Eamon DeValera 1882-1975, Irish; Catholic ; Visionary

Eamon deValera, born in New York city, came from a one parent family and was abandoned by his mother and raised by his Irish Granny. He learned to look after himself from an early age, enjoying being a boarder in Blackrock college. His university education was moderate. He believed he had a vocation to the priesthood and tried to enlist into seminaries but was regularly rebuffed. He joined the Irish volunteers in 1913 and became a Commandant in 1916 Rising. He escaped execution and became leader of Sinn Fein which negotited Irish independence. When the IRA refised to accept the Anglo-Irish Treaty Dev joined the rebels and spent ten eyars in the wilderness. In 1932 with his own party Fianna Fail he got power and held it for decades. He kept Ireland neutral during the War. The country did not develop economically as deValera was very conservative. He only relinquished power in 1959 to become President. He died in 1975.