April 1916: Easter Rising. De Valera occupied Boland's Mills, Grand Canal Street in Dublin. In his article, Professor Schmuhl describes how Eamon de Valera changed his story about the reason behind receiving a reprieve from a death sentence for participation in the Easter Rising. De Valera was somewhat marginalized during the conflict but was imprisoned afterwards for a year which enhanced his credibility with republicans. The Link Between the Capuchin Friars and the Leaders of the 1916 Ea... Mary Thorpe is the author of "That's Just How it Was," available on Amazon, Kindle, Gardner's Wholesale Books UK, Bertems, and Inghams. He was a mathematics professor, last man to surrender during Easter Rising, leader of the Dáil and the IRA, instigator of the anti-treaty movement, political outcast, and Taoiseach, and, finally, president of Ireland. His father died in very poor circumstances in 1885, leaving Eamon and his mother destitute. Involment in Easter Rising De Valera’s forces used Boland’s Mills as their base to cover south-eastern Dublin. Always being a very religious man, he seriously contemplated the religious life, as his half-brother Father Thomas Wheelright had done. Tom Barry & his surviving Vols of the 3rd Cork Brigade are interviewed guests on RTE from 1966. Critics claim he did this to evade responsibility for the inevitable compromises it entailed. Powered by, Badges  |  This page has been archived and is no longer updated. He had five sons and two daughters. Eamon de Valera, circa 1937 (Getty Images) Read More: De Valera escaped English prison with a key in a cake 100 years ago today He was active in politics for over half a century. His defence was that in Dublin he could better preserve national unity and gain acceptance of any agreement reached. He was immediately arrested and taken to a different prison than that of the other leaders. De Valera was not widely known as a rebel or an activist, and had no Fenian connections. At Rockwell College, he played fullback on the first team. In any event he rejected the Treaty and resigned as President following its ratification by the Dail. document.write('