Eamon de Valera
Eamon de Valera
Éamon de Valerawas a prominent politician in twentieth-century Ireland. His political career spanned over half a century, from 1917 to 1973; he served several terms as head of government and head of state. He also led the introduction of the Constitution of Ireland...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionStatesman
Date of Birth14 October 1882
CountryIreland
real independent self
An independent Ireland would see its own independence in jeopardy the moment it saw the independence of Britain seriously threatened. Mutual self-interest would make the peoples of these two islands, if both independent, the closest possible allies in a moment of real national danger to either.
heart fighting years
Could he not find in his heart the generosity to acknowledge that there is a small nation that stood alone not for one year or two, but for several hundred years against aggression; that endured spoliations, famines, massacres in endless succession; that was clubbed many times into insensibility, but that each time on returning [to] consciousness took up the fight anew; a small nation that could never be got to accept defeat and has never surrendered her soul?
football men games
For Irishmen, there is no football game to match rugby and if all our young men played rugby not only would we beat England and Wales but France and the whole lot of them put together.
together fiction masonry
Partition is after all only an old fortress of crumbled masonry - held together with the plaster of fiction.
liberty republican ifs
If liberty is not entire it is not liberty.
country government unemployment
Unemployment is due to the large import of goods from Britain and other countries. The Government haven't used the powers which they have for the benefit of the country.
confidence people done
When we have done our best, we can, as a united people, take whatever may befall with calm courage and confidence that this old nation will survive and if death should come to many of us, death is not the end.
men effort realising
All history is man's efforts to realise ideals.
greatness records opinion
It is my considered opinion that in the fullness of time history will record the greatness of Michael Collins and it will be recorded at my expense.
long presidential democracy
Of course I wrote most of the Constitution myself. I remember hesitating for a long time over the US presidential system. But it wouldn't have done - we were too trained in English democracy to sit down under a dictatorship which is what the American system really is.
strong acting rewards
It is indeed hard for the strong to be just to the weak, but acting justly always has its rewards.
war
From the moment this war began, there was, for this state, only one policy possible, neutrality.
faithful glorious intact ourselves pass played preserved time tradition
We, of our time, have played our part in the perseverance, and we have pledged ourselves to the dead generations who have preserved intact for us this glorious heritage, that we, too, will strive to be faithful to the end, and pass on this tradition unblemished.