HISTORIC records relating to some of Ireland’s most significant political figures are now available online for public viewing.
The birth record of former Taoiseach Charles J Haughey and paperwork related to the death of former President Éamon de Valera, and his wife Sinéad, are among a tranche of new civil registration documents available to view online.
Former President of Ireland Éamon de ValeraThe records launched this week include the birth register entries for 1925, marriage register entries for 1950 and death register entries for 1975.
Every year an additional year of such entries is added to the irishgeneology.ie website, which is free to use, and requires no subscription or registration.
“The ongoing partnership between my Department and the Department of Social Projection continues to make civil registration records of births, deaths and marriages available online,” Ireland’s Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan said this week.
“This collaborative project ensures the continued provision of these valuable record sources to citizens and the Irish diaspora worldwide, freely and easily accessible, via the www.irishgeneaology.ie website,” he added.
“I’m sure this update will be met with eager anticipation by those engaged in genealogical research.
“With the addition of the new twelve months of records, the birth of former Taoiseach Charles J Haughey, and death of former President Éamon de Valera and his wife Sinéad, can all be now accessed and viewed online.”
Former Fianna Fail leader and Taoiseach Charles J HaugheyIreland’s Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary said he was “pleased” to see the another year of records made available, describing them as a “rich source of family history information”.
“Birth, death and marriage records are a vital part in following the paths of our Irish ancestors and I am delighted to support this ongoing collaborative project,” he added.
NOTABLE RECORDS:
Charles James Haughey
Born on September 16, 1925 Charles James Haughey was an Irish politician who served as Taoiseach four times between 1979 and 1992, when he was leader of Fianna Fáil.
Born in Castlebar, County Mayo, he was the third of seven children born to Johnnie Haughey and Sarah McWilliams.
He attended University College Dublin, studying law and accounting.
In 1951, he married Maureen Lemass, they had four children.
First elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD in 1957 he was re-elected at every election until 1992, representing the constituencies of Dublin North – Central / Dublin Artane / Dublin North – East
Haughey led four governments while serving as Taoiseach: December 1979 to June 1981, March to December 1982, March 1987 to June 1989, and June 1989 to February 1992.
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was born in New York on 14 October, 1882, and was brought to Ireland at the age of two and a half years.
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, Éamon de Valera became Taoiseach 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.
Sinéad de Valera
Sinéad de Valera was an Irish author of a number of children's books in both Irish and English.
She was married to Taoiseach and third president of Ireland, Éamon de Valera.
She was born Jane O'Flanagan in Balbriggan, County Dublin Born on June 3, 1878.
Her father, Laurence, was a carpenter and was a native of Kildare who moved to Balbriggan and married a local girl, Margaret Byrne.
In her spare time, she taught Irish at the Leinster College of the Gaelic League in Parnell Square.
One of her Irish students was Éamon de Valera, then a teacher of mathematics.
On january 8, 1910, they were married. Together they had five sons, Vivion, Éamon, Brian, Rúaidhrí and Terence (Terry), and two daughters, Máirín and Emer.
Sinéad de Valera wrote thirty-one books for children, in both English and Irish.
Among her works were plays such as Cluichidhe na Gaedhilge (1935) and story collections such as The Emerald Ring and Other Irish Fairy Stories (1951), The Stolen Child and Other Stories (1961), The Four-leafed Shamrock (1964) and The Miser's Gold (1970).
She died on 7 January 1975, at the age of 96, the day before what would have been the de Valeras' sixty-fifth wedding anniversary.
Éamon de Valera died just under eight months later, on 29 August 1975, aged 92.
The couple are buried together, along with their son Brian, at Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery.
See More: Charles Haughey, Eamon De Valera, Sinéad De Valera
