Taoiseach Micheál Martin to visit Kerry as part for State Commemoration to ‘The Liberator'
Known as 'The Liberator,' he championed Catholic Emancipation and non-violent political reform, leaving a legacy that remains profoundly relevant today.
The politician and statesman was raised in the Derryane house – the home of the O'Connell family for generations. The young Daniel spent some of his youth there and returned almost every summer for the rest of his life.
It is this ancestral home where Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD, accompanied by Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan TD, will officiate at the ceremony taking place to mark this historic anniversary.
The formal State ceremony will include the keynote address by Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD, who will also unveil a plaque and plant a tree with assistance from descendants of Daniel O'Connell.
Also in attendance will be Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Kevin Moran, Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Michael Foley and Kerry's TDs.
Aside from the formal addresses there will also be performances by Binneas quintet, Emily Lenehan, Tim Dennehy and Declan McCarthy. The honour of singing the National Anthem has been given to Tenor Gavan Ring.
The Taoiseach is also to attend Blue Plaque unveilings at key heritage sites on Wednesday including Carhan and the Penal Chapel - where Daniel O'Connell was born and baptised.
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Daniel O'Connell commemorated at event marking 250th anniversary of The Liberator's birth
The life and legacy of Daniel O'Connell was commemorated at a state-led event marking the 250th anniversary of The Liberator's birth in Co Kerry on Wednesday. The event, held at Derrynane House in Caherdaniel, featured spoken word, music, and family reflections inspired by O'Connell's legacy. Derrynane House, O'Connell's home and a place of great symbolic importance, served as a fitting backdrop for the commemoration. The event, which was attended by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, honoured the extraordinary life, legacy, and vision of one of Ireland's most influential political leaders and human rights campaigners. In a key note address at the event, Mr Martin said: "Today, as we gather at Derrynane House to commemorate the life and legacy of Daniel O'Connell, we are reminded not only of the immense contributions of 'The Liberator' to Irish democracy and civil rights, but also of the power of community, past and present. HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading 'Commemorative events like this are vital acts of remembrance, where we come together to honour those who shaped our nation and to reflect on the values that unite us still. "It is through community, solidarity, and shared history that we find strength and inspiration for the future.' Daniel O'Connell by PJ Haverty RHA (1794-1864). Pictutre: Derrynane House (OPW) Minister for culture, communications, and sport, Patrick O'Donovan was also in attendance. He said: "The world can be a turbulent place, and it can appear to be worsening. "Daily we see breaches in civil rights, famine and wars. We can draw strength from our past. "We can remember what we have already overcome, we can look to the example of O'Connell - what one man was capable of achieving through peaceful means, and how his success motivated so many others in the global pursuit of civil rights and democratic reform.' Meanwhile, minister of State for the Office of Public Works Kevin 'Boxer' Moran said the OPW are "proud custodians of our national heritage." It is our privilege to manage and preserve Derrynane, the house and grounds that inspired O'Connell throughout his life. "We will ensure that this tangible legacy will continue to inspire and educate visitors about our national hero for years to come,' he said. Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Michael Foley said he was "privileged" to celebrate "our local hero", Daniel O'Connell. 'It is so important for local communities to be able to appropriately mark significant historical events and anniversaries specific to their locality and their community. 'While this may be a State-led event it is, at its heart, about community. "I want to thank all those who have made this event possible and to congratulate our local performers and creatives who have given of their talents and expertise- they have showcased the county at its very best," he added.
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
No Irish leader exerted as much global influence as Daniel O'Connell, commemoration hears
No Irish leader has exerted as much international influence as Daniel O'Connell with his Catholic emancipation campaign resulting in him being hailed a hero by all who believe in liberty, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said. Mr Martin said that the success of 'the Liberator' in campaigning for Catholic emancipation in 1829 led to people all over the world looking to Ireland for inspiration about how to bring together oppressed people to achieve dramatic breakthroughs. The Taoiseach was speaking at a State commemoration at O'Connell's ancestral home in Caherdaniel, Co Kerry, to mark the 250th anniversary of his birth. He said aside from being 'an inspiration to many Catholic communities who faced discrimination and repression around the world, he was also an icon for others, in particular Europe's Jewish community'. 'And of course he was a leader and a symbol of hope for those who were campaigning for the abolition of slavery wherever it was to be found,' said Mr Martin. He added that O'Connell and Ireland's story was followed closely by newspapers and journals worldwide. READ MORE Mr Martin said it would be wrong to think O'Connell cared only about Catholic emancipation as his focus was on oppression generally. ' He believed that members of all religions and in all countries should have the right to fully participate in the professional and political life of the state. 'He was not looking for supremacy, but for equality and respect. And to achieve it he built an organisation the like of which the world had never before seen. There had been many popular risings in world history, but there was no example of a mass democratic political movement before.' He said O'Connell brought all the fire and determination that had characterised his legal work to the cause of Catholic emancipation, and, as he grew older, he became much more personally and deeply committed to his faith. Taoiseach Micheál Martin officiated at the commemoration marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of Daniel O'Connell. Photograph: Maurice Gunning Mr Martin said O'Connell does not simply represent a distant part of Irish history but his tireless campaigning seeking to unite the Irish people behind the shared values of solidarity and justice means he remains an inspiring beacon for Irish people today. The event, at the OPW-managed Derrynane House, was attended by 200 invited guests, including Minister for Culture Patrick O'Donovan, who also spoke of O'Connell's continuing relevance in the modern world. 'The world can be a turbulent place, and it can appear to be worsening. Daily we see breaches in civil rights, famine and wars. We can draw strength from our past. We can remember what we have already overcome, we can look to the example of O'Connell. [ Daniel O'Connell would have enjoyed his life being celebrated 250 years on, says historian Opens in new window ] 'And when we do, we can see what one man was capable of achieving through peaceful means, and how his success motivated so many others in the global pursuit of civil rights and democratic reform,' said Mr O'Donovan. Among the guests, which included many public representatives, were more than 20 of O'Connell's descendants including his great-great-great granddaughter, Emily Lenehan, who delivered a reflection on her illustrious ancestor on behalf of the O'Connell family. The ceremony concluded with Mr Martin unveiling a commemorative plaque to O'Connell carved from Valentia slate and the planting of an oak tree, for which he was joined by two of O'Connell's youngest descendants, Finlay (12) and Charlotte Davidson (six). [ TV aerial in Daniel O'Connell stamp is a 'visual signal' to the modern age, not AI, says An Post Opens in new window ]
Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Kerry commemoration sees Taoiseach describe Daniel O'Connell as ‘one of the greatest Irish people'
The Taoiseach spoke at the State Commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Daniel O'Connell's birth at The Liberator's Home, Derrynane House on the Ring of Kerry, on Wednesday afternoon. The ceremony was attended by Oireachtas members, descendants of The Liberator, such as his great-great-great grandson Daniel O'Connell and great-great-great granddaughter Emily Lenehan, and members of the public, including some of those from the South Kerry Friends of Palestine group. The Taoiseach delivered the keynote address at the commemoration after speeches from Kerry County Council Cathaoirleach, Michael Foley, Minister of State for the OPW, Kevin Moran, and Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan. Mr Martin spoke as calls for solidarity with Palestine came from campaigners on the Long Beach adjacent to Derrynane House. 'O'Connell showed us his solidarity and inclusive nationalism which sees the strength, not the threat, from robust rules-based cooperation with other nations, which embraces uniqueness of both national identity and a shared European identity,' the Fianna Fail leader said. 'Which sees the need to speak up for the people of Ukraine and the people of Gaza,' he continued. 'At this this tense moment of world affairs, where the values of democracy, human rights, religious freedom and the rule of law are being challenged, the spirit of Daniel O'Connell is important as it has ever been. '250 years after his birth it is an honour and duty for us to gather here to remember the inspiring story of O'Connell's struggle for the rights of all and solidarity between people and nations.' Mr Martin began by stating that O'Connell's lasting impact on the history of Ireland and the wider world makes 'this proud son of Kerry one of the greatest Irish people to have ever lived'. 'O'Connell was born into a family which had many resources but which was also part of a wider community defined by experiencing profound discrimination and dispossession,' he said. 'Through an extraordinary life he campaigned for justice, not simply for Ireland but for all people. 'He created the first mass democratic political movement the world had ever seen. In words which resonated with growing force he called for religious freedom, human rights and democracy in countless speeches and in front of crowds of previously unimagined scale. 'And while his campaign for Repeal did not succeed, he showed the spirit and the determination of the Irish people to control their own destiny.' The Taoiseach, who spoke in Irish and English, said Daniel O'Connell, as a figure who fought to unite the Irish people behind shared values of solidarity and justice, does not represent a distant part of Ireland's history. 'We need to do more to remember and respect the role of O'Connell in the story of the Irish people,' he said. He said O'Connell was proud to be from South Kerry and Ireland, and his connection to its scenery and people provided the foundations for everything he did in his life. The Taoiseach said O'Connell became the 'greatest lawyer of his time'. 'Throughout the country he took up the cause of those facing arbitrary courts. He refused to be intimated by the power of the crown,' he stated. Mr Martin said it would be a mistake to see O'Connell as someone who had only campaigned for his own religion. 'He believed that all members of all religions and in all countries should have the right to fully participate in the professional and political life of the State,' he said. 'He was not looking for supremacy, but equality and respect.' The Taoiseach said O'Connell and his mass democratic campaign transformed the Catholic Emancipation movement in Ireland and Great Britain. 'After a steadily growing campaign it was a denial which could no longer be resisted' he said. 'The Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829 was no small achievement. It resonated throughout the world and Daniel O'Connell was hailed as a hero by all who believed in liberty. 'People looked to Ireland for inspiration about how to bring together oppressed people and to achieve dramatic breakthrough. There is no comparable example in our history of an Irish leader who had such international infamy.' Mr Martin said The Liberator was also an icon for the Jewish community of Europe and those campaigning for the demolition of slavery. 'In his campaigns he refused to accept help from those who supported slavery, and he used every available platform to denounce it as a savage institution,' he stated. 'The great abolitionist Frederick Douglass was inspired by his commitment to the cause. And said of O'Connell that he stood in dramatic contrast to those who had no sympathy for the cause of liberty outside their own.' As part of the event's cultural programme, Emily Lenehan told those present that her famed anscestor and his wife Mary developed Derrynane House as a family home. 'Daniel loved being here. Even at the height of his parliamentary career he returned every September and October to enjoy, as he put it, six or seven weeks of comparative mental inexertion,' Ms Lenehan said. She said O'Connell welcomed many unexpected and unannounced visitors who came to petition him, seek his advice or avail of his influence. 'While in Derrynane, O'Connell lived, and I quote: 'everyday, all day, fulfilling to perfection the character of a hardy, hospitable mountain chief',' Ms Lenehan said. Traditional music was provided courtesy of the Binneas Quintet while folk singer Tim Dennehy sang 'Dónall O'Conaill'. Declan McCarthy performed extracts of speeches made by The Liberator at some of his mass meetings. The ceremony concluded with the Taoiseach unveiling a plaque and planting a tree with the help of young descendants of O'Connell, Charlotte and Finley Davidson, before the national anthem was sung by Dr Gavan Ring.
