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The Guardian
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Anniversary of birth of Irish hero Daniel O'Connell rekindles mystery of missing heart
On his deathbed Daniel O'Connell, the man known in his time as 'the Liberator' of Ireland, made a request: 'My body to Ireland, my heart to Rome and my soul to heaven.' On Wednesday Ireland marked the 250th anniversary of his birth with speeches and pomp and a nagging question: where is the heart? After his death in 1847 O'Connell's heart was sent to Rome and kept as a prized relic in the Irish College at St Agata dei Goti, or the church of the Goths, but in 1927 authorities discovered it was gone. It is still missing, and the commemorations this week prompted calls for a renewed search to find it. 'It's a travesty if it was just left like that,' Maurice O'Connell, the statesman's great-great-great-grandnephew, told RTÉ. 'I think with the 250th anniversary, if you're not going to search now, you're never going to do it, so at least there's some impetus behind it. I'm sure there's interest in government to help the Daniel O'Connell story. But you've got to try and find it.' The descendant would like to see the heart laid to rest on Abbey Island in County Kerry, where O'Connell's wife, Mary, is buried. 'It would be fantastic if the heart was reunited with her.' The Kerry-born barrister and MP became the founding father of Irish nationalism by securing Catholic emancipation and leading an attempt to repeal the Act of Union that incorporated Ireland into the UK. His oratory and mobilisation of huge rallies inspired civil rights movements around the world. William Gladstone called O'Connell 'the greatest popular leader the world has ever seen'. Statues of him dot Irish towns and cities, his name adorns thoroughfares and his remains lie beneath a round tower in Dublin's Glasnevin cemetery. Of his heart, however, there is no trace. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion The heart was embalmed and is believed to have been placed in an urn stored behind a marble plaque in the wall of the Irish College's church. When the Irish College moved to another location in 1927 there was no sign of the urn. One theory is that it was swept up with other remains during works to expand the Bank of Italy, which encroached into the church's crypt, and reinterred at the Campo Verano cemetery. Another theory is that it was transferred to a silver casket that was then targeted by thieves. 'What a tragedy to think that the heart of O'Connell could have been swept up and taken and stolen,' a historian, John Crotty, told RTÉ. 'But that is the worst-case scenario. The distinct hope has to be that it was swept up in the Campo Verano move, or that it does remain underneath the chapel of the Goths still to this day.'
RTÉ News
7 days ago
- General
- RTÉ News
The curious case of Daniel O'Connell's missing heart
"My body to Ireland, my heart to Rome and my soul to heaven," the famous last words of Daniel O'Connell. O'Connell, the man hailed in his time as The Liberator for his leading role in the Catholic emancipation movement of the late 18th century, died in Genoa while on a pilgrimage to Rome in May 1847. Less known than O'Connell's parting words is that his dying wishes of having his body buried in Ireland and his heart taken to Rome were indeed carried out. Before his body was repatriated to Dublin for burial in Glasnevin Cemetery, his heart was eviscerated and embalmed and donated to the Irish College in Rome. However, his heart later vanished without trace, with its whereabouts still a mystery 180 years on from his death. Historian and author John Crotty explains further. "Certainly, his dying wishes were honoured," he said. He added: "There was quite a fuss and a debate about where the best place for his heart was, but a quite fitting location was found in that the Irish College had been set up in Rome at St Agata del Goti, or the Church of the Goths, so this was the place selected to hold the heart. "They were very proud of this, it was quite clear that it was a prized possession for them. They used the words 'we've the privilege of preserving the great heart of the father of this country under our church." O'Connell's heart was believed to have been reposing in a modest urn, before being placed behind a marble plaque fixed to the wall of the church to allow admirers to pay their respects. However, in 1927, problems arose. "There was great embarrassment, Italian blushes, apologies all round." "O'Connell's tomb was due to be moved and indeed the whole Irish College was due to be moved from the church of St Agatha," Mr Crotty explained. "There were works going on next door, with the Bank of Italy encroaching on the space under the church. "They decided to move and of course they would take the heart of O'Connell with them, they wouldn't leave behind this prized possession. "But unfortunately, when they went to move the monument, the heart and urn were no longer there, there was nothing to be found - it was a disaster. "The rector of the church at the time told a story that the heart was actually being kept in the crypt of the church. "The initial confusion and concern were probably allayed but tragically a search underneath the church revealed absolutely nothing – there was no sign of the urn that was supposed to be holding the heart of the liberator of Ireland. "There was great embarrassment, Italian blushes, apologies all round." Almost 100 years later, the whereabouts of O'Connell's heart remains unknown. However, there are a number of theories as to where it may have ended up. Mr Crotty said: "The likely explanation is that when the