Presidents of Ireland

Adam Walsh,Daniel Herlihy and Danny O’ Keeffe

Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson was born on the 21 st of May, 1944, in Ballina in County Mayo. She trained as a and was 25 when she was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law at Trinity College in Dublin. Mary and her husband Nicholas founded the Irish Centre of European Law in 1988. She was a member of the Seanad from 1969-1989.

Mary was inaugurated on the 3 rd of December, 1990, becoming Ireland’s first female President. In 1997, she decided not to run for re-election. Instead, she became United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Mary Robinson is still an important humanitarian.

Mary McAleese

Mary McAleese was born on the 27 th of June, 1951 in as the eldest of nine children. She and her family were greatly affected by in . Mary got her Law degree from Queen’s University, Belfast in 1973. 2 years later she was Reid Professor of Criminal Law at Trinity College, which just 6 years earlier had been held by Mary Robinson. Mary returned to Queen’s University and became its first female Pro-Vice3 Chancellor in 1994. On the 11 th of November, 1997, she became Ireland’s first President from Northern Ireland. Mary was re- elected in 2004 as the only validly-nominated candidate. She will finish her term as President when a new First Citizen is elected on the 27 th of October.

Patrick J. Hillery

He was born on the 2 nd of May, 1923 in Miltown Malbay in County Clare. He qualified as a doctor of medicine. He married Mary Beatrice Finnegan in 1955. In 1951 Dr. Hillery was elected to Dáil Éireann for the constituency of Clare and he received his first Government appointment as Minister for Education in 1959.

He subsequently served in a number of ministerial posts (Industry and Commerce, Labour and Foreign Affairs) prior to his appointment in 1973 as Vice President of the then Commission of the European Communities, with special responsibility for Social Affairs. He served as Commissioner until 1976, when he was inaugurated as on 3 December, 1976.

He died on 12th April 2008.

Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh

th He born on the 12 of February 1911 . He was Attorney General of Ireland from 1946 - 48 and from 1951 - 53. In 1953 he was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court. He served as Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court from 1961 - 73 before being appointed a Judge of the Court of Justice of the European Communities in 1973.

He became President of Ireland on 19 December, 1974 and resigned from office on 22 October 1976. He died on 21 March, 1978.

Erskine Childers He was born in on 11 December, 1905. After living in England and he came to Dublin in 1931 to become Advertisement Manager of the newly launched Irish Press newspaper. From 1936 - 44 he was Secretary of the Federation of Irish Manufacturers.

He was elected to Dáil Éireann in 1938. From 1944 - 48 he served as a Junior Minister and from 1951 - 54 and 1957 - 73 he held successive ministerial appointments in a number of government departments. He also served as Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) 1969 - 73.

Erskine Childers married Ruth Dow in 1925. After her death he was married in 1952 to Rita Dudley. On 25 June, 1973 he was inaugurated as the fourth President of Ireland. He died in office on 17 November, 1974.

Eamon DeValera

He was born in New York on 14 th of October 1882. He was brought over to Ireland at the age of 2 and a half years old. In 1910 he married Sinéad Ní Fhlannagáin.

A teacher and university lecturer, he joined the Irish Volunteers when they were founded in 1913. As a Commandant he took part in the 1916 Irish National Uprising. He was sentenced to death, the sentence being commuted to penal servitude for life. He was released on General Amnesty in 1917.

He was elected Sinn Féin M.P. for East Clare in 1917 and re-elected as parliamentary representative for Clare at subsequent General Elections until his election as President in 1959. He founded the Fianna Fáil Party in 1926 and from 1932 - 37 he was President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State and Minister for External Affairs. He was President of Council of the League of Nations at its 68th and Special Sessions, September and October 1932 and President of the Assembly of the League of Nations, 1938.

Following enactment by the people of the Constitution, Eamon De Valera became (Prime Minister) and Minister for External Affairs from 1937 - 48. He was Taoiseach again from 1951 - 54, 1957 - 59.

On 25 June, 1959 he was inaugurated as President of Ireland. He died on 29 August 1975.

Sean T O Ceallaigh

Born in 1882, he was one of the founders of Sinn fein and launched and edited the "Nation", a weekly review.

From 1906 - 24 he was an Alderman of Dublin Corporation. In 1918 he was elected to Dáil Éireann and continued to be elected until 1945. He was the Speaker of the First Dáil Éireann, 1919-21.

He was Vice President of the Executive Council (the Government) of the Irish Free State from 1932-38; Minister for LocalGovernment and Public Health 1932-1939; Tánaiste (Deputy Head of Government) 1938-1945 and Minister for Finance 1939-1945.

He became the second President of Ireland on 25 June, 1945.

He died on 23 November, 1966.

Douglas Hyde

Dubhglas de Híde () (nom de plume "An Craoibhin Aoibhinn") was the first President of Ireland from 25 June, 1938 to 24 June, 1945.

He was born on 17th January, 1860, in Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon, and was Co-founder and First President (1893-1915) of the Gaelic League, the national movement for the revival of the . He died on 12 July 1949.