Historic records regarding the birth of former taoiseach Charles Haughey and the death of former president Éamon de Valera are to be published online.
State-run website irishgenealogy.ieis has added new information on births, deaths and marriages for 1925, 1950 and 1975.
An additional year of birth, marriage and death entries is added to the website annually.
De Valera, who died in August 1975 at the age of 92, was predeceased earlier in the same year by his wife Sinéad (née Ní Fhlannagáin). His death certificate records his place of death as Talbot Lodge in Blackrock, Co Dublin, the nursing home where he lived in the final years of his life. In addition to being elected president in 1959, he founded Fianna Fáil in 1926 and was taoiseach three times.
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His “condition” is reported as “widowed”, while his rank, profession or occupation is as “retired President of Ireland”. The cause of death was listed as bronchopneumonia and “right heart failure”.
Sinéad de Valera is recorded as having died at the Mater Private nursing home in Eccles Street, Dublin, aged 96. Her profession is listed as “home duties and authoress”; she wrote some 31 books for children in English and Irish during her life. She died on January 7th, 1975, the day before what would have been the de Valeras’ 65th wedding anniversary.
Haughey’s birth on September 16th, 1925, was recorded in the registrar’s district of Castlebar, Co Mayo, to John and Sadie (née McWilliams) Haughey. His father’s rank or profession is given as “Comdt Free State” – John Haughey was serving in the barracks in Castlebar at the time of the future taoiseach’s birth.
Haughey would serve as taoiseach on four occasions after being first elected to the Dáil for Fianna Fáil in 1957. His ministerial career included the portfolios social welfare, finance, agriculture and justice.
Minister for Culture Patrick O’Donovan said he expected the update to be “met with eager anticipation by those engaged in genealogical research”.
The release is jointly managed between the Departments of Culture and of Social Protection. Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary said the records “are a vital part in following the paths of our Irish ancestors and I am delighted to support this ongoing collaborative project”.
