Irish Leaders:A Very Brief Look

Táin Bó Cúailnge:The Cattle Raid of Cooley

The Táin – the Irish epic poemIncludes the exploits of Cuchulain, the legendary Irish champion

Now, many and divers were the magic virtues that were in Cuchulain that were in no one else in his day. Excellence of form, excellence of shape, excellence of build, excellence in swimming, excellence in horsemanship, excellence in chess and in draughts, excellence in battle, excellence in contest, excellence in single combat, excellence in reckoning, excellence in speech, excellence in counsel, excellence in bearing, excellence in laying waste and in plundering from the neighbouring border.

St. PatrickThe patron saint of IrelandHe really lived (late 5th century), but a vast folklore has arisen around St. Patrick

St. Patrick’s Grave (Traditional)

Eamon de ValeraBorn 1882, died 1975Born of Irish mother and Spanish father in NYC, but raised in IrelandLeader in 1916 Easter Uprising

All but 2 of the leaders executed; de Valera spared because he was a US citizen

Prime Minister (Taoiseach) from 1932 to 1959, then took ceremonial post of President