Essays and Such
Irish Cultural Society
of San Antonio Texas
Promoting Awareness of Irish Culture
Eamon De Valera
From Ireland Newsletter Nov. 2007
One of Ireland's Heros
Eamon DeValera was one of the most important figures in the
history of Ireland. His relationship with the people of the
country was often strained and his attitude and motives have
frequently puzzled historians throughout. The fact remains
however, that without his involvement in the Irish Nationalist
movement the course of Irish history would have been radically
different.
He was born in New York on the 14th of October in 1882 to
Catherine ColI (a young Irish immigrant from County Limerick)
and Juan Vivion DeValera (an immigrant of Spanish origin).
Little is known of his early childhood except that his family
moved from America in 1885 to Ireland where the young Eamon
studied at Blackrock College in Dublin and was largely reared
by his Grandmother. He studied languages and mathematics and was,
like Michael Collins, a student of English Rule in Ireland. The
early 1900s was a time of the great Gaelic cultural revival in
Ireland as literature, drama, sport and the language of the
Gaelic nation were all revived.
The main spearhead of the revival was The Gaelic League, which
he joined in 1908. He was greatly influenced by the League and
learned the Irish language whilst immersing himself in the
Gaelic culture. The Gaelic League was an obvious recruiting
ground for the various revolutionary organizations of the time
and it was not long before De Valera became a member of the
Irish Republican Brotherhood. De Valera was second in command to
Thomas MacDonagh of the Dublin Brigade during the Easter Rising
of 1916.
The Rising failed and the seven leaders, MacDonagh and Pearse
among them, were executed, along with 9 other rebels. De Valera
was also sentenced to death as an organizer of the revolt but
was to escape the firing squad because of the confusion
surrounding his ancestry (the English authorities did not want
to risk the execution of an American citizen).
DeValera was elected as the leader of Sinn Fein upon his release
and set about the formation of an Irish parliament (the DAji1).
He was arrested in 1918 for subversion and imprisoned in England
in Lincoln prison. With the help of Michael Collins he escaped
to America to raise both funds for and consciousness about, the
Irish plight. In his absence the War of Independence was being
waged by Collins. The English Prime Minister of the time was
Lloyd George who wanted to see an end to the violence.
De Valera returned to negotiate with Lloyd George and soon
realized that his ambition of a free and independent Ireland would
not be granted. He returned home and sent a delegation led by
Michael Collins to negotiate a settlement.
The subsequent Anglo-Irish Treaty was ratified by the Dail in
1922 but DeValera opposed both the partition of the country and
the Oath of Allegiance to the English crown that the Treaty
required. A bloody Civil War followed which saw both the defeat
of the Anti-Treaty side, led by DeValera, and the death of
Michael Collins.
DeValera was again imprisoned but released in 1926 when he formed
the Fianna Fail party. He now attempted to achieve his aims by
the use of constitutional politics. By 1932 he had removed the
Oath of Allegiance and sought about establishing an independent
Ireland. He created all Irish Constitution in 1937 but an Irish
Republic was not declared because of the partition of the country.
DeValera resisted both bribes and threats from Churchill during
the war years, ('the emergency'), and it was not until the
Costello led Government declared a Republic in 1948 that the
effects of the Anglo-Irish Treaty were finally removed from the
Southern part of Ireland. Partition remained.
De Valera was Taoiseach of Ireland for much of the fifties and
on 25 June 1959 he was inaugurated as President of Ireland, a
position he held for 14 years. He retired in 1973 and died
shortly afterwards, on 29th August 1975 at the age of 92.
Reference: Ireland Newsletter Nov. 2007