Clare People: Eamon De Valera Eamon De Valera (1882-1975) Eamon de Valera was born in Manhattan, New York, on 14th October 1882. His father was Juan de Valera, a Spaniard who had studied to be a sculptor but due to ill-health he had reverted to teaching music. In September 1881, Juan de Valera had married Kate Coll from Knockmore, near Bruree, Co. Limerick, a young girl who had emigrated to America two years earlier. His father died when de Valera was only two years old and his mother decided that her son would be better off at home in Ireland. She sent him to be reared by his grandmother, Elizabeth Coll, who lived in a labourerï¿½s cottage at Knockmore. De Valera attended the national school at Bruree and from there went to the Christian Brotherï¿½s School at Charleville. He walked the seven miles there and back everyday since the Collï¿½s could not afford a bicycle. At 16, he won a scholarship to Blackrock College, Co. Dublin.

He went on to become a professor of mathematics and lectured part-time at Maynooth and various Dublin colleges. At school and later he was a keen rugby player. In 1908, he joined the Gaelic League, the beginning of his life-long devotion to Irish. One of his teachers was Sinead Flanagan, herself a teacher and four years his senior. They fell in love and were married in January 1910. De Valera joined the Irish Volunteers at their first meeting in 1913. He took part in the landing of guns from the Asgard in July 1914. He commanded the Bolandï¿½s Mills garrison during the 1916 rising. After the surrender he was sentenced to death, but later it was decided to sentence him to life imprisonment instead. In prison, de Valera began to show his leadership qualities. De Valera was released from prison in June 1917 and was elected Sinn Fein deputy for East Clare. At the Sinn Fein Ard-Fheis in October 1917, de Valera was elected President of the party and at the end of the same month he was elected President of the Irish Volunteers.

When the British Government proposed to extend conscription to Ireland in early 1918, de Valera led the successful opposition to this proposal. On 17 May 1918, De Valera was arrested and deported for internment to England, where he was to remain up to February 1919. While he was in jail he was elected for East Clare in the general election. On 21 January 1919, the assembled deputies met in the Mansion House, Dublin, and formally set up the Government for the Irish Republic. After his escape from Lincoln Jail on 3 February 1919, de Valera returned briefly to Ireland and was elected President of the Dail. Early in June 1919, he travelled to the U.S.A. to seek financial and political support for an independent Ireland. He returned to Ireland in December 1920 to take his place as the President of Ireland. From the very start the Dail had to face a number of serious problems, the lack of experience of the new government. The War of Independence was raging at this time with the regular British forces being assisted by the ï¿½Black and Tansï¿½.

The ï¿½Black and Tansï¿½ were ex-army men brought into Ireland to assist the British in the War of Independence. A truce was declared on 11 July and negotiations were opened with the English Prime Minister, Lloyd George, and his government leading up to the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty on 6 December 1921. The Treaty was accepted in the Dail on 7 January 1922 with 64 in favour and 57 against. As an opponent of the Treaty, de Valera tendered his resignation to the Dáil. Arthur Griffith was elected President in the place of de Valera. During the Civil War of 1922-1923 between the pro-Treaty Provisional Government under Michael Collins and its opponents, de Valera supported the anti-Treaty Republicans. An ‘Emergency Government’ was formed by the Republicans with de Valera as president. In May 1923 the Republicans called a cease fire and resistance ended.

De Valera was arrested on 15 August 1923, under the Public Safety Act, as he was about to make a speech at Ennis and was imprisoned until July 1924. Despite this, Clare elected de Valera top of the poll in the general election on 27 August 1923. De Valera continued to represent Clare for the rest of his active political career. As part of the Anglo-Irish Treaty which ended the War of Independence all members of the Oireachtas were obliged to take an oath of allegiance (swear loyalty) to the King of Great Britain. Towards the end of 1925, de Valera and the I.R.A. found that they were on opposite sides on this issue and Sinn Fein was split in two. De Valera had made remarks which suggested that if the oath were removed, he would sit in Dail Eireann. In March 1926, he resigned as President of Sinn Fein over this issue and decided to launch a new party. In May 1926 at a meeting in Dublin, de Valera founded a new political party called Fianna Fail.

