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Éamon de Valera

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153-398: Éamon de Valera ( / ˈ eɪ m ən ˌ d ɛ v ə ˈ l ɛər ə , - ˈ l ɪər -/ , Irish: [ˈeːmˠən̪ˠ dʲɛ ˈwalʲəɾʲə] ; first registered as George de Valero ; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera ; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was an American-born Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of government and head of state and had

306-433: A self-governing colony , autonomous region , or other government who often presides over a cabinet , a group of ministers or secretaries who lead executive departments. In diplomacy , "head of government" is differentiated from " head of state ". The authority of a head of government, such as a president, chancellor, or prime minister, and the relationship between that position and other state institutions, such as

459-829: A bar to receiving priestly orders as a secular priest, but not to becoming a priest or religious in some religious orders . As a young Gaeilgeoir (Irish speaker), de Valera became an activist for the Irish language . In 1908, he joined the Árdchraobh of Conradh na Gaeilge (the Gaelic League), where he met Sinéad Flanagan , a teacher by profession and four years his senior. They were married on 8 January 1910 at St Paul's Church, Arran Quay, Dublin . The couple had five sons: Vivion (1910–1982), Éamon (1913–1986), Brian (1915–1936), Rúaidhrí (1916–1978), and Terence (Terry; 1922–2007); and two daughters: Máirín (1912–1984) and Emer (1918–2012). Brian de Valera predeceased his parents. While he

612-499: A broader sense, a head of government can be used loosely when referring to various comparable positions under a dominant head of state (especially is the case of ancient or feudal eras, so the term "head of government", in this case, could be considered a contradiction in terms). In this case, the prime minister serves at the pleasure of the monarch and holds no more power than the monarch allows. Some such titles are diwan, mahamantri , pradhan , wasir or vizier . However, just because

765-512: A ceasefire. This was followed on 24 May by an order for volunteers to "dump arms". De Valera, who had wanted an end to the internecine fighting for some time, backed the ceasefire order with a message in which he called the anti-treaty fighters "the Legion of the Rearguard", saying that "The Republic can no longer be successfully defended by your arms. Further sacrifice on your part would now be in vain and

918-595: A corner, and faced with the option of staying outside politics forever or taking the oath and entering, de Valera and his TDs took the Oath of Allegiance on 12 August 1927, though de Valera himself described the Oath as "an empty political formula". De Valera never organised Fianna Fáil in Northern Ireland and it was not until 7 December 2007 that Fianna Fáil was registered there by the UK Electoral Commission . In

1071-450: A dissolution was vested with the Council as a whole. In social policy, de Valera's first period as Taoiseach saw the introduction (in 1947) of means-tested allowances for people suffering from infectious diseases. Head of government In the executive branch, the head of government is the highest or the second-highest official of a sovereign state , a federated state , or

1224-422: A head of government is Prime Minister . This is used as a formal title in many states, but may also be an informal generic term to refer to whichever office is considered the principal minister under an otherwise styled head of state , as minister — Latin for servants or subordinates—is a common title for members of a government (but many other titles are in use, e.g. chancellor and secretary of state). Formally

1377-589: A huge majority in the 1918 general election, largely thanks to the British executions of the 1916 leaders, the threat of conscription with the Conscription Crisis of 1918 and the first-past-the-post ballot. They won 73 out of 105 Irish seats, with about 47% of votes cast. 25 seats were uncontested. On 21 January 1919, 27 Sinn Féin MPs (the rest were imprisoned or impaired), calling themselves Teachtaí Dála (TDs), assembled in

1530-553: A leading role in introducing the 1937 Constitution of Ireland . De Valera was a commandant of the Irish Volunteers (Third Battalion) at Boland's Mill during the 1916 Easter Rising . He was arrested and sentenced to death, but released for a variety of reasons, including his American citizenship and the public response to the British execution of Rising leaders. He returned to Ireland after being jailed in England and became one of

1683-593: A legal case to challenge the requirement that members of his party take the Oath, but the assassination of the Vice-President of the Executive Council (deputy prime minister) Kevin O'Higgins on 10 July 1927 led the Executive Council under W. T. Cosgrave to introduce a Bill on 20 July requiring all Dáil candidates to promise on oath that if they were elected they would take the Oath of Allegiance. Forced into

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1836-428: A less prominent role relative to newer ministers such as Jack Lynch , Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney . De Valera served as President of Ireland from 1959 to 1973, two full terms in office. De Valera's political beliefs evolved from militant Irish republicanism to strong social , cultural and fiscal conservatism. He has been characterised as having a stern and unbending, and also devious demeanour. His roles in

1989-509: A long period of persecution against the Catholic majority, many of whom lived in poverty. In spite of this oppression, however, the famous Maigue Poets strove to keep alive their ancient Gaelic Poetry in towns like Croom and Bruree . The Great Famine of the 1840s set in motion mass emigration and a huge decline in Irish as a spoken language in the county. This began to change around the beginning of

2142-513: A masterpiece of metalwork, which was found in a west Limerick fort in 1868. It is believed that the chalice had been taken by raiding Danes during the 9th century, ending up in the territory of their Irish allies, the O'Donovans of the Ui Fidgenti. Following the establishment of the Ui Fidgenti circa 377 a.d., there were few significant changes in political control until the arrival of the Vikings in

2295-568: A medical doctor, recounted the story, and asked for a medical opinion as to de Valera's condition. He also threatened to sue the doctor, future Fine Gael TD and Minister, Dr. Tom O'Higgins , if he ever repeated the story. The British reportedly, however, considered de Valera's forces the best-trained and best-led among the rebels. De Valera's latest biographer, Anthony J. Jordan , writes of this controversy, "Whatever happened in Boland's Mills, or any other garrison, does not negate or undermine in any way

2448-690: A newspaper report of its contents), but with anger over the fact that they had not consulted him , their president, before signing. His ideal drafts, presented to a secret session of the Dáil during the Treaty Debates and publicised in January 1922, were ingenious compromises but they included dominion status, the Treaty Ports , the fact of partition subject to veto by the parliament in Belfast, and some continuing status for

2601-542: A party that was to dominate 20th-century Irish politics. While Sinn Féin still held to an abstentionist line, Fianna Fáil was dedicated to republicanising the Free State from within if it gained power. Having attracted most of Sinn Féin's branches due to Lemass' organisational skill, the new party made swift electoral gains in the general election on 9 June 1927 . In the process, it took much of Sinn Féin's previous support, winning 44 seats to Sinn Féin's five. It refused to take

2754-637: A result, he replaced Brugha as Príomh Aire in the April session of Dáil Éireann. In the hope of securing international recognition, Seán T. O'Kelly was sent as an envoy to Paris to present the Irish case to the Peace Conference convened by the great powers at the end of World War I. When it became clear by May 1919 that this mission could not succeed, de Valera decided to visit the United States. The mission had three objectives: to ask for official recognition of

