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   Date: 2003-12-19T02:02:52
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   Page: DeValera
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== Eamon DeValera (Irish Freedom Fighter) ==

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Born in New York in 1882 from a multicultural background, he was the son of an Irish immigrant (Catherine Coll) 
and a Spanish immigrant (Juan Vivion DeValera).

He studied in Ireland as a youth under the British educational system, where Irish culture, such as 
the native tongue, was prohibited. He graduated in 1904.

However, in the early 1900s a popular Gaelic cultural revival occurred in Ireland as literature, drama, sport 
and the language of the Gaelic nation were all revived.

He joined the Gaelic League in 1908, which was a recruiting ground for the various revolutionary organisations 
of the time. Soon he became a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). 

Marrying Sinead Flanagan in 1910, 5 sons and 2 daughters soon followed.

He took part in the Easter Rising of 1916 and was second in command in the Dublin Brigade.

The Rising itself failed and the seven leaders were executed, along with 9 other rebels. DeValera himself was 
sentenced to death as an revolutionary, however he escaped the firing squad because of his American citizenship. 
The English authorities did not want to risk the execution of an American citizen. Sentenced to life in prison, 
he was released in 1917 under an amnesty.

DeValera was elected Sinn F�in M.P. for East Clare in 1917 and leader of the party upon his release and 
set about the formation of an Irish parliament (the D�il). His aim was to ignore the English and set 
about to run the country under their noses. 

Subsequently, he was arrested in 1918 for subversion and imprisoned in England, though he escaped to 
America to raise funds for and consciousness about the Irish plight. After raising 6 million dollars from
the American public, he returned to Ireland for negotiations with the British Prime Minister, Lloyd George.

Following an agreement with the English authorities (The Anglo-Irish Agreement), the country was partitioned into
the north and the south and an oath of allegiance to the English crown was required. DeValera opposed this and
a vicious civil war followed. 

In 1932 de Valera was made head of the Council of the League of Nations ('forerunner' to the United Nations) and 
in 1938 he became President of the Assembly of the League.

By 1932 the oath was removed, by 1937 the Irish constitution was declared, by 1949 the Island was declared a Republic.

DeValera died in 1975 aged 92, after a stint as Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland during most of the 50's and as 
President of Ireland from 1959 to 1973.

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