The aims of the party were: A united Ireland as a Republic. To restore the Irish Language and develop the Irish culture. To develop a social system where there is an equal opportunity for all. To have a fair system of land distribution in Ireland. To make Ireland as self-sufficient as possible, with a proper balance between agriculture and other industries. In November 1926, Fianna Fail held its first Ard-Fheis and de Valera was elected President of the new organisation. In the general election of June 1927, his party won 44 seats and Cumann na nGaedhael won 47 seats which was a large drop for them. When de Valera and his fellow Fianna Fail deputies arrived at Leinster House, they were refused permission to take their seats unless they first took the oath. They then retired and Cumann na nGaedhael formed the government. Fianna Fail, however, continued to campaign for the removal of the Oath. In order to spread their ideas, the Fianna Fail party founded a daily newspaper, the Irish Press, in September 1931.

Fianna Fail, supported by the Labour Party, formed a Government in 1932, having earlier overcome their objections to the Oath by simply signing a book containing the oath, which they declared an ï¿½Empty Formulaï¿½. In office, the party finally removed the oath by legislation in 1933. On 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland and began the Second World War. On 2 September in Dail Eireann, de Valera declared that the 26 counties would remain neutral. This policy was generally accepted. Many people, while disliking the Nazi regime in Germany, still distrusted Britain and resented the partition of Ireland. The war years became commonly known in Ireland as ï¿½The Emergencyï¿½. Each person was given a special ration-book due to the shortages of everyday items. The post-war years brought continued economic problems with rising prices, emigration and growing unemployment. This did not make de Valera and his government very popular.

When a sudden general election was called by de Valera in 1948, Fianna Fail gained only 68 seats out of 147 and the anti-Fianna Fail parties came together to form a coalition government. In June 1959, he was elected President of Ireland. He received many visitors including Presidents Charles de Gaulle and John Kennedy. He was re-elected President in 1966 at the age of 83. He received honorary degrees from universities in Ireland and abroad. After 14 years as president (the longest time allowed), he retired from office in June 1973. Eamon de Valera died on 29 August 1975 at the age of ninety-two. He was buried in Glasnevin cemetery after a state funeral. As a T.D. for Clare for a period of some forty years, de Valera was a familiar figure in the County. His Election Campaigns were highlights in the political life of the area over this time while his regular attendance at local events, such as the County Show, kept him in the public eye.

Depending on oneï¿½s political leanings, de Valera either generated immense support or active hostility from the Clare Electorate. DE VALERA’S CAR This car is a 1947 Plymouth Dodge, registration number ZH 1333. Originally maroon in colour, the car was manufactured by the Chrysler Corporation in Detroit, U.S.A. It is 226 inches long, 75 inches wide and 66 inches high. Weighing approximately 2 tons, the car can seat 8 people plus the driver. It was purchased new for Sean T. Ó Ceallaigh during his term of office as President of Ireland. Sean T. Ó Ceallaigh personally drove the car for 12 years, until his presidential term ended in 1959. In 1959 Eamon de Valera purchased the car for his own personal use, and had it painted black. Although he continued to use the official Rolls Royce on formal state occasions, President de Valera often drove the Dodge to political functions around the country and regularly drove the car around County Clare. In 1988 the Dodge was presented to Clare County Council by Dr.

Eamon de Valera and Ann de Valera on the wishes of their late sister, Margaret. This specially-built display garage was sponsored by Syntex Ireland Ltd. (now Roche Ireland Ltd.), and officially unveiled by President Mary Robinson in 1992. In 2011, Councillor P.J. Ryan, Clare County Council, generously gave of his time and expertise to restore the Dodge, which was very much a part of Clare’s social and political history. Original Whitewall tyres and a six-volt battery were sourced from America, and repairs were made to brakes, exhaust, steering and bodywork. David Browne, of John Browne’s Auto Bodyshop in Cratloe, generously assisted with restoring the bodywork. Interview with Cllr. P J Ryan on the Mooney Show, RTï¿½, 5th May 2011, regarding the restoration of the car. Mooney audio is courtesy of RTï¿½ Radio Libraries and Archives.

