They may be an expensive item of clothing, but the buyer has not been tempted to try them on, writes Patrick Butler.
John F. Kennedy's Second World War navy-issue boxer shorts, bought by an Irishman for $5,000, are now on show in a shop in Capel Street, Dublin.
The shorts, which are on exhibition with a dress shirt - bought for just under $2,000 - also belonging to the former US president, can be seen in Louis Copeland's store until the end of August. Both items were purchased online from an auction of JFK memorabilia that took place in New Jersey, 10 days ago. They are the property of Mr Paul Allen, who runs a PR company in Dublin. An avid collector of Kennedy memorabilia, Mr Allen was at a JFK festival in New Ross on the day he purchased the items.
Although the auction guide-price for the shorts, which have the former president's name stitched into them, was originally set at $200-$300, Mr Allen regards the amount he paid as "good value". He said he was "delighted" with their acquisition. "I believe these are historically significant," he said yesterday.
The shorts and shirt were among a range of memorabilia put up for sale by Mary Gallagher who was Jacqueline Kennedy's personal secretary from 1957 to 1964, and Providencia Paredes, the former First Lady's personal assistant from 1959 to 1965. Following their display in Louis Copeland's, the items will be transferred to the Irish Writers' Museum, Dublin. During his lifetime, President Kennedy published several books and received the Pulitzer Prize in 1957.
Mr Allen said he did not believe Kennedy's naval history has ever been fully documented and his purchase of the items would help rectify the neglect. After their display in Dublin, the items will be donated to the John F. Kennedy Museum in Boston for an exhibition that covers JFK's naval career.