2907-585: A secondary route travels from Limerick City along the Shannon Estuary through Clarina , Kildimo , Askeaton , Foynes & Glin and continues towards Listowel in County Kerry . It is the main road linking the Port of Foynes with Limerick city, although plans are in place to upgrade this road to motorway status. The county's regional/national bus hub is located beside Colbert Station and connects most parts of

3060-1004: A statement expressing support for the IRA, and claiming it was fully under the control of the Dáil. He then, along with Cathal Brugha and Austin Stack , brought pressure to bear on Michael Collins to undertake a journey to the United States himself, on the pretext that only he could take up where de Valera had left off. Collins successfully resisted this move and stayed in Ireland. In the May 1921 elections , all candidates in Southern Ireland were returned unopposed, Nationalists and Sinn Féin secured 12 seats in Northern Ireland including leaders such as de Valera, Michael Collins, Eoin MacNeill and Arthur Griffith . Following

3213-556: A terminal was begun in 1935. The first transatlantic proving flights were operated on 5 July 1937 with a Pan Am Sikorsky S-42 service from Botwood, Newfoundland and Labrador on the Bay of Exploits and a BOAC Short Empire service from Foynes with successful transits of twelve and fifteen-and-a-quarter hours respectively. Services to New York, Southampton, Montreal, Poole and Lisbon followed, the first non-stop New York service operating on 22 June 1942 in 25 hours 40 minutes. All of this changed following

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3366-550: A transfer of power from the Ui Fidgenti's leading families (O'Donovan and Collins) to the new landholders. The ancestors of both Michael Collins and the famous O'Connells of Derrynane were also among the septs of the Uí Fidgenti. As the Ui Fidgenti were the ruling clan in Limerick after 400 a.d., the Uí Fidgenti still made a substantial contribution to the population of the central and western regions of County Limerick. Their capital

3519-563: A vote to accept the Free State Constitution (contingent on the abolition of the Oath of Allegiance ) narrowly failed. Soon afterwards, de Valera resigned from Sinn Féin and seriously considered leaving politics. However, one of his colleagues, Seán Lemass , convinced de Valera to found a new republican party. In March 1926, with Lemass, Constance Markievicz and others, de Valera formed a new party, Fianna Fáil ( The Warriors of Destiny ),

3672-556: A week earlier he would probably have been shot. De Valera's supporters and detractors argue about his bravery during the Easter Rising. His supporters claim he showed leadership skills and a capacity for meticulous planning. His detractors claim he suffered a nervous breakdown during the Rising. According to accounts from 1916, de Valera was seen running about, giving conflicting orders, refusing to sleep and on one occasion, having forgotten

3825-912: A wide variety of artistic and cultural events occurring at various locations around the city. The Limerick City Gallery of Art on Pery Square is the city's chief venue for contemporary art exhibitions. Theatres include the Limetree Theatre, Mary I; the University Concert Hall and the Millennium Theatre, LIT all in the city. Others include the Friar's Gate in Kilmallock and the Honey Fitz in Lough Gur. The city has an active music scene, which has produced bands such as The Cranberries . The Limerick Art Gallery,

3978-529: A wreath by the statue of William Corby . He toured the university archives and spoke in Washington Hall about the cause of Ireland in front of twelve hundred students. De Valera managed to raise $ 5,500,000 from American supporters, an amount that far exceeded the hopes of the Dáil. Of this, $ 500,000 was devoted to the American presidential campaign in 1920, helping him gain wider public support there. In 1921, it

4131-513: Is Colbert station , named after West Limerick man Con Colbert who was executed following the Easter Rising of 1916. Limerick has three operational railway lines passing through it, In addition, a line exists leading to Foynes however the last revenue service was in 2000. The M7 is the main road linking Limerick with Dublin . The M/N20 connects the county with Cork . The N21 road links Limerick with Tralee and travels through some of

4284-758: Is alleged that the increased personalisation of leadership in a number of states has led to heads of government becoming themselves "semi-presidential" figures, due in part to media coverage of politics that focuses on the leader and his or her mandate, rather than on parliament; and to the increasing centralisation of power in the hands of the head of government. Such allegations have been made against three former British Prime ministers: Margaret Thatcher , Tony Blair , and Boris Johnson . They were also made against Italian prime ministers Silvio Berlusconi and Matteo Renzi , Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau and Federal Chancellor of West Germany (later all of Germany), Helmut Kohl , when in power. The head of government

4437-445: Is also usually the head of government. The relationship between that leader and the government, however, can vary greatly, ranging from separation of powers to autocracy , according to the constitution (or other basic laws) of the particular state. In semi-presidential systems , the head of government may answer to both the head of state and the legislature with the specifics provided by each country's constitution. A modern example

4590-428: Is given as George de Valero and his father is listed as Vivion de Valero. Although he was known as Edward de Valera before 1901, a fresh birth certificate was issued in 1910, in which his first name was officially changed to Edward and his father's surname given as "de Valera". As a child, he was known as "Eddie" or "Eddy". According to Coll, Juan Vivion died in 1885 leaving Coll and her child in poor circumstances. Éamon

4743-459: Is he? I haven't heard of him before. I wonder would he be likely to make trouble in the future?" On being told that de Valera was unimportant, he commuted the court-martial's death sentence to life imprisonment. De Valera had no Fenian family or personal background and his MI5 file in 1916 was very slim, detailing only his open membership in the Irish Volunteers. Fourth, by the time de Valera

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4896-563: Is more popular in west Limerick, particularly along the Shannon Estuary west of Askeaton and along the Kerry border. There are also football strongholds in the southeast of the county and on the eastern edges of the city. Although one of the strongest teams in the country during the early years of the GAA, the game in the county was overshadowed by hurling throughout the 20th century and its last success in

5049-481: Is named after the city of Limerick . Limerick City and County Council is the local council for the county. The county's population at the 2022 census was 209,536 of whom 102,287 lived in Limerick City , the county capital. Limerick borders four other counties: Kerry to the west, Clare to the north, Tipperary to the east, and Cork to the south. It is the fifth-largest of Munster's six counties in size and

5202-463: Is often provided with an official residence , often in the same fashion as heads of state often are. The name of the residence is often used as a metonym or alternative title for 'the government' when the office is politically the highest, e.g. in the UK "Downing Street announced today…" Well-known official residences of heads of government include: Similarly, heads of government of federal entities below

5355-511: Is owned by the Limerick Leader and is primarily a city paper. The Weekly Observer serves the western half of the county while the Vale Star covers South Limerick and North Cork. The song "Limerick You're a Lady" is traditionally associated with the county. It is sometimes heard at sports fixtures involving the county. " Seán South from Garryowen " is another popular Limerick song and tells

5508-539: Is the present French government, which originated as the French Fifth Republic in 1958. In France, the president , the head of state, appoints the prime minister , who is the head of government. However, the president must choose someone who can act effectively as an executive, but who also enjoys the support of France's legislature, the National Assembly , to be able to pass legislation. In some cases,

