Éamon de Valera among the electorate, 75-year-old de Valera had begun to be seen by the electorate as too old and out of touch to remain as head of government. At the urging of party officials, de Valera decided to retire from government and the Dáil and instead seek the presidency of Ireland. He won the 1959 presidential election on 17 June 1959 and resigned as Taoiseach, Leader of Fianna Fáil and a TD for Clare, six days later, handing over power to Seán Lemass. De Valera was inaugurated President of Ireland on 25 June 1959. He was re-elected President in 1966, aged
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