Eamon De Valera was a great man

Re the letter ‘The suggestion that the League of Nations would have aided De Valera is surreal’ (November 16, see link below). I am old enough to have been in the sunshine in College Park for Trinity Races in 1969 as Eamon de Valera made his way with his old friend the Provost to the gathered notables in the Pavilion.

He was a great man and we all understood that. For us 1939-1945 is the Emergency. Had we but known it we were all facing into a renewal of The Troubles. No one knew any better than that in 1939 than the Taoiseach and he was the man above all who by his wisdom prevented a renewal of The Troubles in World War II. For that we shall remain for ever in his debt.

I set out these matters in my Preface to Gerald Morgan and Gavin Hughes (eds), ‘Southern Ireland and the Liberation of France: New Perspectives’

Dr Gerald Morgan, Dublin 4

The suggestion that the League of Nations would have aided De Valera is surreal

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdowns having had a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions

now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry, Editor