ÉAMON DE VALERA'S MOTHER-ANDBABY HOME.

The article focuses on the birth and early circumstances of Éamon de Valera, a dominant twentieth-century Irish political figure, who was born as "George de Valero" in Manhattan’s Protestant Nursery and Child’s Hospital (NCH) in 1882. It presents the only three verifiable contemporary records of his birth and parentage, highlighting inconsistencies in names and details, and the absence of evidence for his father’s identity beyond his mother’s claims. The NCH, a Protestant institution caring for poor and unmarried mothers, is described as a place with high infant mortality and a reputation for proselytizing, reflecting the difficult social conditions faced by women like de Valera’s mother. The article also discusses the stigma of illegitimacy in Ireland during de Valera’s lifetime and notes that despite his personal history, he did not take significant action to improve conditions for others in similar situations.