"Meeting at Ennis, County Clare, applauds Fianna Fail leader's fighting speech in open air." Fianna Fáil is founded - 20th Century History of Ireland Fianna Fáil is founded TOPICS: Politics In 1923, the irregular troops laid down their arms, giving victory to the Free State forces. Eamon de Valera, as Director of Operations for the anti-treaty side, was apprehended and imprisoned. As the country settled down he was released in 1924 and decided that abstention from the Dáil was the wrong tactic to take. He and others such as Countess Markievicz and Seán Lemass decided to break from Sinn Féin , which retained an abstentionist policy, and formed a new party in 1926. The new political party, Fianna Fáil, ran in the 1927 general election and won 44 seats, 3 less than Cumainn na nGaedheal the government party. Sinn Féin won only 5 seats but remained outside the Dáil. The government was able to stay in power only with help from smaller parties and independents.

The Fianna Fáil TDs (MPs), led by De Valera signed the oath of allegiance, dismissing it as unimportant and irrelevant and took their seats in Dáil Éireann. Fianna Fáil, sub-titled The Republican Party, were now fully committed to adhering to the principle of constitutional politics. Fianna Fáil gains political Fianna Fáil, led by Éamon de Valera , was the opposition party in Dáil Éireann from 1927. The ruling party, Cumann na nGaedheal, held its position with help from smaller parties and independents. It was a highly conservative party and as the Great Depression of the early 1930’s took its toll, the government was unable to counter advances Fianna Fáil was making with the Irish people. In 1932 a general election was called and Fianna Fáil won 72 seats and though still a minority, gained power. De Valera as leader of the party was installed as President of the National Executive. Immediately de Valera set about changing the order of things and removed the oath of allegiance.

He also withheld the land annuities that were being paid by Irish farmers to the British State, for loans that were made to enable the farmers to buy their holdings from landlords. These payments were part of the treaty agreements from 1921. This upset Britain and in retaliation they imposed sanctions against Irish imports into Britain. De Valera in turn levied British goods coming into Ireland. This state of affairs was to last until 1937 and is known as the Anglo- Irish Trade War. De Valera also removed James MacNeill, ( Brother of Éoin MacNeil ) from the position of Governor-General and gave the job to a civil-war colleague Domhnall Ua Buachalla. Realising that he would have problems with this move in the Dáil, he called for a snap election in 1934. His gamble paid off and he was returned to power with an overall majority. Besides the Presidency of the Executive de Valera also assumed the role of Minister of External Affairs, in which capacity he was to attend the League of Nations. In 1938 he was honoured by being appointed the 19th President of the Assembly of the League.

De Valera next tried to bring the IRA away from violence by encouraging them to join the Irish Defence Forces or the Garda Síochána (Irish police force) . In this he was only partially successful as there were still many willing to keep on the fight for a 32 county republic. In order to bring unity to the country, de Valera retained those appointed by Cumainn na nGaedheal, in their position. However he did remove Éoin Ó Duffy as Garda Commissioner in 1933. Gradually, all through the 1930’s, de Valera removed most of the Free State Constitution. In 1936, when Edward III abdicated the British throne, De Valera took the opportunity pass a bill in the Dáil that would remove all mention of the monarch and the Governor-General from the constitution. In 1937 he took the final step of introducing a new constitution which was titled Bunreacht na hÉireann. This symbolised the removal of the name Irish Free State or Saorstát Éireann.

In this new constitution the name of the state was to be Éire (Ireland) , it’s territory was to include the entire 32 counties though it recognised the de facto situation of partition, the Monarch’s Governor-General would be replaced by a an elected President known as Uactarán na hÉireann, a recognition of the special position of the Roman Catholic Church, but not as a state religion, whilst recognising other denominations and guaranteeing religious freedom. There was a recognition of the concept of Roman Catholic Marriage excluding divorce and the declaration that Irish was the official language of the state and English as a second official language. Of course this angered Protestants north and south and also the more militant republicans who wished to continue the struggle to end partition by military means. The constitution was enacted in December 1937 and de Valera became Taoiseacht. In June 1938 the new president, Douglas Hyde entered office. In 1938 De Valera met with the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, and reached agreement on ending the Anglo-Irish Trade war. De Valera also promised Chamberlain that Ireland would be a base to be used in attacks upon Britain in times of war.

