In a report yesterday on the Douglas Hyde conference at the weekend, Dr Martin Mansergh was quoted as saying that Eamon de Valera "was at serious fault for not backing the result" of the Treaty negotiations. Dr Mansergh points out that he was summarising de Valera's critics and the remark does not represent his own view, even though his lecture was critical of some aspects of the handling of the negotiations and how the divisions over the Treaty were subsequently handled on all sides.

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