When Éamon de Valera died 50 years ago, at the end of August 1975, there was a real sense that an era had ended.
Tens of thousands filed past his coffin in Dublin Castle; thousands more lined the streets to watch his funeral cortege make its way to Glasnevin Cemetery.
His admirers were distraught, while even his detractors (a not inconsiderable number) recognised that he had dominated Irish life for half a century.
Whether you thought that was a good thing or not very much depended on your point of view, but there was no denying that de Valera's political staying power was extraordinary.
He played a leading role in the nation’s affairs from the 1916 Rising until he finally retired from the Presidency in 1973 - and over the course of those 57 years, his name was rarely out of the headlines.
He was head of government for a total of 21 years, twice as long as anyone else (the next longest serving Taoiseach was Bertie Ahern at ten years and ten months). And his achievements were there for all to see: the Constitution of which he was the architect as well as the sovereignty which he had done so much to strengthen and deepen, while both the political party and the newspaper group which he founded were then the most successful in the country.
The newspaper group is long gone, and the political party has seen some hard times, but the Constitution and the sovereignty remain as lasting legacies.
De Valera led a fascinating life, a life which can be seen in two parts: the period of his rise from rural poverty and obscurity to national leadership, and then the period of his rule, when he led the country from 1932. It’s a story with many a twist and turn, many a peak and trough, many a comeback against the odds.
Another fascinating aspect of de Valera’s story is how his reputation has changed in the half century since his death.
He had of course been a deeply controversial figure from the time of the Treaty split and the subsequent Civil War, for which many people held him personally responsible.
From that point on, de Valera divided opinion: some people revered him, others reviled him. That division of opinion was reflected in much that was written and said about him even in his lifetime - most accounts of his life tended to be either hagiographies or hatchet jobs.
But in the 50 years since his death, the hagiography has taken second place, and the negativity directed at him has greatly intensified.
De Valera’s reputation has declined, as those of his greatest rival, Michael Collins, and his closest colleague, Seán Lemass, have risen.
He is blamed for many of the ills of Irish society, past and present, and the term "de Valera’s Ireland" is used as a shorthand to describe a State that was patriarchal, theocratic, inward-looking and economically backward.
Some of that criticism is accurate, and some of those failings can fairly be laid at de Valera's door. But not all of them, not by a long shot.
In a two-part documentary, Dev: Rise and Rule, some of the myths and misinformation surrounding De Valera have been stripped away to reach a more balanced assessment of his life and his legacy.
The documentary makers travelled the length and breadth of Ireland, and went to London, where de Valera tangled with various British prime ministers, and to New York, where he was born and where he later enjoyed the adulation of massive crowds during his American tour in 1919-20.
Historians, legal experts and cultural commentators are among those who help reveal what made de Valera tick. They examine both the motivations and the consequences of his actions, and re-evaluate the reputation of a man who rose to power against the odds and who ruled Ireland for so long.
Watch part one of 'Dev: Rise and Rule' on Wednesday 3 September at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
