Erskine Hamilton Childers Erskine Hamilton Childers (November 11, 1905 - November 17, 1974), the son of Robert Erskine Childers (the author of The Riddle of the Sands), served as the fourth President of Ireland from 1973 until his death in 1974. He served as a TD from 1938 until 1973. Childers served as Minister for Posts & Telegraphs (1951-1954, 1959-1961 & 1966-1969), Minister for Lands (1957-1959), Minister for Transport & Power (1959-1969) and Minister for Health (1969-1973). He was appointed Tánaiste of the Republic of Ireland in 1969. ERSKINE CHILDERS President of Ireland http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/df/Childers_big.jpg Rank: 4th Term of Office: 25 June 1973 - 17 November 1974 died in office of a heart attack Number of Terms: 1 Predecessor: Eamon de Valera Successor: Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh Date of Birth: November 11, 1905 Place of Birth: London, England Date of Death: November 17, 1974 Place of Death: Dublin, Ireland First Lady: Rita Childers Profession: politician Nominated by: Fianna Fáil Other candidates: Fine Gael: Tom O'Higgins Biography Childers was born in London and educated in Britain, hence his striking British upper class accent. He became a naturalised Irish citizen in 1938. As a member of Fianna Fáil he held a number of ministerial posts in the Dáil in the cabinets of Eamon de Valera, Sean Lemass and Jack Lynch, becoming Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) in 1969. Erskine's period as a minister was controversial. One commentator described his ministerial career as 'spectacularly unsuccessful'. Others praised his willingness to take tough decisions. He was outspoken in his opposition to Charles J. Haughey in the aftermath of the Arms Trial, when Haughey and another minister, both having been sacked, were sent for trial amid allegations of a plot to import arms for the Provisional IRA. (Haughey and the other minister, Neil Blaney, were both acquitted.) In a political upset, Childers was elected the fourth President of Ireland on May 30, 1973, defeating Tom O'Higgins by 635,867 votes to 578,771. Childers, though 67, was a vibrant, extremely hard-working president who earned universal repect and popularity, in the process making the office of President of Ireland a highly visible and useful institution. However, he died suddenly of a heart attack in November 1974, while making a public speech in Dublin. Childers's state funeral in St. Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral in Dublin was attended by world leaders, including the United States Vice-President, Earl Mountbatten of Burma (representing Queen Elizabeth II), the British Prime Minister and leader of the Opposition, along with crowned heads and presidents from throughout Europe and beyond. Initially it was expected that President Childers' popular widow, Rita, would be offered the office of president to continue his work, but instead it went to former chief justice Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh. Erskine was survived by his second wife, Rita, and children from both his marriages. Political Career Cabinet Minister Tánaiste President of Ireland http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/37/Dev3.jpg Preceded by: Eamon de Valera Presidents of Ireland http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/47/Devgovt.jpg Succeeded by: Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh Additional reading John N. Young, Erskine Childers: President of Ireland Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erskine_Hamilton_Childers