Fourth President of Ireland. He was the son of Robert Erskine Childers, noted historian, spy novelist and political thinking opposite the Free Irish State. When he was 16 old year old, he was pulled from his classroom to learn that the Irish Free State were going execute his father; he did have a chance to meet with his father before the execution. He was a TD, which is a member of Dail Eireann, the lower house of the Irish Parliament from 1938 to 1973. He was the second Protestant to become the President of Ireland. His education at Gresham's School, Holt and Trinity College, Cambridge left him with an upper class British accent. Born in London, he came from France in 1931 and became a naturalized Irish citizen in 1938. While in office as TD, he was hard working as minister of various departments. He was elected President of Ireland in 1973 and though only 67 years old, died in office while making a public speech at the Royal College of Physicians in Dublin after serving only eighteen months. He can be remembered as a man of peace and held no bitterness; this included those who executed his father. His funeral brought the largest gathering of monarchs ever to assemble on Irish soil. He married Ruth Dow in 1925, and as a widower, he married Rita Dudley in 1952. John Young's biography, "Erskine Hamilton Childers: President of Ireland" gives a detail of his life.
Fourth President of Ireland. He was the son of Robert Erskine Childers, noted historian, spy novelist and political thinking opposite the Free Irish State. When he was 16 old year old, he was pulled from his classroom to learn that the Irish Free State were going execute his father; he did have a chance to meet with his father before the execution. He was a TD, which is a member of Dail Eireann, the lower house of the Irish Parliament from 1938 to 1973. He was the second Protestant to become the President of Ireland. His education at Gresham's School, Holt and Trinity College, Cambridge left him with an upper class British accent. Born in London, he came from France in 1931 and became a naturalized Irish citizen in 1938. While in office as TD, he was hard working as minister of various departments. He was elected President of Ireland in 1973 and though only 67 years old, died in office while making a public speech at the Royal College of Physicians in Dublin after serving only eighteen months. He can be remembered as a man of peace and held no bitterness; this included those who executed his father. His funeral brought the largest gathering of monarchs ever to assemble on Irish soil. He married Ruth Dow in 1925, and as a widower, he married Rita Dudley in 1952. John Young's biography, "Erskine Hamilton Childers: President of Ireland" gives a detail of his life.
Bio by: Linda Davis
Inscription
God be in my head and in my understanding.
God be in mine eyes and in my looking.
God be in my mouth and in my speaking.
God be in my head and in my thinking.
God be at mine end and at my departing.
ERSKINE HAMILTON
CHILDERS
PRESIDENT OF IRELAND
Born 11th December 1905
Died 17th November 1974
Gravesite Details
There are separate plates for Erskine Childers, Ruth Childers & Rita Childers in addition to the main tablet transcribed above. His son Erskine B. is buried in the grave next to this one.
Family Members
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