days, recounted the Transcript-Telegram.

 

The park was unveiled on Memorial Day, May 30, 1967, following a mass at Holy Cross Church behind the memorial.  Robert Fitzgerald, cousin of President Kennedy, was the featured speaker.  Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who had visited the future site of the memorial when he was marching in the Holyoke parade in 1966, was unable to attend, but called into the ceremony 'by telephone hook-up' from his office in Washington, DC.

Since the opening in 1967, local officials and Irish organizations hold a number of ceremonies at the JFK Memorial, especially around Presidents Day, St. Patrick's Day and Memorial Day.  On Saturday, March 16, 2024, there is a wreath-laying ceremony at the JFK Memorial, just prior to the parade on the following day.

The JFK Memorial in Holyoke is one of many landmarks honoring President Kennedy and his family. Here are some additional Kennedy sites in Massachusetts. 

Find full information on the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day parade.

Learn more about Irish activities in the New England region at IrishMassachusetts.com.