John Downing: Half-a-century after the death of Eamon de Valera, the Long Fellow still casts a long shadow

Éamon de Valera, a former taoiseach and president, changed Ireland forever. Many years after his death, an encounter occurred with an elderly former soldier who recounted his reaction to de Valera's funeral. The soldier, serving at the time, deliberately reported sick to avoid joining the army firing party assigned to perform honours at Glasnevin Cemetery. The soldier admitted that he could not trust himself to resist firing into de Valera's coffin rather than over it. The soldier's recollection conveyed a passion and hostility toward de Valera that remained intense decades after the event.

Many years after the death of Éamon de Valera, I met an old man who told me that, as a serving soldier, he reported in sick rather than join the army firing party picked to do the honours at the graveside in Glasnevin Cemetery. "I could not trust myself to resist the temptation to fire into, rather than over, Dev's coffin," the man recalled with a passion still strong decades after the event.

Former taoiseach and president changed Ireland for ever Many years after the death of Éamon de Valera, I met an old man who told me that, as a serving soldier, he reported in sick rather than join the army firing party picked to do the honours at the graveside in Glasnevin Cemetery. "I could not trust myself to resist the temptation to fire into, rather than over, Dev's coffin," the man recalled with a passion still strong decades after the event.

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