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Irish Times
7 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Irish Times
Philanderer Daniel O'Connell lies in a hero's grave, his wife Mary in an overgrown tomb
Sun-bathers lolling in their swimwear on Derrynane Beach occasionally witness the incongruous sight of funeral mourners walking behind a lofted coffin along the water's edge. The procession terminates on Abbey Island, a small, sandy burial ground that can only be reached when the tide permits. Here lie the mortal remains of Mary O'Connell in a tomb of cracking stone slabs and invading weeds. The words inscribed on the top are no longer legible to the visiting eye. Above the beach in Derrynane House, tourists from far and wide marvel at the legacy of Mary's husband, Daniel , the Liberator revered for his monster rallies and Catholic emancipation. Most people leave the Kerry estate unaware that the serene woman in a portrait hanging in the diningroom – the wife who bore his dozen children and joined him on a speaking tour to quell a scandal about his infidelity to her – lies nearby in a mouldering grave. Mary was laid to rest with Daniel's people in the family graveyard on the Atlantic shore when she died, aged 58, 11 years before her famous husband. Almost a five-hour drive away in Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery , he shares his ornate crypt with other family members. The crypt, which was refurbished with new marble in 2009, is marked by the 55m (180ft) O'Connell Tower, built in homage to the barrister, campaigner, MP and founder of the Dublin Cemeteries Committee. After the tower was refurbished seven years ago and opened to the public , Paschal Donohoe, the Minister for Finance, performed the official ribbon-cutting. Ireland has shown due respect to a giant of its history. The main street in the capital city is named in honour of Daniel O'Connell. So is Limerick's main street. Cork and Waterford have an O'Connell street too. There is an O'Connell monument and an O'Connell Bridge. There are O'Connell schools. As his 250th birthday approaches on August 6th, there have been calls for the renaming of Kerry Airport to Daniel O'Connell Airport. His home on the Iveragh peninsula is a national monument maintained by the OPW . Though it was home to his wife too, try mentioning Mary O'Connell to most anyone and the likely response will be 'Mary who?' READ MORE She was the child of a mixed marriage. Her Catholic mother, Ellen Tuohy, married a widowed Protestant called Thomas O'Connell, through whom Mary was distantly related to her future husband. Daniel stood to inherit the expansive house and estate in Derrynane from his bachelor uncle Maurice 'Hunting Cap' O'Connell but because of a stipulation that he should marry a woman with a dowry, the couple kept their romance secret, even living apart after their marriage in 1802 to maintain the pretence. They were obliged to come clean following the birth of their first child. Mary O'Connell's tomb in Derrynane Abbey. Photograph: Breeding became as intrinsic to Mary's life as breathing. Despite Daniel's adultery early in their marriage, she bore 12 children, six of whom survived beyond birth and childhood, and suffered a number of miscarriages. She was pregnant every year for the first eight years of marriage, and twice in 1810 when she gave birth in February and December. As well as rearing the children in the increasing absence of a husband on the court circuit and campaign trail, Mary was the chatelaine of a house regarded as the HQ of Ireland's unofficial chieftain. At Derrynane House, she received international statesmen and royals seeking meetings with her husband. She, literally and metaphorically, kept the home fires burning in a house that now generates revenue for the State. It featured as one of Ireland's greatest historic properties in the first episode of the current RTÉ series, Legacy. Perhaps the OPW could make an offer to O'Connell's descendants to restore and maintain it. The extent of work required does not seem expensive – certainly not as expensive as a bike shelter for Leinster House Relentless pregnancy, short-term economic exile in France with her children because of Daniel's extravagant spending and the stress of publicity about his marital indiscretions likely contributed to Mary O'Connell's poor health and early death. Her biographer, Erin I Bishop, records Mary's trip accompanying her husband on a political tour of the English midlands to offset negative press about his alleged 'illegitimate' son. Not only was she married to a Westminster MP but she was the mother of four others as all of her sons went on to represent six Irish constituencies in the London parliament. Daniel O'Connell's 250th birthday is the sole occasion for State commemoration this year that is listed in the programme for government. Preparations are under way for a host of events in Kerry and nationally, including a symposium in Trinity College in July and the annual commemorative lecture in Glasnevin. Meanwhile, Mary lies forgotten in the weathered tomb she shares with Maurice Hunting Cap. Paul Ryan, a retired tour guide from Waterford, has been campaigning for the restoration of Mary's resting place. After a visit last month, he reported that mortar needs to be replaced, the stone cleaned, the weeds removed and the inscription renewed. [ O'Connell Tower in Glasnevin reopens 47 years after bomb blast Opens in new window ] The OPW is not responsible for the burial ground in the monastic ruins on Abbey Island but perhaps it could make an offer to O'Connell's descendants to restore and maintain it. The extent of work required does not seem expensive – certainly not as expensive as a bike shelter for Leinster House. Or maybe the Glasnevin Trust, which keeps the crypt and tower in tip-top condition, could play a part in honouring the grave of the Liberator's wife. It was Daniel's often-quoted dying wish that his heart would go to Rome, his body to Ireland and his soul to heaven. He did not add 'and my wife to the vagaries of Atlantic storms and an amnesiac nation'. Despite his early marital philandering, the couple reputedly settled into a loving partnership. The neglect of Mary's grave is a metaphor for the continual airbrushing of women out of Irish history. After the centenary of the Easter Rising and all the political promises in 2016 that the Elizabeth O'Farrells of this island – the nurse selected by Patrick Pearse to carry his message seeking negotiations to end hostilities and subsequently wiped from the history – would never again be forgotten, here we go again. There is a sexist old saying that, in Mary O'Connell's case, bears repeating. Behind every great man is a great woman. We should respect her memory, lest we forget.