5661-408: The 1932 general election Fianna Fáil secured 72 seats and became the largest party in the Dáil, although without a majority. Some Fianna Fáil members arrived at the first sitting of the new Dáil carrying arms, amid fears that Cumann na nGaedheal would not voluntarily surrender power. However, the transition was peaceful. De Valera was elected President of the Executive Council (Prime Minister) by

5814-458: The 3rd-highest county peak in Ireland with Tipperary. The county is not simply a plain, its topography consists of hills and ridges. The eastern part of the county is part of the Golden Vale , which is well known for dairy produce and consists of rolling low hills. This gives way to very flat land around the centre of the county, with the exception being Knockfierna at 288 m high. Towards the west,

5967-705: The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship , was in 1896. However, Limerick footballers have seen a reversal of fortunes in recent years and contested successive Munster Senior Football Championship finals in 2003 and 2004. Treaty United play in the FAI First Division , the second tier of Irish soccer. The club has won the Premier Division twice in 1960 and 1980. They have also won the FAI Cup twice in 1971 and 1982. They currently play in

6120-689: The Celts around 400 BC brought about the division of the county into petty kingdoms or túatha . From the 4th to the 11th century, the ancient kingdom of the Uí Fidgenti was approximately co-extensive with what is now County Limerick, with some of the easternmost part the domain of the Eóganacht Áine . The establishment of Limerick as a town and base by the Danes in the mid 900's, and their alliance with Irish families, including their alliance with Donnubán mac Cathail of

6273-591: The Desmond Rebellions , laid waste to the province and ended with confiscation of the vast estates of the Geraldines and other Irish families that had participated in the ten years of war. The county was to be further ravaged by war over the next century. After the Irish Rebellion of 1641 , Limerick city was taken in a siege by Catholic general Garret Barry in 1642. The county was not fought over for most of

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6426-717: The Dáil government and the Soviets, and related correspondence. Meanwhile, in Ireland, the conflict between the British authorities and the Dáil (which the British declared illegal in September 1919), escalated into the Irish War of Independence . De Valera left day-to-day government, during his eighteen-month absence in the United States, to Michael Collins , his 29-year-old Minister for Finance . De Valera and Collins would later become opponents during

6579-693: The Irish Confederate Wars , of 1641–53, being safely behind the front lines of the Catholic Confederate Ireland . However, it became a battleground during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649–53. The invasion of the forces of Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s included a twelve-month siege of the city by Cromwell's New Model Army led by Henry Ireton . The city finally surrendered in October 1651. One of Cromwell's generals, Hardress Waller

6732-727: The Irish Defence Forces and the Gardaí . He also refused to dismiss from office those Cumann na nGaedheal, Cosgrave supporters, who had previously opposed him during the Civil War. He did, however, dismiss Eoin O'Duffy from his position as Garda Commissioner after a year. Eoin O'Duffy was then invited to be head of the Army Comrades Association (ACA) formed to protect and promote the welfare of its members, previously led by J.F. O'Higgins, Kevin O'Higgins's brother. This organisation

6885-739: The Irish Republic , to float a loan to finance the work of the Government (and by extension, the Irish Republican Army ), and to secure the support of the American people for the republic. His visit lasted from June 1919 to December 1920 and had mixed success, including a visit to Fenway Park in Boston in front of 50,000 supporters. One negative outcome was the splitting of the Irish-American organisations into pro- and anti-de Valera factions. He met

7038-598: The League of Nations . He was president of the Council of the League on his first appearance at the league in Geneva , Switzerland , in 1932 and, in a speech that made a worldwide impression, appealed for genuine adherence by its members to the principles of the covenant of the league. In 1934, he supported the admission of the Soviet Union into the league. In September 1938, he was elected

7191-464: The Limerick School of Art and Design , and Ormston House cater for painting, sculpture and performance art of all styles. Limerick is also home to comedians The Rubberbandits , D'Unbelievables (Pat Shortt and Jon Kenny) and Karl Spain. Its most famous acting son is Richard Harris . The city is the setting for Frank McCourt's memoir Angela's Ashes and the film adaptation. A limerick is a type of humorous verse of five lines with an AABBA rhyme scheme:

7344-463: The Mansion House in Dublin and formed an Irish parliament, known as Dáil Éireann (translatable into English as the Assembly of Ireland ). The Ministry of Dáil Éireann was formed, under the leadership of the Príomh Aire (also called President of Dáil Éireann) Cathal Brugha . De Valera had been re-arrested in May 1918 and imprisoned and so could not attend the January session of the Dáil. He escaped from Lincoln Gaol , England in February 1919. As

7497-462: The Markets Field . The city also has one of Ireland's two 50-metre (55 yd) swimming pools, at the University of Limerick Sports Arena, as well as one of Ireland's top basketball teams, the UL Eagles . The team plays in the Irish Premier League . Their home is also at the University Campus. Limerick is also the hometown of WBO World Middleweight boxing Champion Andy Lee , who defeated Matt Korobov on 13 December 2014, in Las Vegas. He became

7650-486: The National University of Ireland were unsuccessful, but he obtained a part-time appointment at St Patrick's College, Maynooth and also taught mathematics at various Dublin schools, including Castleknock College (1910–1911; under the name Edward de Valera) and Belvedere College. There were occasions when de Valera seriously contemplated the religious life like his half-brother, Fr. Thomas Wheelwright, but ultimately he did not pursue this vocation. As late as 1906, when he

7803-477: The O'Donovans , resulted in significant conflicts with neighbouring clans, principally the O'Briens of Dál gCais , who raided into the Limerick area on a regular basis. The O'Briens retained their political power until late in the 1100s. The establishment of King John's Castle in Limerick, and the granting of formerly Ui Fidgenti lands to the FitzGeralds , both circa 1200, and the resultant competition for Ui Fidgenti lands by other Anglo-Norman families resulted in

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7956-404: The Royal University of Ireland . He then studied for a year at Trinity College Dublin but, owing to the necessity of earning a living, did not proceed further and returned to teaching, this time at Belvedere College . In 1906, he secured a post as a teacher of mathematics at Carysfort Teachers' Training College for women in Blackrock, Dublin . His applications for professorships in colleges of

8109-423: The Truce of July 1921 that ended the war, de Valera went to see Prime Minister David Lloyd George in London on 14 July. No agreement was reached, and by then the Parliament of Northern Ireland had already met. It became clear that neither a republic nor independence for all 32 counties, was going to be offered; Lloyd George told de Valera he could "put a soldier in Ireland for every man, woman and child in it" if

8262-462: The 20th century, as changes in law from the British Government enabled the farmers of the county to purchase lands they had previously only held as tenants, paying high rent to absentee landlords. Limerick saw much fighting during the War of Independence of 1919 to 1921 particularly in the east of the county. The subsequent Irish Civil War saw bitter fighting between the newly established Irish Free State soldiers and IRA "Irregulars", especially in

8415-431: The 9th century, which ultimately brought about the establishment of the city on an island on the River Shannon in 922. The death of Domnall Mór Ua Briain , King of Munster in 1194 resulted in the invading Normans taking control of Limerick. In 1210, the County of Limerick was formally established as Ui Fidgenti lands were granted to what would become the Fitzgerald dynasty. Over time, the Normans became " more Irish than

