DAVID MCCULLAGH IS keeping busy. 

He’s been presenting the news. He’s been podcasting with Katie Hannon. He’s been making documentaries. Oh, and he’s been signed up to front one of the biggest radio shows in the country in case you haven’t heard. 

But before he takes over Claire Byrne’s radio studio, his latest work on the most dominant figure of Irish politics will air on RTÉ television over the next two weeks. 

McCullagh has authored a two-volume biography about the rise and rule of Éamon de Valera and, for the 50th anniversary of his death, he is re-examining the man on the small screen. Filmed in Ireland, the UK and US, the programme will trace de Valera’s life from the US to the Áras, via Limerick and Leinster House. .

A Loosehorse production, DEV: Rise + Rule will air on RTÉ One on Wednesday 3 and 10 September at 9.35pm

To add to his to-do list, we asked him to master our Sunday night quiz to see how our readers’ knowledge stacks up to his. Good luck!  

Éamon de Valera was born on 14 October 1882 - but where?

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Bruree, Co Limerick

Lexington Avenue, Manhattan, New York

Greenville, Jersey City, New Jersey

Ennis, Co Clare

In 1896, de Valera started secondary school - but where?

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St Munchin’s College, Limerick

Blackrock College, Co Dublin

Charleville CBS, Co Cork

Bruree CBS, Co Limerick

In 1916, de Valera commanded the Third Battalion of the Dublin Brigade. But where was he based?

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The GPO

Boland's Bakery

Mount Street Bridge

Boland's Mills

After the Rising, de Valera was sentenced to death, which was commuted to life imprisonment. But how long of that sentence did he actually serve?

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7 months

11 months

17 months

22 months

In 1910, de Valera married Sinéad Ní Fhlannagáin. How many children did they have?

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5

6

7

8

In 1936, de Valera took his first flight in an aeroplane (in fact, the exact one pictured). But who was the pilot?

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Charles Lindbergh

Orville Wright

Captain James FitzMaurice

Major James Bigglesworth

De Valera suffered from serious eye problems for many years, which eventually left him almost totally blind. In the 1930s, he was treated by the renowned specialist Dr Alfred Vogt of Zurich (pictured). Vogt had another famous Irish patient - who was it?

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W.B. Yeats

W.T. Cosgrave

James Joyce

Sean T O’Kelly

In 1943, de Valera made a speech to mark the 50th anniversary of the Gaelic League. In the speech, he used a word to describe maidens. Did he say they were...

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Violent

Comely

Pretty

Happy

In 1966, de Valera was re-elected to the Presidency to serve a second term. But what was his margin of victory over Fine Gael's Tom O'Higgins (to the nearest 1,000). Was it...

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10,000

52,000

80,000

102,000

In 1973, de Valera retired from the Presidency. What age was he?

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88

90

92

94

Answer all the questions to see your result!

You scored out of !

Sinéad De Valera

Sinéad didn't see much of her husband between 1917 and 1923.

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Michael Collins

You know thine enemy.

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Alan Rickman

You really took to the role.

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RollingNews.ie

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David McCullagh

Are you the man himself?

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