Irish Heritage Museum to host Kennedy discussion

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jeff Wilkin

ALBANY — “The Life and Legacy of Robert Francis Kennedy,” a discussion to mark the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination, will be held Tuesday at the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany.

The forum at the museum, located at 370 Broadway, will begin at 7 p.m.

While representing New York in the U.S. Senate and having just won California’s Democratic presidential primary, Kennedy was gunned down June 5, 1968 at a Los Angeles campaign event. He died from his injuries the next day.

Museum officials have made arrangements with Albany city officials to have the City Hall carillon bells play two songs — “Danny Boy” and “The Minstrel Boy” — for 30 minutes on Tuesday. The songs, which will underscore Kennedy’s background as a descendant of Irish immigrants, will begin at noon.

The discussion is expected to include remarks by Elizabeth Stack, the director of the museum; retired business executive George McNamee; the Rev. Peter Young; state Sen. Betty Little of Queensbury; former Assemblyman Jack McEneny; Tom Keefe of Albany’s Robert F. Kennedy Democratic Club; and veteran New York journalist Joe Mahoney.

The museum requests a donation at the door of $5 from members and $8 from non-members.