8568-411: The British Commonwealth when the British retained several naval ports (see Treaty Ports ) around Ireland's coast. As a compromise, de Valera proposed " external association " with the British Empire , which would leave Ireland's foreign policy in her own hands and a republican constitution with no mention of the British monarch (he proposed this as early as April, well before the negotiations began, under

8721-457: The Chinese Communist Party ( top leader in a one-party system) has always held this office since 1993 except for the months of transition . In directorial systems , the executive responsibilities of the head of government are spread among a group of people. A prominent example is the Swiss Federal Council , where each member of the council heads a department and also votes on proposals relating to all departments. The most common title for

8874-442: The Civil War have also been interpreted as making him a divisive figure in Irish history. Biographer Tim Pat Coogan sees his time in power as being characterised by economic and cultural stagnation, while Diarmaid Ferriter argues that the stereotype of de Valera as an austere, cold, and even backward figure was largely manufactured in the 1960s and is misguided. Éamon de Valera was born on 14 October 1882 in Lenox Hill, New York .

9027-643: The Dáil by a vote of 81–68, with the support of the Labour Party and Independent politicians , and took office on 9 March. He at once initiated steps to fulfil his election promises to abolish the oath and withhold land annuities owed to the UK for loans provided under the Irish Land Acts and agreed as part of the 1921 Treaty. This launched the Anglo-Irish Trade War when the UK in retaliation imposed economic sanctions against Irish exports. De Valera responded in kind with levies on British imports. The ensuing "Economic War" lasted until 1938. After De Valera had urged King George V to dismiss McNeill as Governor-General,

9180-400: The IRA Army Executive to decide on the future of the war. He was known to be in favour of a truce but he had no voting rights and it was narrowly decided to continue hostilities. The leader of the Free State, W. T. Cosgrave , insisted that there could be no acceptance of a surrender without disarming. On 30 April 1923, the IRA's new Chief of Staff, Frank Aiken (Lynch had been killed), called

9333-405: The IRA did not immediately agree to stop fighting. In August 1921, de Valera secured Dáil Éireann's approval to change the 1919 Dáil Constitution to upgrade his office from prime minister or chairman of the cabinet to a full President of the Republic. Declaring himself now the Irish equivalent of King George V , he argued that as Irish head of state, in the absence of the British head of state from

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9486-400: The IRA dumped their arms rather than surrender them or continue a now fruitless war, de Valera returned to political methods. In 1924, he was arrested in Newry for "illegally entering Northern Ireland" and later arrested in Derry. When at trial in Belfast on 1 November 1924 he refused to recognize the court saying that it was: "a creature of a foreign power and therefore had not the sanction of

9639-427: The IRA men in the Four Courts, and civil war broke out. De Valera, though he held no military position, backed the anti-treaty IRA , or irregulars , and said that he was re-enlisting in the IRA as an ordinary volunteer. On 8 September 1922, he met in secret with Richard Mulcahy in Dublin to try to halt the fighting. However, according to de Valera, they "could not find a basis" for agreement. Though nominally head of

9792-404: The IRA. These men were not loyal to de Valera and initially were not even supported by the executive of the anti-treaty IRA. However, Michael Collins was forced to act against them when Winston Churchill threatened to re-occupy the country with British troops unless action was taken. When fighting broke out in Dublin between the Four Courts garrison and the new Free State Army , republicans backed

9945-447: The Irish Civil War. In January 1921, in his first appearance in the Dáil , after his return to a country gripped by the War of Independence, de Valera introduced a motion calling on the IRA to desist from ambushes and other tactics that were allowing the British to successfully portray it as a terrorist group, and to take on the British forces with conventional military methods. This they strongly opposed, and de Valera relented, issuing

10098-445: The Irish Government to get their freedom. " In a letter to the Irish Independent on 23 March de Valera accepted the accuracy of their report of his comment about "wading" through blood, but deplored that the newspaper had published it. De Valera objected to the oath of allegiance to the King that the treaty required Irish parliamentarians to take. He also was concerned that Ireland could not have an independent foreign policy as part of

10251-423: The Irish Party leader John Redmond, who had died fighting in World War I. In the 1918 general election he was elected both for that seat and Mayo East . As an abstentionist de Valera would not have gone to Westminster, but was not able to do so regardless because in early 1918 he was again arrested. Because most other Irish rebellion leaders were dead, in 1917 de Valera had been elected President of Sinn Féin ,

10404-416: The Irish people". He was held in solitary confinement for a month in Crumlin Road Gaol , Belfast . During this time, de Valera came to believe that abstentionism was not a workable tactic in the long term. He now believed that a better course would be to try to gain power and turn the Free State from a constitutional monarchy into a republic. He tried to convince Sinn Féin to accept this new line. However,

10557-436: The Irish themselves " as the saying goes. The Tudors in England wanted to curb the power of these Gaelicised Norman Rulers and centralise all power in their hands, so they established colonies of English in the county. Distrust by England of the leading Fitzgerald families, and the execution of several of the Fitzgeralds of Kildare, precipitated a revolt against English Rule in 1569. Th resultant savage war in Munster, known as

10710-565: The King as head of the Commonwealth. Ireland's share of the imperial debt was to be paid. After the Treaty was narrowly ratified by 64 to 57, de Valera and a large minority of Sinn Féin TDs left Dáil Éireann. He then resigned and Arthur Griffith was elected President of Dáil Éireann in his place, though respectfully still calling him 'The President'. On a speaking tour of the more republican province of Munster , starting on 17 March 1922, de Valera made controversial speeches at Carrick on Suir , Lismore , Dungarvan and Waterford , saying that: " If

10863-747: The King suggested an alternative course of action: that McNeill, instead, carry on a while longer as viceroy and only then resign, which he did on 1 November 1932. Subsequently, a 1916 veteran, Domhnall Ua Buachalla , was appointed Governor-General. To strengthen his position against the opposition in the Dáil and Seanad, de Valera directed the Governor-General to call a snap election in January 1933 and de Valera's party won 77 seats, giving Fianna Fáil an overall majority. Under de Valera's leadership, Fianna Fáil won further general elections in 1937 , 1938 , 1943 , and 1944 . De Valera took charge of Ireland's foreign policy as well by also acting as Minister for External Affairs . In that capacity, he attended meetings of

11016-493: The Mullaghareirk Mountains ( Mullach an Radhairc in Irish, roughly meaning "mountains of the view") push across the county offering extensive views east over the county and west into County Kerry . Volcanic rock is to be found in numerous areas in the county, at Carrigogunnell , at Knockfierna, and principally at Pallasgreen / Kilteely in the east, which has been described as the most compact and for its size one of

11169-768: The Oath of Allegiance (portrayed by opponents as an 'Oath of Allegiance to the Crown' but actually an Oath of Allegiance to the Irish Free State with a secondary promise of fidelity to the King in his role in the Treaty settlement ). The oath was largely the work of Collins and based on three sources: British oaths in the dominions, the oath of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and a draft oath prepared by de Valera in his proposed treaty alternative, "Document No. 2". De Valera began

