In 1961 , President Éamon de Valera became the first person to appear on RTE Telefís Éireann . Addressing the public de Valera gave a cautious welcome to the new service. I am privileged in being the first to address you on our new service, Telefís Éireann. I hope the service will provide for you all sources of recreation and pleasure, but also information, instruction, and knowledge. I must admit that sometimes when I think of television and radio and their immense power I feel somewhat afraid. Like atomic energy, it can be used for incalculable good but it can also do irreparable harm. Never before was there in the hands of

Video : President Éamon de Valera discusses the Gaelic League and James Connolly on the steps of Áras an Uachtaráin 1962 . De Valera says James Connolly who was a member of the Gaelic League and was learning the Irish Language was "intensely nationalistic . he told me so" It was in the Gaelic League that i realised best what a nation was and what had to be done to get the freedom necessary to realise ourselves again . you had in the league at that time , you had Pearse , you had MacDonagh , Ceannt and Plunkett and of course men like Clarke and Connolly were