Douglas Hyde
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==Douglas Hyde== (born 17 January 1860, died 12 July 1949) was the first President of Ireland, serving between 1938 and 1945. Besides this initial milestone, his election was notable as he was a Protestant. In 1930s Ireland, resentment from the War of Independence was still rife, with anti-British and anti-Protestant sentiment remaining. That Hyde was elected regardless was seen as an important point of progression for Irish society. Hyde was featured on the Irish £50 note until the adoption of the euro in 2002.