DE VALERA, Eamon. De Valera and his Cabinet in the first Fianna Fail Government, featuring many of the founding members of Fianna Fáil.

Large poster with portraits of Éamon de Valera: President of the Executive Council and Minister for External Affairs. Seán T. O’Kelly: Vice-President and Minister for Local Government and Public Health. Seán MacEntee: Minister for Finance. Seán Lemass: Minister for Industry and Commerce, who later became the primary architect of Ireland’s economic modernization. Joseph Connolly: Minister for Lands and Fisheries. James Ryan: Minister for Agriculture. Frank Aiken: Minister for Defence.

Thomas Derrig: Minister for Education. Gerald Boland: Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. Patrick J. Ruttledge: Minister for Lands and Fisheries. Photos by courtesy of the Irish Press Ltd. Printed in Dublin in green, white and gold. 50.5 x 75.5cms. Mounted. In very good condition. A rare survival.
Éamon de Valera’s first Fianna Fáil government came to power in 1932, marking the historic transfer of power from Cumann na nGaedheal to his newly established party. As President of the Executive Council, de Valera hand-picked an experienced, ideologically driven Cabinet to dismantle the Anglo-Irish Treaty and implement protectionist economic policies. The Cabinet of the 7th Executive Council, which took office in March 1932, included: Éamon de Valera, President of the Executive Council and Minister for External Affairs. Seán T. O’Kelly, Vice-President and Minister for Local Government and Public Health. Seán Lemass, Minister for Industry and Commerce, who later became the primary architect of Ireland’s economic modernization. Frank Aiken, Minister for Defence. Seán MacEntee, Minister for Finance. P.J. Ruttledge, Minister for Lands and Fisheries. James Ryan, Minister for Agriculture. Thomas Derrig, Minister for Education. Gerald Boland, Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. (Note: Joseph Connolly also served in this government as a member of the Seanad in charge of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs). This government laid the foundational milestones of modern Ireland, notably dismantling the Oath of Allegiance and establishing the new 1937 Constitution of Ireland.

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