Éamon de Valera

Eamon de Valera

Éamon de Valera (/ˈeɪmən dɛvəˈlɛrə/; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) wis a verra important 20t century Erse poleetical feegur. He wis the heid ane for Ireland for mony terms. He wis ane o the leaders o Erse unthirldom an he wis on the anti-Treaty side o the Ceevil War. He foondit the Fianna Fáil pairty, the muckle maist pairty in Ireland.

Bairnheid an youth

De Valera wis born in New York Ceety in 1882, tae a Spainyie-Cuban faither an an Erse mither. Tho this is disputit. His faither dee'd in 1885, an he wis taen tae Ireland wi his Uncle Ned an he wis brocht up in Limerick bi his grandmither, her son, Patrick, an her dochter, Hannie. At 16, he gaed tae Dublin, for tae study at Blackrock College, an thare he stairtit playin Rugby (he gaed on tae play for the Munster rugby team).

In 1903 he wis appyntit teacher o maths at Rockwell College. The neist year he graduatit frae the Royal University o Ireland an syne gaed ontae teach at Blackrock College.

Politics

He becam an acteevist for the Erse leid, an jynt the Conradh na Gaeilge, whaur he met his wife Sinead. In 1913 he jynt the Erse Volunteers, an than the Erse Republican Britherheid.

He wis inrowed in the Easter Risin an efter the surrender he wis reestit an impreesont in Kilmainham Jyle. He wis sentenced tae execution, but public opeenion wis agin executions sae he joukit it.

In 1919 at the meetin o the First Dail, de Valera becam Preses o Dail Eireann. He gaed tae Americae for tae raise siller for tae fund a Republic o Ireland. He raised $5,500,000. In the meantime in Ireland, the Erse War o Unthirldom haed stairtit.

Ceevil War

Efter the War, negotiations stairtit. This led tae the Anglo-Irish Treaty that meant Ireland wad be spleet intae twa kintras wi ane, Northren Ireland, bidin in the Unitit Kinrick an Soothren Ireland becomin a domeenion o Breetain, no a Republic.

De Valera wis agin the treaty, but it wis still passt. This led tae a Ceevil War atween pro-Treaty an anti-Treaty factions. De Valera wis nominally heid ane o the anty-Treaty forces, but haed little pouer.

Fianna Fail an President

Efter the war, he foondit Fianna Fail, a republican pairty an in 1932 he becam Prime Meenister o Ireland. In 1937 he makkit a new consitution o Ireland, the Bunreacht na hÉireann. In 1949 Ireland wis declared a Republic.

De Valera dee'd in 1975 whan 92 year auld.