Niece seeks return to family of some of Jackie Kennedy letters

Some of the collection of letters written by Jackie Kennedy to an elderly Irish priest – recently withdrawn from auction – should be handed back to the Kennedy family, her niece said yesterday.

Speaking during a visit to the University of Limerick, Rory Kennedy, the youngest of the 11 children of Senator Bobby and Ethel Kennedy, said her Aunt Jackie had written some "wonderful letters", many of which should be shared.

However, when asked specifically about the letters written between 1950 and 1964 to Fr Joseph Leonard, a Vincentian priest who lived in All Hallows in Drumcondra, Dublin, Ms Kennedy said: "I think some of them need to be back with the family. I think it's a question of choosing and selecting them a little bit more and having a little bit more control over that."

Earlier this month, a statement from All Hallows said the letters were “being withdrawn from auction”.