Bank of Italy expanded into the area adjacent to the church, there's no question they took part of the crypt as part of this expansion. "There's a distinct possibility that the bank had inadvertently cordoned off an area where the urn would have been held. "Probably more likely is that when these moving works were going on that the urn was moved as part of a reburial and excavation of other remains that they found underneath the church. "All these remains were swept up and moved to a place called Campo Verano on the outskirts of Rome. "There's a distinct possibility that the heart of Daniel O'Connell, if it's still at this point in the modest urn, was swept up and taken to Campo Verano and reinterred. "At the very least the heart does sit in Rome as was his wish but in an unknown location." However, other possibilities of where O'Connell's heart may lie are not as promising. There are unconfirmed records that the heart was removed from the modest urn and transferred to an ornate silver casket, which would have been highly valuable. "If you were a passing builder or someone working in the area, it is distinctly possible that theft has come into this. Of course, they wouldn't have known the importance of it, they would have only seen a silver urn that had a very specific and clear value. "So what a tragedy to think that the heart of O'Connell could have been swept up and taken and stolen – that what was inside was disposed and the urn itself sold for profit. "But that is the worst-case scenario, the distinct hope has to be that it was swept up in the Campo Verano move or that it does remain underneath the chapel of the Goths still to this day as an unrecognised item in a modest urn that nobody would believe that something of such great importance could be sitting in," Mr Crotty added. In the Church of St Agata del Got today, a depiction of O'Connell's heart is on permanent exhibition. The plaster cast heart, titled 'The Lost Heart of Daniel O'Connell', was gifted to the church by Irish artist Claire Halpin, who was also left intrigued by the mystery surrounding the missing relic. For Maurice O'Connell, the great-great-great-grandnephew of Daniel O'Connell, he would love to try and solve the near-century-old riddle, especially as today marks the 250th anniversary of the Liberator's birth. "It's a travesty if it was just left like that, I think with the 250th anniversary, if you're not going to search now, you're never going to do it so at least there's some impetus behind it," he said. "I'm sure there's interest in Government to help the Daniel O'Connell story. But you've got to try and find it. "If it was found I'd like to see it laid to rest on Abbey Island with his wife Mary, the big love of his life. It would be fantastic if the heart was reunited with her." "I'd sort of assumed we'd never come to the bottom of this, but to reunite his heart with Mary would be very special," he added.
RTÉ News
07-07-2025
- RTÉ News
Culmination of events marking 400th anniversary of St Oliver Plunkett's birth
A series of events will take place in Drogheda, Co Louth, over the coming days to mark the culmination of this year's Saint Oliver 400 celebrations. The 400th anniversary of the birth of St Oliver Plunkett is being marked in both Drogheda and the Oldcastle area of Co Meath this year. The iconic saint was born in Loughcrew in Co Meath, on 1 November 1625 and was ordained to the priesthood in Rome in 1654, having studied at the Irish College in the city. He later became the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland and maintained his duties in the face of the Penal Laws when the Catholic Church was being suppressed. St Oliver Plunkett was eventually arrested and tried for treason in London. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 1 July 1681. A group of his friends managed to rescue his head, which eventually made its way to St Peter's Church in Drogheda. The relic remains there to this day in a specially made shrine. One of the saint's thigh bones is also on display in the side altar of St Brigid's Church in Oldcastle. A series of events is under way to mark 400 years since St Oliver Plunkett's birth, and also the 50 years since his canonisation in 1975, when he became the first newly-made Irish saint for almost 700 years. Tomorrow will see an event titled the 'Plunkett Clan Gathering' take place at Loughcrew House and Gardens, the ancestral seat of the Plunkett family. An ecumenical service in the 17th-century church will be followed by historical talks, live music and refreshments, which organisers have said will be a "heartfelt tribute in a place of deep personal resonance for the saint's descendants". There will be an evening of music and reflection on Saturday with the St Oliver Concert taking place at St Peter's Church on West Street in Drogheda. Musical director Edward Holly will lead St Peter's Male Voice Choir, joined by soloists Seán Tester and Celine Byrne. However, the culmination of the anniversary year arrives on Sunday with the St Oliver Procession, a pageant of faith and remembrance that will see the community walk together in honour of the local saint. Starting from Holy Family Church in Ballsgrove, Drogheda at 3pm, the procession will make its way to St Peter's Church, the home of the shrine to St Oliver Plunkett, where a celebratory mass will be held at 4pm. The mass for the holy relics will be celebrated by Primate of All Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin, the 23rd successor of St Oliver Plunkett. This weekend's closing events coincide with the end of an The Saint Oliver 400 Commemorative Exhibition runs at 'The Exhibition Space' at Drogheda Civic Offices until Saturday.
