Portraits in Power: Éamon de Valera

A political force of nature for almost 60 years, Éamon de Valera strengthened Irish sovereignty but accelerated the divergence between North and South, writes David McCullagh

President Eamon de Valera in Áras an Uachtaráin in December 1968

Éamon de Valera (1882-1975)

Party: Fianna Fáil

Constituency: East Clare

In office: December 1937-February 1948, June 1951-June 1954, March 1957-June 1959

Key quote:“The ideal Ireland that we would have, the Ireland that we dreamed of, would be the home of a people who valued material wealth only as a basis for right living, of a people who, satisfied with frugal comfort, devoted their leisure ...