Daniel O'Connell
"The Liberator," who won Catholic Emancipation through a peaceful mass movement.
Life
Catholic lawyer
O'Connell came from a Catholic landowning family in County Kerry. While studying in France he witnessed the violence of the Revolution, and thereafter held firmly to nonviolent politics. He was one of the finest lawyers of his day.
Catholic Emancipation
In 1823 he founded the Catholic Association, mobilizing the mass of Catholic peasants with dues of a penny a month. In 1828 he won a by-election in County Clare; fearing rebellion, the British government passed the Catholic Emancipation Act in 1829, allowing Catholics to enter Parliament.
Repeal movement
He then led the campaign to repeal the Act of Union, holding several "monster meetings" of hundreds of thousands in 1843; when the government banned the Clontarf meeting he chose to comply, and the movement suffered a setback. During the Great Famine in 1847, he died in Genoa on his way to Rome.
Legacy
O'Connell pioneered the use of peaceful mass organization to win political rights and is regarded as one of the forerunners of modern democratic movements.
Did you know? Dublin's main street is named O'Connell Street, and a large statue of him stands at its end.
Key dates
- 1823Founds the Catholic Association
- 1828Wins the County Clare by-election
- 1829Catholic Emancipation Act passed
- 1843Holds "monster meetings"
- 1847Dies in Genoa