Day 5: September 17, 2007 Monday

Arrival at Bruree

I received a call from the desk of the hotel. One of my bags was delivered— the one with my camcorder missing. At least now I had clothes and makeup.

Monday we drove south to Bruree where my family came from. This was the main point of my trip. I wanted to see where my grandmother, great-grandmother, Uncle Pat, and my mother’s cousin Eamon De Valera lived.

My mother’s aunt Catherine Coll came to America where she met and married Juan Vivion De Valera; a music teacher who was employed in the same building where Catherine worked as a domestic. Vivion De Valera took sick and died of consumption when their son Eamon was two years old. Catherine had a very rough time trying to work and care for her baby at the same time. The sitters were not very reliable.

When her brother Ed was returning to Ireland she sent her son to be with her mother and sister— my great-grandmother and grandmother still living in Ireland at that time. Circumstances over the years prevented her from getting him as he stayed and was raised there. Eamon attended Bruree National School in Bruree, County Limerick and also attended Charleville Christian Brother’s School in County Cork. He later went on to graduate in mathematics from the Royal University of Ireland. He taught mathematics as a professor in an Irish university and became Chancellor of National University of Ireland from 1922 until 1975.
Eamon met and married his lovely wife, Sinéad de Valera at one of his teaching positions.

He participated in the Easter Uprising of 1916. Irish patriots fought for freedom and independence from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and he was the last commander to lay down his arms. The other 13 commanders of the Uprising were executed, but Eamon was spared because of his American citizenship and birth. He was sentenced to life in a British prison, but he later escaped.

Later in life he entered politics and became Prime Minister of Ireland for several terms, he became head of the League of Nations for two terms. In his late years he was made President of Ireland. Because of his public role he met many heads of state, Popes, and other world leaders. He hosted John F. Kennedy, and later Lyndon B. Johnson and family when they came to Ireland. Eamon attended JFK’s funeral and walked behind the caisson. At that time he was almost completely blind.

So much for a little background.

Normally, going back after so many years, you wouldn’t get to see the old homestead unless descendants still lived there, but in this case, because he was famous, they restored his home where he was raised and turned it into a national monument. They also turned the school he attended into a national museum.

On our first visit to the museum the curator was not there, but the attendant in charge showed us around and showed us a film of Eamon’s life. We also saw personal effects and memorabilia of his life; birth certificate, pictures, math and report cards, the church he attended, and the house he lived in, and a replica of him as a school boy at a desk and another of him as a grown man in a study. It was moving.

A man was going to show us Eamon’s home, but as I was just starting my tour of the museum I didn’t want to cut it short and he couldn’t wait.

Later, Brenda and I spent some time in that area, but couldn’t find the house. We went back to the museum as I wanted more pamphlets. This time the curator was there. She was aware of my connection to De Valera from the attendant.

We spent quite a lot of time exchanging stories and information. We exchanged addresses. I promised to send her a copy of an article on Catherine Coll De Valera— Aunt Kate’s side of the story. The curator said she would enter it into the museum.

I had purchased a picture of the mill at Bruree and she insisted on giving us a gift. She gave me a clock with pictures of De Valera on it, and a mug for Brenda. The curator was able to secure the key to the homestead of De Valera and showed us the way. The back of the cottage, originally a farm, is now a park-like setting with trees. The house is small as it was a humble home.

We were able to go inside, see the two bedrooms on the second floor. I actually sat in an overstuffed chair that was used by all the family, and I also sat on a bench at the table they ate at. There were pictures on the walls and statues on the shelf above the hearth. I left really moved. I never had the love of a grandmother, as both of mine were dead before I was born.
I gathered some soil and rocks for my mother’s grave.

If I never saw much more of Ireland, I completed what was so important to me.

We thanked our gracious curator and left. What a perfect day. I couldn’t have done this without Brenda, as Bruree was not on any of the tours. We went back to the hotel and again we had dinner at a nearby restaurant.

We called it a night and rested up for another day.