History

Grace Kelly and the Irish connection Thom Nickels August 8, 2025 August 7, 2025

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Several years ago I attended a Villanova University Irish Studies celebration at the Kelly House in East Falls. It was the first time I found myself inside the house. Until then I had only quickly glimpsed the exterior while riding with my great-aunt in her cream-colored Chevrolet Impala.

“This is where Princess Grace grew up,” she’d say, pointing to the house as we drove by.

Princess Grace was a big thing with my great-aunt. In 1976, when Philadelphia hosted the 41st International Eucharistic Congress of the Roman Catholic Church at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, she was there among the 2,000 worshipers.

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