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
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 ...