If you were asked in passing by someone, “How many Irish Presidents have there been?” would you be able to answer them? And God forbid they asked you for their names, would you know who they were? I for one would have named three at best and I would have had no idea exactly how many there were.
There have been in fact 9 Irish Presidents in our history, the first one being elected in 1938.
1. 1938 – 45 Douglas Hyde
2. 1945 – 59 Seán T O Kelly
3. 1959 – 73 Éamon de Valera
4. 1973 – 74 Erskine K. Childers
5. 1974 – 76 Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh
6. 1976 – 90 Patrick Hillery
7. 1990 – 97 Mary Robinson
8. 1997 – 2011 Mary McAleese
9. 2011 – Michael D. Higgins
One person who definitely would’ve had no trouble answering that question is Kilkenny based Joanne Bolger – founder of 3 Dee Portraits. 3 DeePortraits operate from a cosy studio in the heart of Kilkenny City where Joanne creates unique sculpted figures depicting actual people and fictional characters. One of her many great 3D portraits is the “Irish Presidents.” It represents Ireland’s history in one frame! Sculpted by Joanne it chronicles each Irish President from 1938 until today. Perfect for anyone with a love of Irish history, or our diaspora scattered around the globe.
3 Dee offers many other Irish style portraits and even wedding ones. See her full range here at Irish Made Gifts – http://www.irishmadegifts.com/3-Dee-Portraits