RTÉ News
03-07-2025
- RTÉ News
Events to take place celebrating the birth of St Oliver Plunkett
A series of events will take place in Drogheda, Co Louth, over the coming days to mark the culmination of this year's Saint Oliver 400 celebrations. The 400th anniversary of the birth of St Oliver Plunkett is being marked in both Drogheda and the Oldcastle area of Co Meath this year. The iconic saint was born in Loughcrew in Co Meath on 1 November 1625 and was ordained to the priesthood in Rome in 1654, having studied at the Irish College in the city. He later became the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland and maintained his duties in the face of the Penal Laws when the Catholic Church was being suppressed. St Oliver Plunkett was eventually arrested and tried for treason in London. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 1 July 1681. A group of his friends managed to rescue his head, which eventually made its way to St Peter's Church in Drogheda. The relic remains there to this day in a specially made shrine. One of the saint's thigh bones is also on display in the side altar of St Brigid's Church in Oldcastle. A series of events is under way this year to mark 400 years since St Oliver Plunkett's birth, and also the 50 years since his canonisation in 1975, when he became the first newly-made Irish saint for almost 700 years. Tomorrow will see an event titled the 'Plunkett Clan Gathering' take place at Loughcrew House and Gardens, the ancestral seat of the Plunkett family. An ecumenical service in the 17th-century church will be followed by historical talks, live music and refreshments, which organisers have said will be a "heartfelt tribute in a place of deep personal resonance for the saint's descendants". There will be an evening of music and reflection on Saturday with the St Oliver Concert taking place at St Peter's Church on West Street in Drogheda. Musical director Edward Holly will lead St Peter's Male Voice Choir, joined by soloists Seán Tester and Celine Byrne. However, the culmination of the anniversary year arrives on Sunday with the St Oliver Procession, a pageant of faith and remembrance that will see the community walk together in honour of the local saint. Starting from Holy Family Church in Ballsgrove, Drogheda at 3pm, the procession will make its way to St Peter's Church, the home of the shrine to St Oliver Plunkett, where a celebratory mass will be held. This weekend's closing events coincide with the end of an exhibition, which opened last month and includes a number of artefacts and memorabilia associated with the saint. The Saint Oliver 400 Commemorative Exhibition runs at 'The Exhibition Space' at Drogheda Civic Offices until Saturday.
RTÉ News
09-06-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Exhibition marks 400th anniversary of St Oliver Plunkett's birth
The official launch of an exhibition to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the birth of St Oliver Plunkett will take place in Drogheda, Co Louth today. The exhibition will include a number of artefacts and memorabilia associated with the iconic saint that have never previously been on public display. St Oliver Plunkett was born in Loughcrew in Co Meath on 1 November 1625 and was ordained to the priesthood in Rome in 1654, having studied at the Irish College in the city. He later became the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland and maintained his duties in the face of the Penal Laws when the Catholic Church was being suppressed. St Oliver Plunkett was eventually arrested and tried for treason in London. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 1 July 1681. His head was rescued by a group of his friends and eventually made its way to St Peter's Church in Drogheda, where it remains today in a specially made shrine. A series of events is taking place in the town this year to mark 400 years since St Oliver Plunkett's birth, and also the 50 years since his can canonisation in 1975, when he became the first newly-made Irish saint for almost 700 years. The official launch of the St Oliver 400 Commemorative Exhibition will take place at the Drogheda Civic Offices on Fair Street. The exhibition will include St Oliver's Crozier loaned from a private collection, the original ebony casing which housed the saint's head and an original coffin plate from the Monastery of St Catherine of Siena in Drogheda. Other items going on public display are three silver crucifixes attributed to the saint and vestments loaned from St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh and Mullingar Museum. The exhibition also includes a large collection of banners, books, coins and a written account of the then archbishop's trial in London in 1681. Co-chair of the Saint Oliver 400 Community Group, Tommy Burns said: "It is fitting that St Oliver who reformed the clergy, built schools, brought peace and hope to the people is still so fondly remembered in Ireland, and exemplified in this important exhibition in Drogheda, 400 years after his birth." Meanwhile, local historian Séamus Bellew, who specialises in heraldry and genealogy, said: "This exhibition brings together a rare collection of items, comprising books, brasses and the reliquary that housed St Oliver's head, all from the 17th century and much more besides...a must see." Thomas McEvoy, Deputy Chief Executive of Louth County Council, said it is important to commemorate the life of St Oliver as his story is one of "resilience and integrity during some of the most turbulent periods in our history." Mr McEvoy said: "His unwavering commitment to peace, reconciliation, and education serves as a timeless example for us all and the Saint Oliver 400 Exhibition brings this legacy to life in a new and powerful way. "On behalf of Louth County Council, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Saint Oliver 400 Community Group who have organised this exhibition here in our Civic Offices in the heart of Drogheda." The exhibition runs at 'The Exhibition Space' at Drogheda Civic Offices on weekdays until 4 July.