Irish Times
7 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Irish Times
This lonely, overgrown tomb of cracked stone is a metaphor for Irish attitudes to women in history
Sun-bathers lolling in their swimwear on Derrynane Beach occasionally witness the incongruous sight of funeral mourners walking behind a lofted coffin along the water's edge. The procession terminates on Abbey Island, a small, sandy burial ground that can only be reached when the tide permits. Here lie the mortal remains of Mary O'Connell in a tomb of cracking stone slabs and invading weeds. The words inscribed on the top are no longer legible to the visiting eye. Above the beach in Derrynane House, tourists from far and wide marvel at the legacy of Mary's husband, Daniel , the Liberator revered for his monster rallies and Catholic emancipation. Most people leave the Kerry estate unaware that the serene woman in a portrait hanging in the diningroom – the wife who bore his dozen children and joined him on a speaking tour to quell a scandal about his infidelity to her – lies nearby in a mouldering grave. Mary was laid to rest with Daniel's people in the family graveyard on the Atlantic shore when she died, aged 58, 11 years before her famous husband. Almost a five-hour drive away in Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery , he shares his ornate crypt with other family members. The crypt, which was refurbished with new marble in 2009, is marked by the 55m (180ft) O'Connell Tower, built in homage to the barrister, campaigner, MP and founder of the Dublin Cemeteries Committee. After the tower was refurbished seven years ago and opened to the public , Paschal Donohoe, the Minister for Finance, performed the official ribbon-cutting. Ireland has shown due respect to a giant of its history. The main street in the capital city is named in honour of Daniel O'Connell. So is Limerick's main street. Cork and Waterford have an O'Connell street too. There is an O'Connell monument and an O'Connell Bridge. There are O'Connell schools. As his 250th birthday approaches on August 6th, there have been calls for the renaming of Kerry Airport to Daniel O'Connell Airport. His home on the Iveragh peninsula is a national monument maintained by the OPW . Though it was home to his wife too, try mentioning Mary O'Connell to most anyone and the likely response will be 'Mary who?' READ MORE She was the child of a mixed marriage. Her Catholic mother, Ellen Tuohy, married a widowed Protestant called Thomas O'Connell, through whom Mary was distantly related to her future husband. Daniel stood to inherit the expansive house and estate in Derrynane from his bachelor uncle Maurice 'Hunting Cap' O'Connell but because of a stipulation that he should marry a woman with a dowry, the couple kept their romance secret, even living apart after their marriage in 1802 to maintain the pretence. They were obliged to come clean following the birth of their first child. Mary O'Connell's tomb in Derrynane Abbey. Photograph: Breeding became as intrinsic to Mary's life as breathing. Despite Daniel's adultery early in their marriage, she bore 12 children, six of whom survived beyond birth and childhood, and suffered a number of miscarriages. She was pregnant every year for the first eight years of marriage, and twice in 1810 when she gave birth in February and December. As well as rearing the children in the increasing absence of a husband on the court circuit and campaign trail, Mary was the chatelaine of a house regarded as the HQ of Ireland's unofficial chieftain. At Derrynane House, she received international statesmen and royals seeking meetings with her husband. She, literally and metaphorically, kept the home fires burning in a house that now generates revenue for the State. It featured as one of Ireland's greatest historic properties in the first episode of the current RTÉ series, Legacy. Perhaps the OPW could make an offer to O'Connell's descendants to restore and maintain it. The extent of work required does not seem expensive – certainly not as expensive as a bike shelter for Leinster House Relentless pregnancy, short-term economic exile in France with her children because of Daniel's extravagant spending and the stress of publicity about his marital indiscretions likely contributed to Mary O'Connell's poor health and early death. Her biographer, Erin I Bishop, records Mary's trip accompanying her husband on a political tour of the English midlands to offset negative press about his alleged 'illegitimate' son. Not only was she married to a Westminster MP but she was the mother of four others as all of her sons went on to represent six Irish constituencies in the London parliament. Daniel O'Connell's 250th birthday is the sole occasion for State commemoration this year that is listed in the programme for government. Preparations are under way for a host of events in Kerry and nationally, including a symposium in Trinity College in July and the annual commemorative lecture in Glasnevin. Meanwhile, Mary lies forgotten in the weathered tomb she shares with Maurice Hunting Cap. Paul Ryan, a retired tour guide from Waterford, has been campaigning for the restoration of Mary's resting place. After a visit last month, he reported that mortar needs to be replaced, the stone cleaned, the weeds removed and the inscription renewed. [ O'Connell Tower in Glasnevin reopens 47 years after bomb blast Opens in new window ] The OPW is not responsible for the burial ground in the monastic ruins on Abbey Island but perhaps it could make an offer to O'Connell's descendants to restore and maintain it. The extent of work required does not seem expensive – certainly not as expensive as a bike shelter for Leinster House. Or maybe the Glasnevin Trust, which keeps the crypt and tower in tip-top condition, could play a part in honouring the grave of the Liberator's wife. It was Daniel's often-quoted dying wish that his heart would go to Rome, his body to Ireland and his soul to heaven. He did not add 'and my wife to the vagaries of Atlantic storms and an amnesiac nation'. Despite his early marital philandering, the couple reputedly settled into a loving partnership. The neglect of Mary's grave is a metaphor for the continual airbrushing of women out of Irish history. After the centenary of the Easter Rising and all the political promises in 2016 that the Elizabeth O'Farrells of this island – the nurse selected by Patrick Pearse to carry his message seeking negotiations to end hostilities and subsequently wiped from the history – would never again be forgotten, here we go again. There is a sexist old saying that, in Mary O'Connell's case, bears repeating. Behind every great man is a great woman. We should respect her memory, lest we forget.