As a result of this he won back the treaty ports of Lough Swilly, Cobh and Berehaven that the British had retained from 1921. A year later in 1939 De Valera declared that in the event of war Ireland would remain neutral. And would resist attack from any quarter. When war did break out between in 1939, de Valera was well aware that a German victory would imperil Irish independence and he secretly gave intelligence assistance to the British and later the Americans. Up to 70,000 Irishmen from the south and not to mention the many northern Catholics were to join the British forces without de Valera stopping them, however there was still friction with Churchill but De Valera maintained his stance. In this he had the support of the majority of Irish people. De Valera and his Fianna Fáil party were to remain in government until the general election of 1948 when a coalition of Fíne Gael, labour, Clann na Poblachta, Clann na Talmhainn and National Labour Parties ousted them.

The new Taoiseach was John Costello and under his term of service in 1949 any remaining ties to Britain were removed and Ireland declared a Republic. However the coalition was too weak to survive and in 1951 De Valera was back in government. This time his reign lasted only until 1954. In 1957 elections Fianna Fáil was again successful. In 1959, de Valera resigned as head of Fianna Fáil and as Taoiseach in order to stand for the Presidency. He retained this position until 1973 when he was aged 91. A History of Ireland in 250 Episodes. By Jonathan Bardon. Gill & Macmillan. Dublin 2009. Modern Ireland. By R.F.Foster. Penguin Books. London 1989. De Valera: Long Fellow, Long Shadow. By Tim Pat Coogan. Arrow Books. London 1993. Eamon De Valera. By M.J.Macmanus. Share this: Fianna Fáil - Credo Reference Embedding articles is subject to our Terms of use .

[{"style":"mla","pubnonperiodical":{"title":"Topic Pages","city":"Boston","publisher":"Credo Reference Publisher Contributors","year":2017,"state":"MA"},"pubtype":{"main":"pubnonperiodical","suffix":"pubdatabase"},"pubdatabase":{"year":"2017","month":"January","day":"19","yearaccessed":"2017","monthaccessed":"January","dayaccessed":"19","service":"Credo Reference","db":"Credo Reference","searchtext":""},"source":"chapter","chapter":{"title":"Fianna Fáil","type":"essay"}}] Topic Page: Fianna Fáil Summary Article: Fianna Fáil from The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide Image from: De Valera, c. 1965 in Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Republic of Ireland political party. It was founded by the Irish nationalist Éamon de Valera in 1926, and led since 2011 by Micheál Martin. A broad-based party, it is conservative socially and economically, and generally right of centre.

It was the governing party in the Republic of Ireland 1932–48, 1951–54, 1957–73, 1977–81, 1982, 1987–94 (from 1993 in coalition with Labour), and 1997–2011. It suffered a crushing defeat at the 2011 general election, the worst of any sitting government in Irish history, having been blamed for its handling of the 2008–11 Irish financial and economic crisis. Its official aims include the establishment of a united and completely independent all-Ireland republic. Fianna Fáil was founded as a result of a split within Sinn Fein, which refused to enter the Dáil (parliament) following the establishment of the Irish Free State under the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty. It attracted the majority of Sinn Fein's support and became the main opposition party. In part due to skilful organization, it soon became the largest political party in the Republic, never yielding that position.

In the early years of government it was associated with protectionist policies and small farmers, although it always drew support from all sections of Irish society. Although descended from the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the party was especially tough on IRA members in the early years of the Irish Free State. De Valera, a conservative Catholic, remained leader and dominated the party until his retirement in 1959. His successor, Seán Lemass, a co-founder of the party, moved to modernize the party and the country. Fianna Fáil began to be associated with more closely with business interests, although it still retained its appeal amongst the working class. The arms crisis split the party between traditional republicans and moderates, and this division continued under the leadership of Charles Haughey, and led eventually to the establishment of a breakaway party, the Progressive Democrats. Albert Reynolds gained the leadership of the party in 1992, and he developed closer relations with the British government, a policy continued under Bertie Ahern, leader 1994–2008 and Taoiseach 1997–2008, and Brian Cowen, leader and Taoiseach 2008–11.

