Michael Clifford: Child of the revolution glad to see last embers of Civil War quenched

Elizabeth Berney was glad to see the last political embers from the Civil War that had divided her family quenched with the formation of the Government this year, writes Michael Clifford

Elizabeth Berney, 99, from Dublin with a painting by AE Russell which was given as a wedding gift by Countess Marckievicz to her parents Min Ryan and Richard Mulcahy, founding member of Cumann na nGaedheal and later leader of Fine Gael. Photo: Moya Nolan

Elizabeth Berney wasn’t invited to the big commemoration event last year to celebrate the centenary of the first sitting of Dáil Eireann. But her nephew David managed to get his hands on a couple of tickets and off they went.

“We went into the Mansion House, bold as brass, we were,” Elizabeth laughs. She had a good time. She met Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin.