Profile Text
Birth Name: George de Valero
Date of Birth: 14 October, 1882
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Death: 29 August, 1975
Place of Death: Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland
Ethnicity: * father – Spanish, possibly other * mother – Irish
Éamon de Valera was an American-born Irish politician and statesman. A vital figure in the history of the Republic of Ireland, he was a commandant at Boland’s Mill during the 1916 Easter Rising. He served as President of Dáil Éireann, from 1 April, 1919 to 26 August, 1931, President of the Irish Republic, from 26 August, 1921 to 9 January, 1922, Leader of Fianna Fáil, from 23 March, 1926 to 23 June, 1959, Leader of the Opposition, from 11 August, 1927 to 9 March, 1932, again, from 18 February, 1948 to 13 June, 1951, and again, from 2 June, 1954 to 20 March, 1957; President of the Executive Council, from 9 March, 1932 to 29 December, 1937; Taoiseach , from 29 December, 1937 to 18 February, 1948, again, from 13 June, 1951 to 2 June, 1954, and again, from 20 March, 1957 to 23 June, 1959; and President of Ireland , from 25 June, 1959 to 24 June, 1973; as well as, a Member of Parliament for East Clare, from 10 July, 1917 to 15 November, 1922; Teachta Dála for Clare East, from December 1918 to June 1922, and for Clare, from August 1922 to June 1959; and a Member of the Northern Ireland Parliament for Down, from 24 May, 1921 to 22 May, 1929, and for South Down, from 30 November, 1933 to 9 February, 1938.
His mother, Catherine “Kate” (Coll) Wheelwright, was an Irish emigrant, from Bruree, County Limerick. His father, Juan Vivión de Valera Acosta, was a sculptor, who was listed on Éamon’s birth certificate as having been born in Basque Country, Spain, or who may have been Cuban. There is some confusion about his father’s origins (see for example this ).
His father died when he was very young. Éamon was then taken to Ireland by his uncle Ned when he was two, and was raised mostly in Bruree, County Limerick.
Éamon was married to children’s book author Sinéad Ní Fhlannagáin (or Jane O’Flanagan in English), until her death, with whom he had seven children. Sinéad wrote in both Irish and English. Their children included politician, businessperson, and lawyer Vivion de Valera, phycologist Máirin de Valéra, obstetrician and gynaecologist Éamon de Valera, Jnr., and archaeologist Rúaidhrí de Valera.
Éamon’s paternal grandfather was named Juan de Valera (the son of Juan Manuel de Valera).
Éamon’s paternal grandmother was named Amelia Acosta.
Éamon’s maternal grandfather was named Patrick Coll.
Éamon’s maternal grandmother was named Elizabeth Carroll.
Source: Genealogy of Éamon de Valera – https://www.geni.com