While remaining the most popular party in the country, it has been hit by financial scandals relating to former leaders and senior members. In 1989 Fianna Fáil abandoned its traditional refusal to enter a coalition government and it has not governed alone since that time. essays The End of Civil War Politics in Ireland? | PoliticusUSA's Archives The End of Civil War Politics in Ireland? Dec 19 2010 Published by Nina Andersen under Featured News They call it Civil War Politics, and the death of it may be one of the only positive things to come out of the recession in Ireland. The term does not exactly conjure appealing images in the mind’s eye. Eamon de Valera Fianna Fáil – The Soldiers of Destiny - is Ireland’s largest political party, and has been wildly successful since its inception in 1926. Well, maybe not counting the escapades of the recent and current Fianna Fáil government, which presided over such glorious feats as the Celtic Tiger (a euphemism for the largest, most unregulated property boom in recorded history) and the subsequent collapse of the Irish economy.

Fianna Fáil has thrived amid both nigh-religious devotion from scores of supporters and allegations of corruption, nepotism and unconstitutional practices. How did Fianna Fáil command such support for so long? The key is in the name. Militant and ambitious, it is evocative of the bloody Irish Civil War. The party was founded in 1926 by Eamon de Valera, one of the true giants of Irish politics in the 20th century. Apparently, he decided on the name Fianna Fáil specifically to appeal to IRA men. After the Irish War of Independence, the British and Irish went into negotiations and a peace treaty was signed. The Treaty would grant the fledgling Irish Free State a limited independence from the British Crown, but not the elusive Republic. Northern Ireland would remain under British control – a decision that casts a long shadow right into present times. The IRA split down the middle over who was for and against the Treaty, and civil war broke out. Atrocities were numerous on each side as former brothers in arms turned on each other.

Eamon de Valera was leader of the anti-Treaty irregulars, until he proclaimed in 1923: Soldiers of the Republic! Legion of the Rearguard! The Republic can no longer be defended successfully by your arms. Further sacrifice of life would be in vain, and continuance of the struggle in arms unwise in the National interest. Military victory must be allowed to rest for the moment with those who have destroyed the Republic. De Valera formed his new party Fianna Fáil in 1926 in a bid to republicanize the Irish Dáil or parliament. Unlike their Republican counterpart Sinn Féin, of which De Valera had been a leader, Fianna Fáil accepted the new Irish parliament and campaigned to win seats in it. The party was and continues to be conservative, center-right and Republican – meaning it strives, at least in name, to achieve a united Ireland by political and peaceful means. It also used to be very closely aligned to the Catholic Church to such an extent that one of De Valera’s nicknames was The Cardinal. Michael Collins On the opposite side of the Civil War rift stands Fine Gael, the Tribe of Ireland.

Formed in 1933 from a merger of various pro-Treaty factions, it claims Michael Collins of IRA fame as one of its founders. Collins would later be assassinated by former comrades in Béal na mBláth in Co. Cork. Fine Gael’s heritage continues to be stained by its inclusion of the National Guard, commonly referred to as the Blueshirts, Ireland’s attempt at a fascist party. Fine Gael is viewed as being slightly to the right of Fianna Fáil, but there is no suggestion that the party has any fascist tendencies in this day and age. Even so, Blueshirt continues to be a common derogatory term. While there are scores of songs commemorating the Irish War of Independence, the Civil War very rarely figures in musical tradition.

