Éamon de Valera on a formal coalition agreement, something de Valera was unwilling to concede. However, while Fianna Fáil was six seats short of a majority, it was still by far the largest party in the Dáil, with 37 more TDs than the next largest party and rival, Fine Gael (the successor to Cumann na nGaedheal). Conventional wisdom held that de Valera would remain Taoiseach with the support of independent deputies. However, this was brought undone when the other parties realised that if they banded together, they would have one seat fewer than Fianna Fáil, and would be able to form a government
Eamon Park Eamon Park George Eamon Park (1916–1975) was a Canadian politician and political organizer for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and the New Democratic Party. He was elected in the Toronto riding of Dovercourt in 1948. Park was born in Monkstown, County Cork, Ireland. His father, Robert Park Sr., was in the Royal Navy and on manoeuvers at the time of his son's birth. Catherine Mary Park left Portsmouth, England to be with her family in Ireland to have the baby. George was the eldest of four children; Catherine (called Kae), Thomas and Robert Jr. followed. In 1925 the family moved to