On the slopes of Slieve Coillte near New Ross, looking out over the Kennedy ancestral homeland, lies one of Ireland’s finest tree collections. The John F. Kennedy Arboretum was created as a living memorial to the assassinated American president, whose great-grandfather emigrated from this very corner of County Wexford. Today it is a magnificent 250-hectare park — part botanical collection, part peaceful place of remembrance, with views that stretch across five counties.
A Living Memorial
Opened in 1968, the arboretum was funded by Irish-American organisations as a tribute to JFK, who had visited Ireland just months before his death. It holds some 4,500 types of trees and shrubs from all over the world, laid out in botanical sequence across forest plots and ornamental grounds. The scale is generous and the planting is mature now — this is a place to wander slowly, not to tick off in half an hour.
What to See
There are forest trails, a lake, a visitor centre and a café, with an ericaceous garden and a notable collection of dwarf conifers. The summit of Slieve Coillte, reached by road or on foot, gives a panorama over the Barrow and Suir estuaries and the patchwork of the Kennedy homeland below. It is an easy, rewarding day for families, walkers and plant lovers alike.
Practical Information
The JFK Arboretum is near Dunganstown, about a 15-minute drive south of New Ross and easily combined with the Kennedy Homestead and the Dunbrody Famine Ship. There is parking, a café and a visitor centre; an admission fee applies. Most of the main paths are accessible. Open year-round with seasonal hours — check the OPW listing before visiting. Spring and autumn are especially good for colour.
This is one of our Top 15 Things to Do in Wexford.