Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

An English car enthusiast made a play for Eamon de Valera's Rolls Royce in 1985

Ten years after his death Ireland still wasn’t at all sure what was to be done with Dev’s classic car.

rolls royce The Rolls Royce, with trademark number plate reading ZJ 5000, carrying De Valera to the funeral of former president Erskine Childers in 1974 Youtube Youtube

EAMON DE VALERA built up an interesting relationship with his car while President of Ireland between 1959 and 1973, and by extension the state built up a relationship with the machine too.

The 1947 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith landaulette eventually became the official state car of the President after its inception that same year.

A car with large dimensions, the roomy nature of the vehicle became invaluable to de Valera as he became progressively incapacitated (and almost totally blind) towards the end of his presidency.

Dev's_car The Rolls Royce, on display at Aras an Uachtarán Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons

De Valera died in August 1975 and the car which had come to be associated with him more than any other went into storage.

Ten years passed and the issue of what was to be done with the vehicle remained unresolved, although it was given something of a refurbishment on the cheap in 1978.

Vultures were circling.

20151204_143513 National Archives 2015 / 88/613 National Archives 2015 / 88/613 / 88/613

Click here to view a larger image

In June 1985 one Andrew M Pastouna, a classic car enthusiast who had written a feature on the car for the magazine Classic & Sportscar with the government’s assistance, made it clear that “should you dispose of the car instead of putting it into an automobile museum in the Republic, I would be very interested”.

classic Classic & Sportscar magazine, August 1985 Ebay Ebay

The sale never came to pass, Mr Pastouna has since passed on, and the Rolls Royce is still the official state car of the President, although these days Michael D Higgins prefers the use of a classic Mercedes.

Read: Garret FitzGerald really, really did not like Sinn Féin in 1985

Read: Irish people really didn’t like paying for their tv licence 30 years ago

See National Archives File 2015/88/613

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
31 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciarán McPhillips
    Favourite Ciarán McPhillips
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 9:46 AM

    Another reminder that the children’s hospital is being built in the wrong location. Every time there is an accident on the M50 roads into Dublin cannot manage the level of traffic.

    Inside the M50 belt just does not make sense.

    477
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Deborah Behan
    Favourite Deborah Behan
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 12:29 PM

    @Ciarán McPhillips: such a scary thought for a child to be in an ambulance and caught up on the M50. Disgraceful decision.

    103
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciarán McPhillips
    Favourite Ciarán McPhillips
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 1:40 PM

    @Deborah Behan: We’re sleepwalking our way towards that exact situation. The mind boggles.

    36
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute mcgoo
    Favourite mcgoo
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 9:52 AM

    No doubt caused by some muppet hammering up the outside/city lanes and then nipping in to go northbound. We need to start a campaign to not let queue jumpers in.

    291
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nick Allen
    Favourite Nick Allen
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 10:48 AM

    @mcgoo:

    Or perhaps allowing queue jumpers in would stop the accidents

    52
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick J. O'Rourke
    Favourite Patrick J. O'Rourke
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 10:00 AM

    Meanwhile here in Leitrim….

    112
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Walsh
    Favourite Michael Walsh
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 10:02 AM

    @Patrick J. O’Rourke: who cares about a dying county like Leitrim

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick J. O'Rourke
    Favourite Patrick J. O'Rourke
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 10:07 AM

    @Michael Walsh: We are not dying. We’re generally quite happy that we don’t have to become a slave to make a living. Who cares about the septic tank that is Dublin? See…same question.

    240
    See 5 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Horace
    Favourite Horace
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 10:17 AM

    @Patrick J. O’Rourke: As a Dub myself id agree. Dublin is grinding to a standstill as we repeat the mistakes of the Celtic tiger years and continue to vote for political organisations who have their and not the nation as a whole best interests at heart.

    98
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Karl Curran
    Favourite Karl Curran
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 10:24 AM

    @Patrick J. O’Rourke: jealous

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Coco86
    Favourite Coco86
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 11:16 AM

    @quality cheese: Did you post this on your 6 hour journey to work or from bed this morning? Hard to tell…. but “quality cheese”…… your at home

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pat Butler
    Favourite Pat Butler
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 11:46 AM

    @Michael Walsh: like it or not your taxes keep Leitrim going.