11322-623: The Raheen Industrial Estate. West Limerick 102 is broadcast from Newcastle West and is a community station for the west of the county. The national broadcaster, RTÉ, has radio studios in the city, which are periodically used to broadcast programming from Limerick. The two main newspapers that service the city and county are the Limerick Leader and the freesheet Limerick Post . The Limerick Leader prints three different editions: City, County and West Limerick. The Limerick Chronicle

11475-567: The Republic had been his priority, in February 1921, De Valera redirected Patrick McCartan from Washington to Moscow. McCartan was told by Maxim Litvinov , that the opportunity of recognition and assistance had passed. The Soviet priority was a trade agreement with Britain (signed in March). In June the British government (with a view to both domestic and American opinion) published the proposed treaty between

11628-454: The Shannon estuary. It is a general-purpose facility port. Plans to close the port and relocate all activity to the deepwater facility further downstream at Foynes have been abandoned. The plans included a major regeneration of the dockland area. Foynes is the main deepwater commercial port. SFPC is the second largest port facility in Ireland, handling over 10 million tonnes of cargo annually through

11781-456: The State, until such time as the elected Parliament of the Republic can freely assemble, or the people being rid of external aggression are at liberty to decide freely how they are to be governed and what shall be their political relations with other countries" . However, it had no real authority and was a pale shadow of the Dáil government of 1919–21 . In March 1923, de Valera attended the meeting of

11934-622: The Treaty as a model for an eventual all-Irish parliament. Hence neither the pro- nor anti-Treaty sides made many complaints about partition in the Treaty Debates . The Republic's delegates to the Treaty Negotiations were accredited by de Valera and his cabinet as plenipotentiaries (that is, negotiators with the legal authority to sign a treaty without reference back to the cabinet), but were given secret cabinet instructions by de Valera that required them to return to Dublin before signing

12087-545: The Treaty were accepted, [by the electorate] the fight for freedom would still go on, and the Irish people, instead of fighting foreign soldiers, will have to fight the Irish soldiers of an Irish government set up by Irishmen. " At Thurles , several days later, he repeated this imagery and added that the IRA: " ..would have to wade through the blood of the soldiers of the Irish Government, and perhaps through that of some members of

12240-533: The Treaty. The Treaty proved controversial in Ireland insofar as it replaced the Republic by a dominion of the British Commonwealth with the King represented by a Governor-General of the Irish Free State . The Irish delegates Arthur Griffith, Robert Barton and Michael Collins supported by Erskine Childers as Secretary-General set up their delegation headquarters at 22 Hans Place in Knightsbridge . It

12393-697: The US Consulate in Dublin made representations before his trial (i.e., was he actually a United States citizen and if so, how would the United States react to the execution of one of its citizens?) while the full legal situation was clarified. The UK was trying to bring the US into the war in Europe at the time, and the Irish American vote was important in US politics. Third, when Lt-Gen Sir John Maxwell reviewed his case he said, "Who

12546-479: The Volunteers. He opposed secret societies, but this was the only way he could be guaranteed full information on plans for the Rising. On 24 April 1916, the Easter Rising began. Forces commanded by de Valera occupied Boland's Mill on Grand Canal Street in Dublin. His chief task was to cover the southeastern approaches to the city. After a week of fighting, the order came from Pádraig Pearse to surrender. De Valera

12699-459: The anti-treatyites, de Valera had little influence. He does not seem to have been involved in any fighting and had little or no influence with the revolutionary military leadership, headed by IRA Chief of Staff Liam Lynch . De Valera and the anti-treaty TDs formed a " republican government " on 25 October 1922 from anti-treaty TDs to "be temporarily the Supreme Executive of the Republic and

12852-417: The basis of the strength of party support in the lower house; in some other states, the head of government is directly elected by parliament. Many parliamentary systems require ministers to serve in parliament, while others ban ministers from sitting in parliament (they must resign on becoming ministers). Heads of government are typically removed from power in a parliamentary system by Constitutions differ in

13005-464: The blame. De Valera claimed that he had not gone to the treaty negotiations because he would be better able to control the extremists at home, and that his absence would allow leverage for the plenipotentiaries to refer back to him and not be pressured into any agreements. Because of the secret instructions given to the plenipotentiaries, he reacted to news of the signing of the Treaty not with anger at its contents (which he refused even to read when offered

13158-572: The cabinet, controls domestic policy, with the president's influence largely restricted to foreign affairs. In communist states , the General Secretary of the Communist Party is the supreme leader, serving as de facto head of state and government. In China , the de jure head of government is the Premier . The Chinese president is legally a ceremonial office , but the General Secretary of

13311-677: The ceasefire was declared; however, he emerged in August to stand for election in County Clare . Referring to the Clare electorate he said: "If the people of Clare elect me as their candidate again, I will be with them and nothing but a bullet will stop me". Making a campaign appearance in Ennis on 15 August, de Valera was arrested on the platform and interned at Kilmainham jail. He was moved to Arbour Hill barracks briefly prior to his release on 16 July 1924. After

13464-445: The chief of the Ui Fidgenti (who, though hosting St. Patrick, had his horses stolen as he journeyed into their territory) but was embraced by the brother of the chief. The adoption of Christianity resulted in the establishment of important monasteries in Limerick, at Ardpatrick , Mungret and Kileedy. From this golden age in Ireland of learning and art (5th – 9th Centuries) comes one of Ireland's greatest artefacts, The Ardagh Chalice ,

13617-471: The city (See Irish Free State offensive ). The local government area of Limerick City and County is under the jurisdiction of Limerick City and County Council . The council has responsibility for local services such as sanitation, planning and development, libraries, collection of motor taxation, local roads and social housing in the city. The council comprises elected councillors with an appointed full-time CEO as both city and county manager. Until June 2014

13770-473: The city and county. Although, no commercial airports are situated in County Limerick, the region's needs are serviced from Shannon Airport situated 25 km over the border in County Clare which has many flights to Europe and North America. However, some in the south of the county may also use Kerry Airport and Cork Airport which are also within 1 hour's drive. Coonagh Aerodrome located just outside

13923-545: The city close to the Clare border is used for light pleasure craft. Foynes , a village in the west of the county, had a unique part to play in the development of aviation. During the late 1930s and early 1940s, land-based planes lacked sufficient flying range for Atlantic crossings. Foynes was the last port of call on its eastern shore for seaplanes. As a result, Foynes would become one of the biggest civilian airports in Europe during World War II. Surveying flights for flying boat operations were made by Charles Lindbergh in 1933 and

14076-466: The collegial Government , whose members are all appointed and dismissed at the Prime Minister's sole discretion. Under the unwritten British constitution , the prime minister 's role has evolved, based often on the individual's personal appeal and strength of character, as contrasted between, for example, Winston Churchill as against Clement Attlee , Margaret Thatcher as against John Major . It

