A REVOLVER OWNED by Éamon de Valera over 100 years ago has been donated to the National Museum of Ireland (NMI).

The handgun, which was given to de Valera on his visit to the United States in 1919 and deposited with a family member in Rochester,  New York, was presented to the NMI today by Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív, who is de Valera’s grandson. 

According to family oral history, the revolver was gifted to de Valera for self-protection when he arrived in New York in June 1919 at the beginning of his 18-month-long US tour where he raised money and political support for the new Irish Republic.

At the time, both his mother and her extended family were living in Rochester.

Over the years, the revolver travelled down the de Valera family line.

“De Valera was not a person who would carry a personal protection weapon, and he gave it to his cousin Mary Connolly… whom he visited several times during his stay,” the museum said.

“She in turn gave the gun to her grandson, Allen Johnson”.

In 2019, Ó Cuív and his wife Áine were invited to the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Rochester, where he was later presented with the revolver at a family gathering by Johnson.

“It was both a great surprise and pleasure to be gifted this special memento of the historic visit by Éamon de Valera a hundred years previously and to rekindle the historic connection between Rochester New York and Ireland’s struggle for independence,” he said, adding that he will forever be “deeply indebted” to Johnson for the gift.

The revolver was presented to Director of the NMI, Lynn Scarff, today.

She noted that the museum was honoured to receive this important donation, which will greatly add to the National Collection and will be retained securely for future generations.