Erskine Hamilton Childers

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Erskine Childers
*4th President of Ireland*


Career
Rank	4th President
Term	25 June 1973 - 17 November 1974
Preceded by	Éamon de Valera
Succeeded by	Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh
Party	Fianna Fáil
Personal
Date of birth	11 December 1905
Place of birth	London, England
Date of death	17 November 1974
Place of death	Dublin, Ireland
Spouse	Rita Childers
Profession	politician

Erskine Hamilton Childers (11 December 1905 - 17 November 1974), the son of Robert Erskine Childers (author of The Riddle of the Sands), served as the fourth President of Ireland from 1973 until his death in 1974. He was a TD (member of the lower chamber of the Irish parliament) from 1938 until 1973. Childers served as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (1951-1954, 1959-1961, and 1966-1969), Minister for Lands (1957-1959), Minister for Transport and Power (1959-1969), and Minister for Health (1969-1973). He was appointed Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland in 1969.

1 Biography
2 Political career
3 Additional reading
4 See also

[edit] Biography

A biography of Erskine H. Childers by John N. Young

Image:Erskine Childers St Patrick's Cathedral Dublin 2006 Kaihsu Tai.jpg

Childers was born in London and educated in Britain, hence his striking British upper class accent. He became a naturalised Irish citizen in 1938. A member of Fianna Fáil, he held a number of ministerial posts in the cabinets of Éamon de Valera, Sean Lemass and Jack Lynch, becoming Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) in 1969. Erskine's period as a minister was controversial. One commentator described his ministerial career as "spectacularly unsuccessful". Others praised his willingness to take tough decisions. He was outspoken in his opposition to Charles J. Haughey in the aftermath of the Arms Crisis, when Haughey and another minister, both having been sacked, were sent for trial amid allegations of a plot to import arms for the Provisional IRA. (Haughey and the other minister, Neil Blaney, were both acquitted.)

In a political upset, Childers was elected the fourth President of Ireland on 30 May 1973, defeating Tom O'Higgins by 635,867 votes to 578,771. Childers, though 67, was a vibrant, extremely hard-working president who earned universal repect and popularity, in the process making the office of President of Ireland a highly visible and useful institution. However, he died suddenly of a heart attack in November 1974, while making a public speech in Dublin.

Image:Irishpres.jpg

Childers's state funeral in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, was attended by world leaders including the Vice-President of the United States, Earl Mountbatten of Burma (representing Queen Elizabeth II), the British Prime Minister and leader of the Opposition, and presidents and crowned heads of state from Europe and beyond. He was buried in the grounds of Derralossary church in Roundwood, County Wicklow. Initially it was expected that President Childers' popular widow, Rita, would be offered the office of president to continue his work, but it went instead to the former Chief Justice, Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh.

Childers was survived by his second wife, Rita, and children from both his marriages. A son, Erskine Childers, was a UN civil servant and Secretary General of the World Federation of United Nations Associations.

[edit] Political career

Preceded by: Francis C. Ward	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government 1944-1948	Succeeded by: Brendan Corish
Preceded by: James Everett	Minister for Posts & Telegraphs 1951-1954	Succeeded by: Michael Keyes
Preceded by: Joseph Blowick	Minister for Lands 1957-1959	Succeeded by: Micheál Ó Móráin
Preceded by: ---	Minister without portfolio 23 Jul 1959-27 Jul 1959	Succeeded by: ---
Preceded by: Newly created office	Minister for Transport & Power 1959-1969	Succeeded by: Brian Lenihan
Preceded by: Joseph Brennan	Minister for Posts & Telegraphs 1966-1969	Succeeded by: Patrick Lalor
Preceded by: Frank Aiken	Tánaiste 1969–1973	Succeeded by: Brendan Corish
Preceded by: Seán Flanagan	Minister for Health 1969-1973	Succeeded by: Brendan Corish
Preceded by: Éamon de Valera	President of Ireland 1973-1974	Succeeded by: Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh

[edit] Additional reading

John N. Young, Erskine H. Childers: President of Ireland

[edit] See also

List of people on stamps of Ireland

Deputy Prime Ministers of Ireland Tánaistithe na hÉireann		Image:COA IRELAND.PNG
Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh \| Seán F. Lemass \| William Norton \| Seán MacEntee \| Frank Aiken \| Erskine H. Childers \| Brendan Corish \| George Colley \| Michael O'Leary \| Ray MacSharry \| Dick Spring \| Peter Barry \| Brian Lenihan \| John P. Wilson \| Bertie Ahern \| Mary Harney \| Michael McDowell

Vice-Presidents of the Executive Council Kevin O'Higgins \| Ernest Blythe \| Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh

Presidents of Ireland Uachtaráin na hÉireann		Image:Ie pres.png
Douglas Hyde \| Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh \| Éamon de Valera \| Erskine H. Childers \| Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh \| Patrick Hillery \| Mary Robinson \| Mary McAleese

see also Áras an Uachtaráin \| Blue Hussars \| Constitution of Ireland \| Council of State \| DeV's car \| External Relations Act \| Governor-General \| Lord Lieutenant of Ireland \| Official Seal \| Presidential Inauguration \| Presidential Standard \| Republic of Ireland Act \| Secretary-General to the President \| Presidential Commission \| Viceregal throne