Ireland, the USA and Monaco – Delving into the Kelly Connection

IARLA BYRNE16 April, 20263 Mins read342

Princess Grace Ireland 1961 - courtesy Princess Grace Irish Library Monaco

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The Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco will host a special evening this April, looking at the close bond that existed between Princess Grace and Ireland.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the iconic wedding of Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Grace Kelly in the Principality. It also marks the 65th anniversary of the historic 1961 visit of Princess Grace of Monaco to Ireland, when she travelled to County Mayo to see the former Kelly family homestead.

Her grandfather was born there in 1847 and this is where he spent his childhood years during the time of The Famine. The modest two-bedroom cottage stands beside the Leg of Mutton Lake in Drimurla, a small village in the west of Ireland. In 2023, Princess Grace’s son, Prince Albert II of Monaco, unveiled a sculpture in nearby Newport in tribute to his mother.

^{Video via PublicDomainFootage on YouTube}

Join the Princess Grace Irish Library on Thursday, 30th April, 2026, for a three-way conversation between Pierre Joannon, retired diplomat Peter K. Murphy (both of whom know Princess Grace personally), and William Harrison Jr., exploring Princess Grace’s deep connection to Ireland – the land of her grandfather’s birth and from which he emigrated as a young man to the United States in 1867. The discussion will trace the Irish roots of Princess Grace in County Mayo and follow the continuation of the Irish-American story in Philadelphia before returning, in time, to Ireland through Monaco.

You can be assured that the mix of personal anecdotes and first-hand factual knowledge brought to the table will provide an insightful exploration of Princess Grace’s Irish ascendancy. The conversation will examine questions such as: where in Ireland did Grace Kelly’s grandfather grow up, and what circumstances led to his departure? How did the official 1961 visit to Ireland by Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Princess Grace come about, and what impact did it have – both for Ireland and for Princess Grace herself?

Pierre Joannon - photo courtesy Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco

William Harrison - photo courtesy Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco

^{Pictured left – Pierre Joannon; pictured right – William Harrison Jr. – both photos courtesy Princess Grace Irish Library}

Pierre Joannon is a former Consul General of Ireland to the South of France (1973–2024) and a former trustee of the Princess Grace Irish Library. He has written extensively on Irish history and literature and was elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy in 2021.

Peter K. Murphy, a retired American diplomat from Boston, Massachusetts, is a longtime resident of the Principality of Monaco and a close, lifelong friend of Princess Grace and her family. He has served as a trustee of the Princess Grace Irish Library, an honour bestowed on him by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II in 2018.

William Harrison Jr., a native of Dublin, has long nurtured a passion for history and art. His postgraduate research examined Princess Grace’s 1961 visit to Ireland and its legacy. He began his career as a tour guide at the James Joyce Tower and Museum in 2016 and has since gained wide experience working with cultural and heritage institutions across Ireland, including EPIC: The Irish Emigration Museum and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

In 2021 he completed the National Tour Guide Programme and became a certified guide with Fáilte Ireland. He has also worked with the National Monuments Service as an archive assistant. William holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Art History from University College Dublin and a Master of Arts in History from University of Limerick. His dissertation explored the theme “Pride and Resonance: Princess Grace of Monaco’s 1961 State Visit to Ireland.”

^{Courtesy The Princess Grace Irish Library}

The talk starts at 7 pm sharp. Tickets cost €10 and may be reserved online.

TICKETS

About the Library

The Princess Grace Irish Library is a non-profit institution, under the aegis of the Fondation Princesse Grace in the Principality of Monaco.

It was inaugurated on 20th November 1984, by Prince Rainier III of Monaco as a tribute to his late wife Princess Grace and the attachment She felt for Ireland, the birthplace of her grandfather.

The location of the library is situated five minutes from the Prince’s Palace in the stunning, historic hôtel particulier, a former home of Comte Félix Gastaldi (1821-1906), Mayor of Monaco for 39 years.

If you would like to donate to the Princess Grace Irish Library, further details are available on the library website. All donations go directly to support the library’s mission and to support Irish writers, academics and musicians who contribute to the rich programme of events, residencies and symposia. The library also hosts young students for short and medium-term internships and engages with local schools for workshops and book readings.