Douglas Hyde
| Douglas Hyde | |
|---|---|
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| 1st President of Ireland | |
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In office 25 June 1938 – 24 June 1945 |
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| Taoiseach | Éamon de Valera |
| Preceded by | Inaugural holder |
| Succeeded by | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Senator | |
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In office 16 February 1925 – 4 September 1925 |
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In office 27 April 1938 – 4 May 1938 |
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| Constituency | National University of Ireland |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Douglas Ross Hyde 17 January 1860 Castlerea, Roscommon, Ireland |
| Died | 12 July 1949 (aged 89) Dalkey, Dublin, Ireland |
| Resting place | St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Lucy Kurtz (m. 1893; div. 1937) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
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| Alma mater | Trinity College, Dublin |
| Profession |
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| Signature |  |
Douglas Ross Hyde (Irish: Dubhghlas de hÍde; 17 January 1860 – 12 July 1949), known as An Craoibhín Aoibhinn (lit. "The Pleasant Little Branch"), was an Irish academic, linguist, and scholar of the Irish language (Gaeilge) who served as the First President of Ireland from 1938-45. He was a leading figure in the Gaelic revival, and first president of the Gaelic League, one of the most influential cultural organisations in Ireland at the time.
Hyde was born at Longford House in Castlerea, County Roscommon, while his mother, Elizabeth née Oldfield (1834–1886) was on a short visit there. His father, Arthur Hyde, whose family were originally from Castlehyde, Fermoy, County Cork, was Church of Ireland rector of Kilmactranny, County Sligo from 1852 to 1867, and it was here that Hyde spent his early years. Arthur Hyde and Elizabeth Oldfield married in County Roscommon in 1852 and had three other children, Arthur (1853–79 in County Leitrim), John Oldfield (1854–96 in County Dublin), and Hugh (1856) Hyde.
In 1867, his father was appointed prebendary and rector of Tibohine, and the family moved to neighbouring Frenchpark, in County Roscommon. He was home schooled by his father and his aunt due to a childhood illness. While a young man, he became fascinated with hearing the old people in the locality speak the Irish language. He was influenced in particular by the gamekeeper Seamus Hart and the wife of his friend, Mrs. Connolly. He was crushed when Hart died (Douglas was 14) and his interest in the Irish language, which was the first language he began to study in any detail, as his own undertaking, flagged for a while. However, he visited Dublin a number of times and realised that there were groups of people, just like him, interested in Irish, a language looked down on at the time by many and seen as backward and old-fashioned.
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