- PRESIDENTS -

EAMON DE VALERA

Ireland at the age of two and a half years. In 1910 he married Sin?ad N?

Fhlannag?in.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 F?in 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 F?il 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 Taoiseach (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.

ERSKINE CHILDERS

He was born in London on 11 December, 1905. After living in England and

France 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 D?il

?ireann 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 T?naiste (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.

CEARBHALL O DALAIGH

Born on 12 February, 1911, he was a barrister by profession. 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.

PATRICK J HILLERY

He was born on 2 May, 1923, in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare and qualified

as a medical doctor. He married Mary Beatrice Finnegan in 1955.

In 1951 Dr. Hillery was elected to D?il ?ireann 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 President of Ireland on 3 December, 1976.

SEAN T O CEALLAIGH

Born in 1882, he was one of the founders of Sinn F?in 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 D?il ?ireann and continued to be elected

until 1945. He was the Speaker of the First D?il ?ireann, 1919-21.

He was Vice President of the Executive Council (the Government) of the Irish

Free State from 1932-38; Minister for Local Government and Public Health

1932-1939; T?naiste (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.

MARY ROBINSON

Born on 21 May, 1944, in Ballina, County Mayo, Mary Robinson is a barrister

by profession and was appointed Reid Professor of Criminal Law in Trinity

College Dublin when she was 25 years of age. With her husband, Nicholas

(married 1970) she founded the Irish Centre for European Law in 1988.

Elected as a representative of the University of Dublin, she was a member of

Seanad ?ireann (Upper House of Parliament) 1969 -89. She served on the

following parliamentary committees:- Joint Committee on EC Secondary

Legislation 1973 - 89 and Chairman of its Social Affairs Sub-Committee 1977

- 87, Chairman of its Legal Affairs Committee 1987 - 89; Joint Committee on

Marital Breakdown 1983 - 85. She was a member of Dublin City Council 1979

- 83. On 3 December, 1990, Mary Robinson was inaugurated as the seventh

President of Ireland. She resigned from the office of President on 12 September,

1997, to take up appointment as United Nations High Commissioner for Human

Rights.

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2002