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Saoirse Kennedy Hill's father jumps from buoy 'in his daughter's honor' despite not knowing how to swim

Paul Hill, the grieving dad of Saoirse, never learned to swim "having spent most of his adult life in 38 British prisons."
PUBLISHED AUG 8, 2019

Saoirse Kennedy's father was pictured jumping into the sea from a buoy "in his daughter's honor" before being rescued in the water by members of her extended Kennedy family. The touching images were shared by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday, stating that Paul Hill, the grieving dad of Saoirse, never learned to swim "having spent most of his adult life in 38 British prisons," however, he was determined to take the plunge for his daughter, who died from a suspected drug overdose.

Hill, 66, spent nearly 15 years of his life in prison after he was wrongly convicted of the Guildford pub bombing in 1975, which killed five people. After his release from prison, he went on to marry human rights activist and the daughter of assassinated presidential candidate Robert Kennedy, Courtney Kennedy.

Hill jumping into the sea in the honor of her daughter. (Instagram/Robert Kennedy Jr.)

Their daughter, 22-year-old Saoirse, was found unresponsive on August 1 at the Kennedy compound in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Boston College student, who had attempted to take her own life two weeks before her junior year began at the prestigious preparatory school, Deerfield Academy, had openly talked about how she sought treatment to recover. 

Hill being rescued in the water by Kennedy family members. (Instagram/Robert Kennedy Jr.)

"Saoirse’s Dad, Paul Hill, has a terror of both heights and water. Having grown up in the catholic ghetto of the Falls Road in Belfast, and spent most of his adult life in 38 British prisons, he never learned to swim," Robert Jr. wrote in his Instagram post. "Nevertheless, he wanted to jump off the HH buoy in Saoirse’s honor. He asked us to be there to rescue him when he hit the water."

Saoirse, 22, was found unresponsive around 2.30pm on August 1 at the Kennedy compound in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. (Instagram/Robert Kennedy Jr.)

Pictures posted by Robert Jr. showed Hill as he jumped into the water and later with  Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert "Bobby" Kennedy. Robert Jr., in his earlier post, added: "Saoirse’s father Paul Hill served 15 years in British prisons after UK Police tortured him into confessing to an IRA bombing that he did not commit. In 1993, four years after his release, Paul married my sister Courtney, a human rights activist. Saoirse, whose name is Gaelic for “freedom” was passionate about justice and her Irish heritage."

Hill's tragic life story is chronicled in the Daniel Day Lewis film, 'In the Name of the Father.'

Robert Jr., son of the late Robert "Bobby" Kennedy, is a prominent environmental activist and attorney. He has been leading the tributes for Saoirse ever since the news of her death emerged last week.

He was spotted with nearly 20 family members on Saturday afternoon as they took a small boat out to their yacht in the harbor. Among those on board were RFK Jr's brother, Joseph P. Kennedy II, as well as his son, Conor Kennedy, who famously dated Taylor Swift in 2012. 

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