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick J. O'Rourke
    Favourite Patrick J. O'Rourke
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 1:00 PM

    @quality cheese: A tendency to resort to insults shows quite clearly a lack of intellect.

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brendan Mason
    Favourite Brendan Mason
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 11:15 AM

    Tailgating is the problem. Its amazing cars doing 140kph tailgating just 1 metre behind the car in front. Amazing breaking system they must have to avoid a crash if the car in front suddenly breaks. KEEP YOUR DISTANCE. 1m for every 2kph. Eg a car must leave 200 metres distance at 100 kph.

    67
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute marty
    Favourite marty
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 11:23 AM

    @Brendan Mason: That and the roads were wet this morning, come this way every morning before 7am.

    Speed limit drops from 100 kp to 80 kp, most people dont pay any heed to that.
    Many go beyond it.

    Zero police enforcement and bad driving skills, welcome to Irish driving!

    58
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciarán McPhillips
    Favourite Ciarán McPhillips
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 11:42 AM

    @Brendan Mason: 1m for every 2kph? Therfore using your formula travelling around 100kph should have a gap of 50m not 200m. Anyway if anyone left a gap of 200m on an Irish motorway they’d be flashed at (lights) and abused by other road users.

    40
    See 6 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tommy Roche
    Favourite Tommy Roche
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 12:35 PM

    @Brendan Mason: The accident happened close to the Luas car park junction before the M50. Given the time of morning the accident occurred, and it being a Monday which is probably the busiest morning of the week anyway, it’s virtually an impossibility that cars were traveling at 140kph, or anywhere remotely close to that speed.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brendan Mason
    Favourite Brendan Mason
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 12:51 PM

    @Tommy Roche: the 140 kph is an example. 4okph may be enough to cause a crash if cars are close enough to each other .

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brendan Mason
    Favourite Brendan Mason
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 12:52 PM

    @Brendan Mason: 40 kph sorry.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seamus Ryan
    Favourite Seamus Ryan
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 1:12 PM

    @Brendan Mason: I drive as part of my job and find that if you do leave a gap to the car in front then you’ll always have a gimp who will try to squeeze their car into that gap meaning you have to jam on the breaks

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shawn Rahoon
    Favourite Shawn Rahoon
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 1:14 PM

    @Brendan Mason: 1mtr behind a car in front driving at 140kmh? Bit of an exaggeration don’t you think. Most drivers wouldn’t be able to judge 60, 80,100mtrs. Little tip – if you are overtaking in the out most lane try keep right of centre of your lane. You will be able to see the break lights of the second car in front.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Thomas Linehan
    Favourite Thomas Linehan
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 2:21 AM

    @Brendan Mason: if you keep the right distance some mope jumps in in front of you that cuts your distance your bolloxed then . This happens very often rant over

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Larry Fitzwell
    Favourite Larry Fitzwell
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 1:00 PM

    For a lot of tech companies e.g. Facebook, Dell, Amazon, people can work from home quite a bit. With some planning you dont need mega-speed broadband either. Can’t help but think some of these businesses could make the leap to commuter towns and beyond. Clonakility has a multinational, the workers have houses, sea-air, little traffic and are 30 mins from Cork for a bit of life, and the airport also. Not ignoring the lack of routes currently available, but if more large towns within 60 mins of Galway, Limerick and Cork were utilised, how much better would life be for people? It will only take one big tech company to lead the way.

    37
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute mccumhail
    Favourite mccumhail
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 11:13 AM

    Vomit. How do people put up with this shit everyday of their lives.
    Life is short people.

    84
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brendan Mason
    Favourite Brendan Mason
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 12:20 PM

    @Ciarán McPhillips: I ment 50 metres for 100 kph.
    70 metres for 140 kph etc.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brendan Mason
    Favourite Brendan Mason
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 12:25 PM

    @Brendan Mason: but they are not leaving a fraction of that distance. Gung ho. Flash lights. The road is mine attitude. Slap on the breaks etc.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin
    Favourite Kevin
    Report
    Nov 20th 2017, 12:37 PM

    @Brendan Mason:

    Spot on. Clueless behaviour.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Oliver
    Favourite Oliver
    Report
    Nov 21st 2017, 3:22 PM

    H

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds