This article is from page 31 of the 2012-11-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 31 JPG
MICHEÁL Martin used the occasion of his first Eamon de Valera Commemoration in Ennis as party leader to blast the Fine Gael/Labour coalition for ignoring the former Taoiseach, President and Clare TD’s pivotal role in the making of modern Ireland.
In his address to a small gathering of the Fianna Fáil faithful at the de Valera Monument in Ennis’ People’s Park, the Fianna Fáil leader rounded on the parties of government for failing to honour Mr de Valera 75 years after his crucial role in drafting Bunreacht na hÉireann in 1937
“This is the 75th anniversary of the adoption by the people of Bunreacht na hÉireann,” said Mr Martin, “and the constitution is rightly seen as primarily the result of Eamon de Valera’s determination that this country should have a modern republican constitution. It has been continuously in place longer than the written constitution of any other European state.
“It is a great pity that the coalition government refused to take any step whatsoever to acknowledge this anniversary.
“They have to begin to step outside of the non-partisan consensus on the past which I mentioned, and have shown an unwillingness to acknowledge the work of people of other parties at all stages in our recent history,” he added.
Continuing, Mr Martin told the Fianna Fáil gathering that it was Mr de Valera – who served as a Clare representative for 42 years between his famous East Clare by-election victory of 1917 through to 1959 – and Mr de Valera alone, whose leadership and statesmanship secured Ireland’s place in international affairs.
“The foundation of Ireland’s strong standing in the world is undoubtedly his leadership in those deeply troubled times,” said Mr Martin.
“Because of Eamon de Valera, we have a strong and democratic constitutional tradition as a country which is founded on nationalist ideals but is fully committed to the international community. He raised the standing of Ireland in the world and built a republican constitutional tradition of which we should be proud,” he added.