When it does, it is portrayed with sad resignation rather than hatred and spite: Oh when will the young men a sad lesson spurn / that brother on brother they never should turn / alas that a split in our ranks e’er we saw / Mick Collins stretched lifeless in lone Béal na mBláth Pro-Treaty forces attack a Republican stronghold in Dublin, July 1922 Though rarely mentioned, the Civil War continues to haunt Irish political and public life, feelings of rage, distrust and betrayal staining public life for generations and forming permanent fissures in Irish society. For the hard core of supporters, voting Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael is not simply a matter of agreeing with their current policies on the environment or education – it is an identity and an expression of a proud heritage. You don’t vote outside your group, you don’t socialize outside your group and you most certainly don’t marry outside your group. Support for the two parties and even seats in the Dáil run in families in what can only be described as dynasties. And there are many of them. A sure-fire way of achieving death by awkwardness would be to remind these proud dynasties that you get the government you deserve.

It seemed to be a permanent fixture of Irish political life, this division along blood-stained Civil War allegiances rather than left-right preferences. But now the landscape is beginning to shift. In recent opinion polls , support for Fianna Fáil is at a historic low – unless some unforeseen miracle happens before the next general election, only months away, Fianna Fáil is likely to be completely annihilated at the polls. Whether the party will still exist in a year’s time is anyone’s guess. Fine Gael fares much better than Fianna Fáil in the poll and is set to form the next government – but what’s the point of playing Civil War politics when your opponent has imploded? If Fine Gael wins the next general election, they will have to prove to the Irish electorate that they have merits other than not being Fianna Fáil. As it is – loud rows on the Dáil floor aside – seeing what real, hands-on changes to current government policy Fine Gael would implement is very difficult. Anti-Treaty rebels surrender, Dublin 1922 It seemed a ridiculously unlikely prospect only a few years ago.

But amid the shockwaves of the collapse of the Irish economy and perceived loss of Irish independence to the IMF and EU, real hope can emerge that the Irish will be able to discard Civil War politics and vote for the parties most likely to bring future recovery and stability – not the parties most likely to inspire feelings of historical allegiance. Collection - UCD Archives Conditions of Access and Use Allied Materials Biographical History Born in New York but brought up in Limerick, de Valera studied mathematics at the Royal University. In 1908 he joined the Gaelic League and remained dedicated to the Irish language. He joined the Irish Volunteers in 1913 and during the rebellion of 1916 commanded the 3rd Battalion at Boland's Mill. Sentenced to death, de Valera was reprieved partly because of his American birth. On his release from prison in 1917, de Valera was elected MP for East Clare and became president of both Sinn Féin and the Irish Volunteers . In 1918 he and other Sinn Féin leaders were arrested for complicity in an alleged German plot. He escaped from Lincoln jail in February 1919 and was elected president of the first Dáil.

In June 1919 he went to America and raised over $5 million for the republican cause but failed to obtain American recognition for the republic. His visit also led to a bitter power struggle with the leaders of the Irish-American movement, John Devoy and Judge Cohalan. After his return from America in December 1920, de Valera's relationship with Michael Collins , who had effectively masterminded the IRA campaign in his absence, came under strain as differences emerged over the conduct of the Anglo-Irish War. These were accentuated when de Valera decided not to lead the Irish delegation that negotiated the Anglo-Irish treaty. There have been two opposing interpretations of this decision. The more hostile view is that he allowed Collins to take the responsibility for what he knew would be a partial surrender. His own explanation was that by staying in Dublin he could better preserve national unity and ensure general acceptance of any agreement reached. De Valera rejected the Anglo-Irish treaty and resigned as president following its acceptance by the Dáil. In the run-up to the Civil War, he found himself sidelined by more hard-line opponents of the treaty, who distrusted his alternative of external association, while attracting fierce criticism from pro-treaty supporters for his inflammatory speeches.

After civil war broke out in June 1922, his attempts to maintain a republican political organisation were rebuffed by the republican military leaders, particularly Liam Lynch. Lynch's death enabled de Valera to reassert some control and in May 1923 the war ended. in August 1923 he was arrested and spent a year in jail. After his release, de Valera became increasingly dissatisfied with Sinn Féin's political abstention and in 1926 he formed a new party, Fianna Fái l. In 1927 he reluctantly took the oath of allegiance and entered the Free State Dáil. He spent much of the next five years building up the party organisation to a formidable machine and establishing a newspaper, the Irish Press. Fianna Fáil's election victory in 1932 marked the beginning of sixteen years in power during which de Valera was both prime minister and Minister for external affairs. Policies of promoting small-scale tillage farming and industrial development behind high tariff walls, reinforced by the Economic War, reflected the traditional nationalist goal of economic self-sufficiency.

