Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh facts for kids

Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (born 12 February 1911 – died 21 March 1978) was the fifth President of Ireland. He served as president from 1974 to 1976. He became president after the death of President Childers. However, he resigned in 1976 after a disagreement with the government. He also had a very important career in law, including being the Chief Justice of Ireland.

Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh was born in Bray, a town in County Wicklow, Ireland.

A Career in Law and Politics

Ó Dálaigh studied to become a lawyer. In 1946, he became Ireland's youngest Attorney-General. This was under the leadership of Taoiseach Éamon de Valera. He was appointed Attorney-General again in 1951.

In 1953, he became the youngest member of the Supreme Court. This is one of the highest courts in Ireland. Less than ten years later, he was made the youngest Chief Justice of Ireland. This is the most senior judge in the country.

Joining the European Court

When Ireland joined the European Economic Community (which is now the European Union), Jack Lynch chose Ó Dálaigh. He became Ireland's judge on the European Court of Justice. This court makes sure that European laws are followed correctly.

In 1974, President Childers sadly passed away suddenly. All the main political parties in Ireland agreed to choose Ó Dálaigh to become the next president.

Becoming President of Ireland

Ó Dálaigh's time as president had mixed results. He was popular with people who loved the Irish language and with artists. However, he had a difficult relationship with the government at the time. This government was a group of parties working together.

In 1976, the government introduced some new laws about national security. Ó Dálaigh decided to ask the Supreme Court to check if these laws followed the Irish Constitution. This made the government members worried and upset. Ó Dálaigh then announced publicly that he would sign the bill into law at midnight on October 15th.

There was a similar situation in the past. Dubhghlas de hÍde, an earlier president, had also asked the Supreme Court to review a law in 1939.

A Disagreement with the Government

Some government ministers believed Ó Dálaigh's actions contributed to a tragic event where a police officer (Garda) was killed. This made them very angry. The next day, after a small car accident, Paddy Donegan, who was the Minister for Defence, made a very strong comment. He described the situation as a "thundering disgrace."

President Ó Dálaigh understood this to mean that the Minister thought he, the President, was a disgrace. The Minister was speaking to members of the Irish Defence Forces. The President is the Head of the Defence Forces. Insulting the President in front of the Defence Forces caused a big political problem. Ó Dálaigh felt that he and the Minister could no longer work together.

Minister Donegan immediately offered to resign from his job. But Liam Cosgrave, the Taoiseach (head of the government), refused to accept his resignation. The Taoiseach also never met the President in person to apologize. This added to the problem, as Cosgrave had not been regularly updating the President as he was supposed to do. The way the government treated the President was the final reason for Ó Dálaigh's decision.

He became the first Irish president to resign from office.

This incident made many people see the government as arrogant and out of touch with what the public thought. This contributed to their defeat in the general election held in 1977.

The opposition parties then suggested Patrick Hillery for the presidency. Hillery served two full terms without anyone challenging him. He retired at the end of his second term in 1990.

Later Life and Legacy

Ó Dálaigh passed away in 1978, less than two years after leaving the presidency. He is buried in Sneem, a village in County Kerry.

Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh was seen by some as a president who was not very experienced in politics. However, the government he worked with also struggled to handle the situation well. The Taoiseach did not fully support Ó Dálaigh when Minister Donegan made his harsh comments.

See also

• In Spanish: Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh para niños