THE village of Bruree in Co Limerick probably has the unique distinction of having a museum officially opened by two different presidents of Ireland on two different occasions.
On October 8th, 1972, President Eamon de Valera opened the De Valera Museum dedicated to himself in the schoolhouse where he had his early education.
Last Saturday, 25 years later, the current President of Ireland, Mrs Robinson, officially opened the refurbished De Valera Museum and the Bruree Heritage Centre.
This was a culmination of five years' work by the Bruree Rockhill Development Association. Its chairman, Mr Sonny Ward, proudly pointed out that the £85,000 project, helped by FAS and LEADER funding, was carried out by skilled craftsmen.
Eamon de Valera came to Bruree as a 2 1/2 year old boy from America and lived in a humble cottage outside the village until he went to Blackrock College, Dublin, on a scholarship at the age of 16.
A local historian and author, Dr Mainchin Seoighe, who corresponded in Irish with "The Chief" brought The Irish Times on a tour of the museum and heritage centre, which are fittingly in the home of the Maigue Poets. Bruree itself means "residence of kings".
It was also fitting that a leader in Irish history was nurtured there and Bruree was one of the seats of the Kings of Munster, Dr Seoighe pointed out.
The museum houses many personal items belonging to the late President, such as a hat, black jacket and waistcoat, collar and tie and white shirt and blackthorn stick.
The museum is in the very classroom that De Valera sat in, and his desk is still there with the model of a boy sitting at it. In a corner is a life size model of the former Taoiseach and President, and a sample of his handwriting as a boy is on display. At that time he was called "Eddy de Valera, Knockmore, Bruree".
There are sample exercise books of his studies in French, Greek, Latin and history and he eventually learned to spell his name "Eddie".
Dr Seoighe pointed out that two other presidents, Cearbhall O Dalaigh and Dr Patrick Hillery, visited the museum, as did Mr Erskine Childers when he was a presidential candidate. Other visitors were past taoisigh, Mr Charles Haughey and Dr Garret FitzGerald.
An interesting exhibit is a cheque for £4 made payable to P.H. Pearse dated August 28th, 1913.
A casket contains a lock of De Valera's hair and his grandmother's. "He was fair haired then and he used to comb his grandmother's beautiful long auburn hair," Dr Seoighe recalled.