14229-659: The construction and opening in 1942 of Shannon Airport on flat bogland on the northern bank of the Estuary. Foynes flying-boat station closed in 1946. Originally Limerick port was located near the confluence of the Abbey and Shannon rivers at King's Island. Today the port is located further downstream on the Shannon alongside the Dock Road and is operated by the Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) who operate all marine activities in

14382-464: The continuance of the struggle in arms unwise in the national interest and prejudicial to the future of our cause. Military victory must be allowed to rest for the moment with those who have destroyed the republic. Other means must be sought to safeguard the nation's right." After this point, many of the republicans were arrested in Free State round-ups when they had come out of hiding and returned home. De Valera remained in hiding for several months after

14535-409: The county was divided into two separate local government areas, administered by separate authorities: Limerick City Council and Limerick County Council . In October 2012 the Government of Ireland published Putting People First: Action Programme for Effective Local Government which set out Government policy for reforms across all the main areas of local government in Ireland. Among the recommendations

14688-808: The county's name in Irish Luimneach is "the flat area"; this description is accurate as the land consists mostly of a fertile limestone plain. Moreover, the county is ringed by mountains: the Slieve Felims to the northeast, the Galtees to the southeast, the Ballyhoura Mountains to the south, and the Mullaghareirk Mountains to the southwest and west. The highest point in the county is located in its southeast corner at Galtymore (919 m), which separates Limerick from County Tipperary . Limerick shares

14841-586: The county. Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) games are more popular in the parts outside of the city. Hurling is popular in east, mid and south Limerick. Limerick GAA board plays its home games at the Gaelic Grounds in the city. The county hurling team has won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship twelve times, the last in 2023. The county has also won 20 Munster Championships , last in 2019 and 12 National Hurling Leagues ,

14994-424: The county. There are fourteen historic baronies in the county. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for many administrative purposes. Their official status is illustrated by Placenames Orders made since 2003, where official Irish names of baronies are listed under "Administrative units". Limerick City is the county town and is shown in bold . One possible meaning for

15147-407: The end of his life when he was nearly blind. At the end of his first year at Blackrock College, he was student of the year. He also won further scholarships and exhibitions and in 1903 was appointed teacher of mathematics at Rockwell College, County Tipperary. It was here that de Valera was first given the nickname "Dev" by a teaching colleague, Tom O'Donnell. In 1904, he graduated in mathematics from

15300-566: The extraordinary heroism of "Dev" and his comrades". After imprisonment in Dartmoor , Maidstone and Lewes prisons, de Valera and his comrades were released under an amnesty in June 1917. On 10 July 1917, he was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for East Clare (the constituency which he represented until 1959) in a by-election caused by the death of the previous incumbent Willie Redmond , brother of

15453-581: The first Irishman to win a world title on American soil since 1934. RTÉ Lyric FM, a state-run classical music radio station and part of RTÉ, broadcasts nationally from studios in Limerick city centre. Limerick's local radio station is Live 95FM, broadcasting from 'Radio House', near the waterfront at Steamboat Quay. Spin Southwest, owned by Communicorp, broadcasts to Counties Kerry, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and southwest Laois from its studios at Landmark Buildings in

15606-456: The government and provides (e.g. by turns) the ceremonial Head of state. The only state in which this system is currently employed is Switzerland but other countries such as Uruguay have employed it in the past . This system is described as the directorial system . See Head of state for further explanation of these cases. In parliamentary systems, government functions along the following lines: All of these requirements directly impact

15759-449: The head of government's role. Consequently, they often play a 'day to day' role in parliament, answering questions and defending the government on the 'floor of the House', while in semi-presidential systems they may not be required to play as much of a role in the functioning of parliament. In many countries, the head of government is commissioned by the head of state to form a government, on

15912-477: The head of state can also be the head of government as well ( ex officio or by ad hoc cumulation, such as a ruling monarch exercising all powers himself) but otherwise has formal precedence over the head of government and other ministers, whether he is their actual political superior (ruling monarch, executive president) or rather theoretical or ceremonial in character (constitutional monarch, non-executive president). Various constitutions use different titles, and even

16065-411: The head of state is a figurehead whilst the head of the government leads the ruling party. In some cases a head of government may even pass on the title in hereditary fashion. Such titles include the following: In some models the head of state and head of government are one and the same. These include: An alternative formula is a single chief political body (e.g., presidium ) which collectively leads

16218-434: The head of state is the de jure dominant position does not mean that he/she will not always be the de facto political leader. A skilled head of government like 19th-century German statesman Otto von Bismarck , Minister President of Prussia and later Chancellor of Germany under Emperor / King Wilhelm I , serves as an example showing that possession of formal powers does not equal political influence. In some cases,

16371-480: The head of state may represent one political party but the majority in the National Assembly is of a different party. Given that the majority party has greater control over state funding and primary legislation , the president is in effect forced to choose a prime minister from the opposition party to ensure an effective, functioning legislature. In this case, known as cohabitation , the prime minister, along with

16524-568: The head of state, such as a governor-general , may well be housed in a grander, palace-type residence. However, this is not the case when both positions are combined into one: County Limerick County Limerick ( Irish : Contae Luimnigh ) is a western county in Ireland . It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region . It

16677-652: The last success coming in 2019. The Limerick Senior Hurling Championship is also one of the strongest club championships in the country. Historically it has been dominated by two clubs, Ahane and Patrickswell . Clubs from the county have won the Munster Senior Club Championship six times, with Na Piarsaigh becoming the first team from the county to win the All-Ireland Senior Club hurling final when they beat Cushendall of Antrim 2–25 to 2–14 on 17 March 2016. The other GAA sport of Gaelic football

16830-536: The leading political figures of the War of Independence . After the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty , de Valera served as the political leader of Anti-Treaty Sinn Féin until 1926, when he, along with many supporters, left the party to set up Fianna Fáil , a new political party which abandoned the policy of abstentionism from Dáil Éireann . From there, de Valera went on to be at the forefront of Irish politics until

16983-399: The legislature. Although there is often a formal reporting relationship to a head of state , the latter usually acts as a figurehead who may take the role of chief executive on limited occasions, either when receiving constitutional advice from the head of government or under specific provisions in a constitution. In presidential republics or in absolute monarchies , the head of state

17136-426: The level of the sovereign state (often without an actual head of state, at least under international law) may also be given an official residence, sometimes used as an opportunity to display aspirations of statehood: Usually, the residence of the heads of government is not as prestigious and grand as that of the head of state, even if the head of state only performs ceremonial duties. Even the formal representative of

17289-541: The main county towns such as Adare , Rathkeale , Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale . The N/M18 road links the county to Ennis and Galway while the N24 continues southeastwards from Limerick towards Waterford travelling through villages such as Pallasgreen and Oola . The R513 is a spur road off the N24 and links up with the villages of Caherconlish , Hospital and Ballylanders before continuing on to Mitchelstown . The N69 ,

17442-571: The most varied and complete carboniferous volcanic districts in either Britain and Ireland. Tributaries of the Shannon drainage basin located in the county include the rivers Mulcair , Loobagh , Maigue , Camogue , Morning Star , Deel , and the Feale . It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC. The arrival of

