Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy - Mother of The Kennedys, 1973

An exclusive filmed interview with Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. She talks about her life and how she coped with the violent deaths of three of her sons; Joseph, President John F and Attorney-General Robert Kennedy.

Filmed at the Kennedy homes in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, her son Ted and daughter Eunice also feature.

The Radharc team created another first when interviewing Rose Kennedy, Mother of former President John F Kennendy and former Attorney-General Robert Kennedy. No film crew had previously been given access to the Kennedy home. Her son, Senator Edward Kennedy and daughter Eunice Shriver are also interviewed during the programme.

The idea for this film came about after the tragic death of a teenage girl in Athy, County Kildare. The Radharc team discussed making a programme that might help parents to cope with the sudden death of a child. Why not talk to a woman known worldwide as mother of not one but three children who had died tragically and very publicly?

Rose Kennedy agreed to the film after an initial approach through Fr Delaney, a parish priest in Florida near the Kennedy winter home.

As the Radharc team prepared to travel to America a cable from Mrs Kennedy cancelled the interview. Fr Dermod McCarthy flew out to meet with Rose Kennedy and after spending the weekend in her home, Mrs Kennedy was reassured and agreed to the film being made.

Rose Kennedy talks about her faith, raising a large family, the difficulty of losing three sons through violent death and a life immersed in politics.

‘Mother of the Kennedys’ was first broadcast on the eve of the tenth anniversary of the death of President John F Kennedy.