On the political front, de Valera saw off the threat from both the Blueshirts and the IRA and in 1937 his new constitution was enacted. In foreign affairs de Valera achieved some notable successes. The Economic War was concluded in 1938 on very favourable terms and at the League of Nations de Valera was president of both the council and the assembly. During the Second World War Irish neutrality caused friction with the allies but had overwhelming popular support. After the war, the economy and emigration were serious problems. During 1948–51 and 1954–7 Fianna Fáil lost power to interparty governments. Fianna Fáil won the 1957 election with a big majority and in the last two years of de Valera's political career the First Programme for Economic Expansion was implemented. In 1959 he resigned as Taoiseach and ensured the succession for Lemass . He served two terms as president 1959–73. With the opening of private and public archives since the 1970s, many aspects of de Valera's complex political legacy are being reassessed.

There is his role in the Civil War and his relations with the other republican leaders; the development of Fianna Fáil and his own record as a master of political tactics and strategy; his relations with his cabinets; the drafting of the 1937 constitution; church-state relations, which were often less harmonious than has been assumed; the economic and social policies pursued by his ministers and in particular a reassessment of the 1950s as a watershed decade in post-independence Ireland; the failure to make progress towards either of his cherished aims of ending partition and restoring the Irish language. © Dr Deirdre McMahon, University of Limerick Archival history Mr de Valera bequeathed all of his personal non-family papers to the Order of Friars Minor five years before his death. The collection was housed in the Franciscan Library Killiney, County Dublin before its transfer to UCDA in July 1997 under the terms of the OFM-UCD Partnership.

Scope and Content Material relating to all aspects of Mr de Valera’s life and career including his birth, early childhood and schooldays in Bruree (1882–89), his association with Charleville Christian Brothers School, Blackrock and Rockwell Colleges (1889–1972); with the Royal University of Ireland (1901–04) and with the National University of Ireland in his role as Chancellor (1921–71). Family papers concerning his de Valera, Coll and Carroll ancestry, his marriage to Sinéad Flanagan and their children and grandchildren. Biographical material (1916–82) including the commissioning and writing of the official biography (1953–71). Material concerning all phases of Mr de Valera’s national career including his membership of the Irish Volunteers and Sinn Féin, his participation in the Easter Rising, his imprisonment, the 1917 and 1918 elections, his mission to the United States (1919–20) including papers relating to Harry Boland’s activities in the U.S.

(1919–22) and developments there after de Valera’s return to Ireland. Decrees, Cabinet minutes, ministerial communications and departmental reports from the First and Second Dáil Éireann. Material relating to the negotiation and signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the debates on the Treaty and the Civil War (1920-23); the functioning of the Republican Government (1922–25); the reorganisation of Sinn Féin and the end of the Civil War (1922–23); de Valera’s arrest and imprisonment (1923–24). The foundation of Fianna Fáil and its entry into Dáil Éireann (1926–27); Ard Fheiseanna (1926–59) and the history of the Party (1936–57). Elections (1918–69).

Mr de Valera’s positions as President of the Executive Council (1932–37) and Taoiseach (1938–48, 1951–54 and 1957–59) including negotiations with the UK, the question of the land annuities (1928–38), the drafting and enactment of the 1937 Constitution and Ireland’s neutrality during the Emergency (1939–73) Ireland’s contribution to international organisations, the League of Nations (1924–40), the United Nations Organisation (1945–68) and the Council of Europe (1949–51). Material relating to Church-State relations (1916–74). Mr de Valera’s two terms as President (1959–73). Commemorative and reference material. Access: Non-Franciscan private paper collection subject to the terms of the OFM-UCD partnership agreement. Available by appointment to holders of a UCDA reader's ticket. Produced for consultation in microform.