17595-533: The negotiations, he too should not attend the peace conference called the Treaty Negotiations (October–December 1921) at which British and Irish government leaders agreed to the effective independence of twenty-six of Ireland's thirty-two counties as the Irish Free State , with Northern Ireland choosing to remain under British sovereignty. It is generally agreed by historians that whatever his motives, it

17748-538: The new Irish government, which was backed by most of the Dáil and the electorate, and the anti-treatyites, under the nominal leadership of de Valera, now descended into the Irish Civil War (June 1922 to May 1923), in which the pro-treaty Free State forces defeated the anti-treaty IRA. Both sides had wanted to avoid civil war, but fighting broke out over the takeover of the Four Courts in Dublin by anti-treaty members of

17901-459: The nineteenth president of the Assembly of the League, a tribute to the international recognition he had won by his independent stance on world questions. De Valera's government followed the policy of unilaterally dismantling the treaty of 1921. In this way, he would be pursuing republican policies and lessening the popularity of republican violence and the IRA. De Valera encouraged IRA members to join

18054-567: The other LEAs forms its own municipal district. The county is part of the South constituency for European elections . For elections to Dáil Éireann , the county is part of two constituencies: Limerick City (4 seats), and Limerick County (3 seats). There are 2,322 Irish speakers in County Limerick attending the six gaelscoileanna (Irish language primary schools) and three gaelcholáistí (Irish language secondary schools). In 2014, Limerick became Ireland's inaugural National City of Culture, with

18207-490: The party which had been blamed incorrectly for provoking the Easter Rising. This party became the political vehicle through which the survivors of the Easter Rising channelled their republican ethos and objectives. The previous President of Sinn Féin, Arthur Griffith , had championed an Anglo-Irish dual-monarchy based on the Austro-Hungarian model, with independent legislatures for both Ireland and Britain. Sinn Féin won

18360-407: The party's TDs distanced themselves from O'Duffy's extreme views, and his movement fell asunder. Fianna Fáil having won the 1937 election held the same day as the plebiscite that ratified the constitution, de Valera continued as President of the Executive Council until 29 December 1937, when the new constitution was enacted. On that date, de Valera's post automatically became that of Taoiseach which

18513-460: The password, almost getting himself shot in the dark by his own men. According to one account, de Valera, on being forced to sleep by one subordinate who promised to sit beside him and wake him if he was needed, suddenly woke up, his eyes "wild", screaming, "Set fire to the railway! Set fire to the railway!" Later in the Ballykinlar internment Camp, one de Valera loyalist approached another internee,

18666-557: The poem's connection with the city is obscure, but the name is generally taken to be a reference to Limerick city or County Limerick, sometimes particularly to the Maigue Poets who were based in Croom and its environs, and may derive from an earlier form of nonsense verse parlour game that traditionally included a refrain that included "Will [or won't] you come (up) to Limerick?" Riverfest is an annual summer festival held in Limerick. The festival

18819-728: The population, had eagerly supported the Jacobite cause, however, the second siege of Limerick resulted in a defeat to the Williamites. Sarsfield managed to force the Williamites to sign the Treaty of Limerick , the terms of which were satisfactory to the Irish. However, the Treaty was subsequently dishonoured by the English and the city became known as the City of the Broken Treaty. The 18th and 19th centuries saw

18972-469: The practical reality for the Prime Minister of Belgium and the Prime Minister of Finland . Other states however, make their head of government a central and dominant figure within the cabinet system; Ireland's Taoiseach , for example, alone can decide when to seek a parliamentary dissolution, in contrast to other countries where this is a cabinet decision, with the Prime Minister just one member voting on

19125-553: The previous administration, to deal with the matter. O'Duffy backed down when the National Guard was declared an illegal organisation and the march was banned. Within a few weeks, O'Duffy's followers merged with Cumann na nGaedhael and the Centre Party to form United Ireland , or Fine Gael, and O'Duffy became its leader. Smaller local marches were scheduled for the following weeks, under different names. Internal dissension set in when

19278-407: The range and scope of powers granted to the head of government. Some older constitutions; for example, Australia's 1900 text , and Belgium's 1830 text ; do not mention their prime ministerial offices at all, the offices became a de facto political reality without a formal constitutional status. Some constitutions make a Prime Minister primus inter pares ( first among equals ) and that remains

19431-618: The ranks and it was not long before he was elected captain of the Donnybrook branch. Preparations were pushed ahead for an armed revolt, and he was made commandant of the Third Battalion and adjutant of the Dublin Brigade. He took part in the Howth gun-running . He was sworn by Thomas MacDonagh into the oath-bound Irish Republican Brotherhood , which secretly controlled the central executive of

19584-409: The relation between the head of state and of the legislature, varies greatly among sovereign states, depending largely on the particular system of the government that has been chosen, won, or evolved over time. In most parliamentary systems , including constitutional monarchies , the head of government is the de facto political leader of the government, and is answerable to at least one chamber of

19737-406: The same title can have various multiple meanings, depending on the constitutional order and political system of the state in question. In addition to prime minister, titles used for the democratic model, where there is an elected legislative body checking the head of government, include the following. Some of these titles relate to governments below the national level (e.g. states or provinces). In

19890-545: The second-largest by population. The River Shannon flows through the city of Limerick into the Atlantic Ocean at the far western end of the county. Below the city, the waterway is known as the Shannon Estuary . Because the estuary is shallow, the county's most important port is several kilometres west of the city, at Foynes . Limerick City is the county town and is also Ireland's third-largest city. Newcastle West , Kilmallock and Abbeyfeale are other important towns in

20043-463: The six terminals currently operational. Rugby union is popular in the county. Some of Ireland's most celebrated teams are situated in the city; Garryowen, Shannon, Old Crescent, Young Munster and UL Bohemians. Bruff RFC , another AIL team, are located near the village of Bruff in the south of the county. Thomond Park is the home of the Munster Rugby team, who enjoy enthusiastic support throughout

20196-569: The son of Catherine Coll , who was originally from Bruree , County Limerick, and Juan Vivion de Valera, described on the birth certificate as a Spanish artist born in 1853. Some researchers have placed his father's place of birth in Cuba , while others have suggested other locations; according to Antonio Rivero Taravillo, he was born in Seville , while Ronan Fanning has him born in the Basque Country . He

20349-530: The straight-armed salute, and were nicknamed the Blueshirts . They were outwardly fascist and planned a march in August 1933 through Dublin to commemorate Michael Collins, Kevin O'Higgins, and Arthur Griffith. This march struck parallels with Mussolini's march on Rome (1922), in which he had created the image of having toppled the democratic government in Rome. De Valera revived a military tribunal, which had been set up by

20502-542: The suggestion. In Israel , while the Government is nominally a collegiate body with a primus inter pares role for the Prime Minister , the Israeli Prime Minister is the dominant figure in the executive branch in practice. The Prime Minister of Sweden , under the 1974 Instrument of Government , is a constitutional office with all key executive powers either directly at his or her disposal or indirectly through

