Eamon de Valera
Ireland- Biography of Éamon de Valera
- Early Political Career
- Leader of Fianna Fáil
- World War II and Later Years
- Presidency and Legacy
Biography of Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was an Irish politician who played a major role in the fight for Irish independence. Born on October 14, 1882, in New York City, de Valera was raised in Ireland and became one of the dominant politicians in the country from 1917 to 1973.
Early Political Career
De Valera first gained prominence as one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916, where he fought for Irish independence. During the War of Independence from 1919 to 1921, he served as the Chairman of the Parliament and later became the President of Ireland from 1921 to 1922 in the Republican government of Sinn Féin.
Leader of Fianna Fáil
After leaving Sinn Féin and forming the nationalist party Fianna Fáil in 1926, de Valera went on to become the Chairman of the Executive Council (Prime Minister) of the Irish Free State on March 9, 1932. He played a key role in the adoption of the republican constitution of the country, and on December 29, 1937, he became the first Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland.
World War II and Later Years
During World War II, de Valera maintained a policy of neutrality for Ireland. However, in 1948, he lost the parliamentary elections and was succeeded as Prime Minister by John A. Costello from Fine Gael. De Valera returned to the position of Prime Minister from June 13, 1951, to June 2, 1954, but was once again succeeded by Costello after the next elections. On March 20, 1957, de Valera, having won the elections by a large margin, became Prime Minister once again.
Presidency and Legacy
After serving as Taoiseach, de Valera was elected as the President of Ireland in 1959 after the end of Sean Thomas O'Kelly's second presidential term. He continued to lead Fianna Fáil until June 23, 1959, when Sean Lemass took over as party leader and Prime Minister. De Valera was re-elected for a second term as President in 1966. He left office on June 24, 1973, at the age of 90, making him the oldest serving head of state at the time. Éamon de Valera was succeeded by Erskine Childers as President of Ireland.
Throughout his career, de Valera held several other positions, including Chancellor of the National University of Ireland from 1922 to 1975, President of the General Assembly of the League of Nations from 1938 to 1939, and a member of the British Parliament from 1917 to 1922 (although he refused to take his seat) and of the Northern Ireland Parliament from 1921 to 1929 and 1933 to 1938.