Dichoimisiunu Teanga by John Walsh · OverDrive: eBooks, audiobooks and videos for libraries Foreign Language Study Nonfiction NOTE: Please note that this book is in not in the English language; it is an Irish-language work only. 1926 was, in many ways, a turning point in Ireland for nationalistic symbols. Éamon de Valera decided to found a new political party, Fianna Fáil, which had its own interpretation of language and nation. Raidió Éireann came on air, and Coimisiún na Gaeltachta published a report which for the first time laid down the official Gaeltacht boundaries and provided a new insight into community life there. It is on the work of this Commission that this book is based; describing life and attitudes amongst Gaeltacht communities.

Adobe EPUB eBook 1.6 MB John Walsh (Author) Project MUSE - From Revolutionaries to Politicians: Deradicalization and the Irish Experience From Revolutionaries to Politicians: Deradicalization and the Irish Experience In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content: Radical History Review 85 (2003) 114-123 Donnacha Ó Beacháin Fianna Fail (Soldiers of Destiny) has been Ireland's largest political party since 1932. Founded in 1926 by nationalist revolutionary Eamon de Valera, Fianna Fail broke away from the Sinn Fein party that had led the War for Independence in the years 1919 to 1921. 1 That war had ended with a Treaty negotiated between the British government and representatives of Sinn Fein, a Treaty that divided republican opinion in Ireland. 2 The pragmatist view stressed the gains made: Britain had made Ireland a coequal member of the British Commonwealth, with the same legislative and executive powers as Canada. The more radical section of Sinn Fein stressed what had been lost.

For them, the Treaty represented a step back from the independent united republic declared in 1916, reaffirmed in 1919, and defended by force from 1919 to 1921. The difference in perception split the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the country, leading to a bitter, ten-month civil war. 3 The pragmatists won the civil war, formed a new party, Cumann na nGaedhael (Party of the Irish) and governed the Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland) from 1922 to 1932. The losers in the civil war retained the name of Sinn Fein and refused to recognize the legitimacy of the new political institutions on the grounds that they did not encompass the whole island of Ireland and that the Irish Free State was still tied to Britain through membership in the British Commonwealth and through various provisions of the 1921 Treaty. Most controversially, Irish parliamentarians in Dublin had to take an oath of fidelity to the British monarch before being permitted to take their seats.

When released from prison in 1924, de Valera resumed his leadership of [End Page 114] Sinn Fein but felt that abstention from Free State political institutions, while principled and justified, was not furthering republican objectives. With the intention of capturing state institutions for the furtherance of Sinn Fein's radical objectives, de Valera established the Fianna Fail party. At the time of its foundation, Fianna Fail could legitimately be described as a radical organization for a number of reasons. It was an abstentionist party, rejecting the existing political system and opposed to the constitution of the state. It had a strong connection with the IRA, and there was an overlap in membership. The party was violently opposed to the police, the Free State Army, and the various security forces seen as Cumann na nGaedhael strongholds composed of those who had abandoned republicanism. Fianna Fail favored a radical approach to the partition of Ireland and to Anglo-Irish relations generally, with unity and complete independence serving as the dominant election themes. The party's support base was composed of small farmers and petite bourgeoisie, and it pursued decidedly left-wing social and economic policies.

Its leadership was composed of politicians by accident, those of the revolutionary generation. Within a short time of assuming power, however, the party had transformed in all spheres. Most of the changes took place within a few years of its ascendance to power. Fianna Fail embraced the political system, advocated full participation in its institutions, and de Valera became the author of the constitution. To those within the republican movement who maintained the traditional policy of abstentionism and opposition to the state, the party embarked on a ruthless campaign. Its leadership adopted a policy on partition marked by a paralyzing caution, Anglo-Irish relations became cooperative rather than confrontational, and national sovereignty was diluted by entry into the European Economic Community. Fianna Fail became increasingly reliant on big business contributions, while its policies shifted progressively to the right. At this point, its leadership was composed of politicians by design, who had no experience other than constitutional politics. The reality of Fianna Fail in power "did much to belie the fearsome 'bolshevik' image of that party and of its leader in the eyes of the right." 4 De Valera... Access options available: You have access to this content Free sample

Question: Eamon de Valera founded which political party in 1926?
Answer: Fianna Fail