Sinéad de Valera
Encyclopedia
Sinéad de Valera, also known as Sinéad Ní Fhlannagáin and Sinéad Bean de Valera (ɕɪnʲeːdʲ bʲeːn̪ˠ dʲɛ vʲalʲɛrˠa; 3 June 1878 – 7 January 1975), was the wife of the Irish republican leader and third President of Ireland
, Éamon de Valera
.
who moved to Balbriggan
and married a local girl, Margaret Byrne. The couple emigrated to the New York
where their daughter, Mary, was born in 1871. The family had returned to Balbriggan by 1873 and Sinéad was born there in 1878. Her given name was Jane, but she altered the spelling of her name to the Irish
equivalent — Sinéad — later in life. She trained as a teacher and worked first in Edenderry
, before taking up a post at a national school in Dorset Street, Dublin in around 1901. The 1901 census records her as 'Jane Flanagan', living with her parents and three siblings at 6 Richmond Cottages in Dublin.
, Éamon, Brian, Ruairi and Terence (Terry), and two daughters, Máirín and Emer. On 9 February 1936, Brian, then aged twenty, was killed in a riding accident in the Phoenix Park
.
Due to a combination of his imprisonment, political activities, and fundraising tours of the United States, the family saw relatively little of Éamon de Valera in the 1916-23 period. He was also away from home frequently during the early years of his political career. Sinéad De Valera played little or no public role during her husband's fifty years in public life.
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).
.
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
, Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
.
Background
Her father, Laurence, was a carpenter and was a native of KildareKildare
-External links:*******...
who moved to Balbriggan
Balbriggan
Balbriggan is a town in the northern part of the administrative county of Fingal, within County Dublin, Ireland. The 2006 census population was 15,559 for Balbriggan and its environs.- Name :...
and married a local girl, Margaret Byrne. The couple emigrated to the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where their daughter, Mary, was born in 1871. The family had returned to Balbriggan by 1873 and Sinéad was born there in 1878. Her given name was Jane, but she altered the spelling of her name to the Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
equivalent — Sinéad — later in life. She trained as a teacher and worked first in Edenderry
Edenderry
Edenderry may refer to the following:*Edenderry, County Down, a small village south of Belfast, Northern Ireland*Edenderry, County Armagh, a townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland*Edenderry, County Offaly, a town in the Republic of Ireland....
, before taking up a post at a national school in Dorset Street, Dublin in around 1901. The 1901 census records her as 'Jane Flanagan', living with her parents and three siblings at 6 Richmond Cottages in Dublin.
Marriage and children
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 8 January 1910, they were married. Together they had five sons, VivionVivion de Valera
Vivion de Valera was an Irish scientist, businessman, lawyer and politician. He was the eldest child of the former Taoiseach and President, Éamon de Valera and Sinéad de Valera and was named after his paternal grandfather, Juan Vivion de Valera...
, Éamon, Brian, Ruairi and Terence (Terry), and two daughters, Máirín and Emer. On 9 February 1936, Brian, then aged twenty, was killed in a riding accident in the Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth...
.
Due to a combination of his imprisonment, political activities, and fundraising tours of the United States, the family saw relatively little of Éamon de Valera in the 1916-23 period. He was also away from home frequently during the early years of his political career. Sinéad De Valera played little or no public role during her husband's fifty years in public life.
Literary output
Sinéad de Valera wrote thirty 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).
Death
Sinéad de Valera 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 nearly eight months later, on 29 August 1975, aged 92. The couple are buried together, along with their son Brian, at Dublin's Glasnevin CemeteryGlasnevin Cemetery
Glasnevin Cemetery , officially known as Prospect Cemetery, is the largest non-denominational cemetery in Ireland with an estimated 1.5 million burials...
.