1. Hyde legacyre-discoveredinnewbook
A newlypublishedwork on Douglas Hyde was launchedat a special receptionin Portahard last
Friday. The book was launchedby Ministerfor Communications,DenisNaughten. The book is
written by Dr. Brian Murphy, one of the country’s foremostscholars on the Irish Presidency.The
book covers the period ofHyde’s Presidencyfrom1938 to 1945.
By Darragh Kelly
Fittingly,the AuthorBrianMurphy hasstrong connectionstoRoscommon; hisgrandfather,the late
JimmyMoran wasInternal AuditorandCountyRatesInspector andwas inspiredbyHyde’sideals,
joiningFiannaEireannafter1916 and laterservingthe SouthRoscommonBrigade of the IRB before
residinginRoscommontown.
On becomingPresident,ahomesickHyde movedtoÁrasan Uachtaráin leavingbehindhiswifeLucy,
remarking:“Frenchparktakessome beating”. Withthe passage of time,Hyde’sPresidencycanbe
viewedas‘upholdingdemocracy’atatime whenthe democraticfoundationsof manyEuropean
nationsthatemerged,postWWI,were eroded.
The author stressedHyde’sassociationwiththe localityof Portahardwhere he wasinspiredbythe
storiesandfolklore of the locality,impartinginhimalove of the Irishlanguage.Fittingly,the launch
tookplace where Hyde as a youngman worshippedandwhere hisfather,Arthur,was ChurchRector
from1867 to 1930.
Launchingthe book, MinisterDenis NaughtendescribedDouglasHyde “asa proudRoscommon
man” whofollowedinthe illustriousfootstepsof the likesof PercyFrench,JamesDillonandOscar
Wilde,all of whomhave strong Roscommon connections. “We shouldall be veryproudof (Douglas)
Hyde.Thisman (Hyde) setupthe office of Presidency”.
The book, the title suggests,advances Hyde’s importance asamajor Irishhistorical.Speakingin
1972, hisdaughterUna Seelysaid:“Ioftenwonderedif he hadkilledpeople wouldhe have been
betterthoughtof? He wasa kind,gentle person.”
One of the mostcontroversial aspectsof Hyde’stime asPresidencywashisremoval asGAA Patron
afterhe attendedanIrishsoccer international in1938, followingwhichhe neverattendedanother
GAA event,anincidentthatincurredthe ire of RoscommonGAA at that time.
Despite thisincident,recalledasacruel instrumentof the GAA’sban on membersattending‘foreign’
games,Hyde ensuredhissuccessor SeanT.O’Kellywasinvitedtoall GAA events.Laterin1971,
Roscommon’siconicnewGAA headquarterswasnamedinhishonour.
It’salso recognisedthatHyde’srole asa majorcultural figure notalone definedhisPresidencybut
alsoinfluencedmanyof Ireland’stwentiethcenturyleaders,notleastthe leadersof the 1916 Rising,
whowere motivatedby hisvisionof aGaelicIreland.

2. ‘Forgotten Patriot– DouglasHydeand thefoundationsof theIrish Presidency’ ispublishedbyCollins
Pressand isavailable inall goodbookstores.The bookisthe culminationof overtenyear’sresearch
and alsohighlightsthe developmentof the IrishPresidentialrole.