Irish Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Film director Neil Jordan and the Éamon de Valera connection
'I'll never be forgiven for that. I don't really care', film director Neil Jordan told the Guardian newspaper last summer, referring to his depiction of former president and taoiseach Éamon de Valera in his 1996 film 'Michael Collins'. Jordan's insouciance about his portrayal of Ireland's third president echoes his verdict in his memoir, Amnesiac, also published last year. 'Did de Valera have a hand in Collins's death?', he asks. 'Probably not, but he could have prevented it. Did he have a nervous breakdown in the aftermath? I believe so, absolutely. And we all had to live inside it', he added. Disparaging de Valera had been a feature of Jordan's work, predating the Michael Collins film by 20 years and going back half-a-century to his first book, published a few months after de Valera's death in summer 1975. Night in Tunisia, Jordan's debut short story collection, ends with a story set mostly in a cafe on Dublin's O'Connell Street on the day of de Valera's State funeral 50 years ago this year. The street has been cleared of all vehicular traffic to make way for the procession of the funeral cortege to Glasnevin Cemetery. Inside the cafe a man in his mid-twenties is talking to a former lover, an older woman. She says that she and everyone of her generation was 'taught to idolise' de Valera, but the young man, named Neil, views the passing cortege as that of 'an animal dying' – 'an animal that was huge, murderous, contradictory'. READ MORE Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award and the Guardian Fiction Prize, Night in Tunisia was followed by Jordan's first novel, The Past, which was critically acclaimed in Ireland, Britain and the United States. It is also peppered with unflattering references to de Valera. 'That man who would stamp his unlikely profile on the history of this place as surely as South American dictators stick theirs on coins and postage stamps', a central character recalls. The novel is set in the years after the War of Independence and its first mention of de Valera, on the fourth page, is about his destruction of Dublin's Custom House and its ancient records in a fire that burned for three days. Éamon de Valera, who died, aged 92, on August 29th, 1975, was the dominant Irish politician of Jordan's childhood, teens and student days. He was elected successively to every Dáil from the first (1919-1921) to the 16th (1957-1959), serving as taoiseach six times and as President of the Executive Council (Prime Minister) three times. He then served two consecutive terms as president of Ireland from 1959 to 1973. He was president of Ireland when Jordan graduated from UCD with a history degree in 1972. 'This strange figure, from Bruree in Co Limerick by way of Spain and New York, with his predilection for mathematics, Gaelic games and Catholicism', was Jordan's description of de Valera in his memoir. The schoolboy Jordan attended a de Valera rally at the GPO and he walked along O'Connell Street in Dublin on the day of de Valera's State funeral, September 2, 1975. It was in de Valera's national daily newspaper, the Irish Press, that Jordan's first published short story, On Coming Home, appeared in September 1974, a few months before de Valera's death. Jordan had four further stories published on the newspaper's New Irish Writing Page over the next two years. He won an award at the Berlin Film Festival in 1998 for his adaptation of Patrick McCabe's novel The Butcher Boy, in which the Irish Press is mentioned. Jordan was shooting the Michael Collins film on the streets of Dublin when the Irish Press and its Sunday and evening sister papers ceased publication in May 1995, 30 years ago this summer. He supported the journalists following the closure and he said that the Irish Press had been an important outlet for him and writers of his generation. The Collins film ends with a screenshot of de Valera's reported 1966 acknowledgment that 'history will record the greatness of Collins and it will be recorded at my expense'. But the two main political parties that grew out of the Collins/de Valera split over the Anglo Irish Treaty, and the ensuing Civil War in which Collins was shot dead, now share power in the Dáil. And Jordan has hailed how 21st century Ireland differs from the previous century. Praising Sally Rooney's novels in The Irish Times last year, he said: 'There's not a hint of de Valera's nonsense to be seen there'.
