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Erskine Childers was born on December 11th 1905 in London. His father in 1914 sneaked ammunition and guns into Howth in the Asgard, this occasion is now called the Howth Gun-running. A lot of these arms were used in the 1916 Rising. Childers spent much of his childhood in Glendalough House County Wicklow, the home of his grandmother.

After leaving university Erskine spent several years in France working. Then in 1938 he was elected T.D. for Longford. Childers was a member of Dáil Éireann and continued to be for thirty-five years.

Erskine Childers was inaugurated fourth president of Ireland in 1973. However he died suddenly in late 1974 after only being president for eighteen months.

Erskine Childers 1905 - 1973

Did You Know?
Erskine Childers' father was English and his mother American.