Editing Seán T. O'Kelly (section)

==Considered for President of Ireland in 1938==
With the enactment of [[Constitution of Ireland|a new constitution]] in 1937, O'Kelly remained de Valera's second-in-command, with the new title of [[Tánaiste]].

In 1938, again O'Kelly's position in cabinet became a focus for speculation, as rumours swept [[Leinster House]] (the seat of Parliament) that de Valera intended making O'Kelly the Fianna Fáil choice to become [[President of Ireland]], the office which had replaced the governor-generalship in the new [[Constitution of Ireland]]. Again, the justification for de Valera nominating one of his senior ministers for the presidency was rumours that someone in the cabinet was, either deliberately or accidentally, letting information slip to the Catholic Church through the [[Knights of Columbanus]]. It came as anger and surprise to de Valera to find out that O'Kelly was a member of the Catholic fraternal organisation.<ref>W.J.McCormack, "Blackwell Companion to Modern Irish Culture" (2001), p.524.</ref>

De Valera had on a number of occasions ordered O'Kelly to resign from the Knights, only to find that he would rejoin later. However, the apparent entry of the popular [[Lord Mayor of Dublin]], [[Alfie Byrne]], into the presidential race (in fact he eventually failed to get nominated) and the belief that neither O'Kelly nor any other politician could beat Byrne (ironically a close friend of O'Kelly) led to all party agreement, on the opposition [[Fine Gael]]'s suggestion, that the office go to [[Douglas Hyde]], a Protestant, as an appreciation for his contribution to Irish society. An Irish language enthusiast, Hyde had founded the [[Conradh na Gaeilge]], known in English as the Gaelic League, a cultural organisation promoting the preservation of the [[Irish language]], music, dancing and traditions.