20655-427: The title "Document No. 2"). Michael Collins was prepared to accept this formula and the two wings (pro- and anti-Treaty) of Sinn Féin formed a pact to fight the 1922 Irish general election together and form a coalition government afterwards. Collins later called off the pact on the eve of the election. De Valera's opponents won the election and civil war broke out shortly afterwards in late June 1922. Relations between

20808-619: The turn of the 1960s. He took over as president of the Executive Council from W. T. Cosgrave and later became Taoiseach , with the adoption of the Constitution of Ireland in 1937. He served as Taoiseach on three different occasions: from 1937 to 1948, from 1951 to 1954, and finally from 1957 to 1959. He remains the longest serving Taoiseach by total days served in the post. He resigned in 1959 upon his election as president of Ireland . By then, he had been Leader of Fianna Fáil for 33 years and he, along with older founding members, began to take

20961-511: The young Harvard-educated leader from Puerto Rico , Pedro Albizu Campos , and forged a lasting and useful alliance with him. It was during this American tour that he recruited his long-serving personal secretary, Kathleen O'Connell , an Irish emigrant who would return to Ireland with him. In October 1919, he visited the University of Notre Dame campus in Indiana, where he planted a tree and also laid

21114-513: Was Dún Eochair , the great earthworks of which still remain and can be found close to the modern town of Bruree , on the River Maigue . Bruree is a derivation of Brugh Righ, or Fort of the King. Catherine Coll , the mother of Éamon de Valera , was a native of Bruree and this is where he was taken by her brother to be raised. St. Patrick brought Christianity to Limerick area in the 5th century. Various annals record that St. Patrick quarrelled with

21267-439: Was 24 years old, he approached the President of Clonliffe Seminary in Dublin for advice on his vocation. De Valera was throughout his life portrayed as a deeply religious man, and in death asked to be buried in a religious habit. His biographer, Tim Pat Coogan , speculated that questions surrounding de Valera's legitimacy may have been a deciding factor in his not entering religious life. Being illegitimate would have ordinarily been

21420-407: Was a considerably more powerful office. Notably, he could advise the President to dismiss Ministers individually – advice that the President was bound to follow by convention. The old Executive Council had to be dissolved and reformed en bloc if its President wanted to remove a Minister. Additionally, he could request a parliamentary dissolution on his own authority. Previously, the right to seek

21573-416: Was a mistake for de Valera not to have travelled to London. Having effected these changes, the Irish Boundary Commission met in 1922-25 to redraw the Irish border. Nationalists expected its report to recommend that largely nationalist areas become part of the Free State, and many hoped this would make Northern Ireland so small it would not be economically viable. A Council of Ireland was also provided in

21726-418: Was already involved in the Gaelic revival , de Valera's involvement in the political revolution began on 25 November 1913, when he joined the Irish Volunteers . The organisation was formed to oppose the Ulster Volunteers and ensure the enactment of the Irish Parliamentary Party 's Third Home Rule Act won by its leader John Redmond . After the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, de Valera rose through

21879-433: Was an obstacle to de Valera's power as it supported Cumann na nGaedheal and provided stewards for their meetings. Cumann na nGaedheal meetings were frequently disrupted by Fianna Fáil supporters following the publication of the article: No Free Speech for Traitors by Peadar O'Donnell , an IRA member. The ACA changed its name to the National Guard under O'Duffy and adopted the uniform of black berets and blue shirts, using

22032-404: Was begun in 2004. Other festivals include the Knights of Westfest in Newcastle West , Fleadh by the Feale in Abbeyfeale and the Ballyhoura International Walking Festival. The west of the county is known for its Irish music, song and dance and is part of the Sliabh Luachra area of traditional Irish music along the borders of County Cork and County Kerry . The main railway station in Limerick

22185-486: Was born at the Nursery and Child's Hospital , Lexington Avenue , a home for destitute orphans and abandoned children. His parents were reportedly married on 18 September 1881 at St Patrick's Church in Jersey City, New Jersey , but archivists have not located any marriage certificate or any birth, baptismal, or death certificate information for anyone called Juan Vivion de Valera (nor for "de Valeros", an alternative spelling). On de Valera's original birth certificate, his name

22338-492: Was court-martialled on 8 May, political pressure was being brought to bear on Maxwell to halt the executions; Maxwell had already told British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith that only two more were to be executed, Seán Mac Diarmada and James Connolly , although they were court-martialled the day after de Valera. His late trial, representations made by the American Consulate, his lack of Fenian background and political pressure all combined to save his life, though had he been tried

22491-424: Was court-martialled, convicted, and sentenced to death, but the sentence was immediately commuted to penal servitude for life. De Valera was among the few republican leaders the British did not execute. It has been argued that his life was saved by four facts. First, he was one of the last to surrender and he was held in a different prison from other leaders, thus his execution was delayed by practicalities. Second,

22644-415: Was granted lands at Castletown near Kilcornan in County Limerick. During the Williamite War in Ireland (1689–1691) the city was to endure two further sieges, one in 1690 and another in 1691 . It was during the 1690 siege that the infamous destruction of the Williamite guns at Ballyneety, near Pallasgreen was carried out by General Patrick Sarsfield . The Catholic Irish, comprising the vast majority of

22797-402: Was not successful in enrolling at two colleges in Limerick , but was accepted at Blackrock College , Dublin, at the instigation of his local curate. Blackrock College has since named one of their six student houses after him. He played rugby at Blackrock and Rockwell College , then for Munster around 1905. He remained a lifelong devotee of rugby, attending international matches even towards

22950-442: Was said that $ 1,466,000 had already been spent, and it is unclear when the net balance arrived in Ireland. Recognition was not forthcoming in the international sphere. He also had difficulties with various Irish-American leaders, such as John Devoy and Judge Daniel F. Cohalan , who resented the dominant position he established, preferring to retain their control over Irish affairs in the United States. While American recognition for

23103-411: Was taken to Ireland by his uncle Ned at the age of two. When his mother remarried in the mid-1880s, he was not brought back to live with her, but was reared by his grandmother, Elizabeth Coll, her son Patrick and her daughter Hannie, in Bruree, County Limerick . He was educated locally at Bruree National School, County Limerick and C.B.S. Charleville , County Cork . Aged sixteen, he won a scholarship. He

23256-424: Was the merging of the city and the county of Limerick into a single local government area. The Local Government Reform Act 2014 implemented this change, which came into effect on 1 June 2014. This change saw a reduction in five in the total number of councillors representing the city and county. The current local electoral areas are: The three city LEAs form the Metropolitan District of Limerick City. Each of

23409-408: Was there, at 11.15 am on 5 December 1921, that the decision was made to recommend the Treaty to Dáil Éireann . The Treaty was finally signed by the delegates after further negotiations which closed at 02:15 on 6 December 1921. De Valera baulked at the agreement. His opponents claimed that he had refused to join the negotiations because he knew what the outcome would be and did not wish to receive

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