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RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Who was the real Daniel O'Connell?
Analysis: from a fierce passion for civil rights and huge energy to anger, ego and vanity, an assessment of the Emancipator's strengths and flaws There's no doubt that The Great Emancipator had a trailblazing life. The Daniel O'Connell: Forgotten King Of Ireland documentary, directed by Alan Gilsenan and presented by Olivia O'Leary, re-assessed the life and times of O'Connell by travelling from Kerry to Glasnevin to Rome, to look at the contemporary legacy of O'Connell, the man that King George IV of England grudgingly called "the uncrowned king of Ireland". O'Leary was joined by various guests, including Prof Patrick Geoghegan, Professor in Modern History at TCD. In these edited excerpts from interviews for the series, Geoghegan discusses O'Connell's views on slavery, his approach to civil rights, his flaws, his tendencies to be a bully and what motivated him. Because he was so central to Catholic emancipation, that's the victory that stuck with him, but he had a sense of civil rights that went much wider that that. "Really it was a great civil rights victory because what he was doing was giving the vast majority of the people equal rights in the country. He believed in Jewish emancipation and he fought for Jewish rights in the British parliament. He believed in the emancipation of of African Americans who are being held in slavery in the United States and became one of the greatest champions of freedom for those people in the 19th century. From RTÉ One, Olivia O'Leary and Sinn Finn's Eoin Ó Broin debate the legacy of O'Connell "Many people disapproved of O'Connell's stance on slavery. Archbishops in America wrote to him. It wasn't that they were in favour of slavery, but they didn't believe that it was appropriate for an Irish politician to be lecturing the Americans on how they should run their own country. It was seen as inappropriate interfering "Some of the language O'Connell used was harsh and uncompromising. He said that George Washington was a hypocrite because he owned slaves and he said that he would never set foot on American soil because it was a contaminated country and he believed that slavery was a great sin and will have to be removed. "O'Connell's feeling on the slavery issue was personal. He had an empathy there that many other white abolitionists didn't have. He understood what it was like to grow up in a sense of feeling a sense of inferiority, feeling humiliated, feeling like you weren't equal in your own country. "The Irish condition wasn't as bad as the slave condition, but he knew what it was like to grow up with that humiliation and so he empathised with the slave mother, with the slave father, with slave children. He would move his audiences to tears when he would speak at anti-slavery rallies in the United Kingdom and in Ireland." From RTÉ Radio 1's Today With Miriam O'Callaghan, Olivia O'Leary on why the memory of O'Connell has been left to gather dust in a forgotten corner of Irish history When Frederick Douglass came to Ireland in 1845, he saw similarities with the plight of his own people "Yes, especially the horrible conditions of the peasants and of course this was a country about to go into a terrible famine, I suppose the big difference is that American slaves could be sold at any time and children be taken off their parents. That's the main difference with the peasantry in Ireland. "When O'Connell anointed Douglass as the black O'Connell of the United States, it was his way of saying that America needed a champion of freedom. It was his way of passing on that torch and was something Douglass never forgot. "Douglass mourned the fact that when O'Connell died, the Irish nationalist movement was taken over by people who supported slavery and who had expressed their ambition to go over and own a plantation with slaves, like John Mitchell. Whereas O'Connell was someone who made the walls shake when he denounced the slaveowners. O'Connell was someone who influenced the great men and women who campaigned for abolition of slavery." From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, Myles Dungan on how a 1844 spell in prison did wonders for Daniel O'Connell's health and political reputation What were O'Connell's flaws? "He had a lot of flaws. I think part of the problem with O'Connell and the way he's remembered is that it's been very much a one-dimensional portrait of either the hero of Ireland, the saint who won Catholic emancipation or else the coward who bottled it at Clontarf. "The reality is that he was a much more complex figure. He was aggressive, he was aggressive in his language, he shocked his family, he shocked his friends, he shocked his opponents. Sometimes they'd have to intercept the newspapers so that his uncle Maurice wouldn't find out what he was saying in speeches. "But on the other hand, that was necessary to shake the Irish people out of their apathy and show that this was someone who was fighting for them. Sometimes it could extend over into bullying when it came to his own friends and supporters and there wasn't a close associate who he hadn't fallen out with at some point or another. "He had a huge ego and his vanity was legendary. When he would travel around the country in the 1830s, he would ask school children if they knew who he was and if they didn't, he'd say 'I'm the person who won your freedom'. When journalists would ask him who was the greatest person in Irish history he would say 'myself'. "He was terrible with money, he was always borrowing money and he was never saving money. He also wanted people to think he was the great chieftain living in the great house with the great carriage with the great estate in Kerry, the best clothes. "He couldn't afford these things at the time, his wife was furious about the carriage, Merrion Square. He couldn't tell the difference between public funds for his organisations, so there were always questions about whether he was using public funds for his own private dinners. "He could be a bully, liked things done his own way, insisted that his followers gave him complete allegiance. If there was ever a difference of opinion, he could fly into a furious rage. But very often, he would forgive people and give them a hug. I think he would have been a nightmare to work with because things could only be done one way and that was his." "I think he was just someone who was really one of these figures who only comes around once in a 200 or 300 year period" What do you think motivated him? Would he have been as energetic a character in a totally different situation? "I think sometimes you meet these figures who just seem to have boundless energy, I think he loved what he was doing and I think when you love what you're doing it doesn't seem like work. So he loved getting up at five in the morning and taking a shower - he installed this shower contraption in his house in Merrion Square. "But he loved going to the law courts and running rings around opposing counsels and intimidating judges. And he loved going to public meetings and campaigning for the civil rights and I think he he got so much energy out of the love and and welcome of the crowd. "O'Connell once said that whatever job you were given to do, you should always make sure you did it to the best of your ability. He used to boast 'if I was breaking rocks, I'd be the best breaker of rocks that ever lived', so he believed in doing a job to the best of his ability. "I think he was just someone who was really one of these figures who only comes around once in a 200 or 300 year period. Someone who has an incredible vision and energy and drive, some of it is driven by his own anger. The anger motivated him, that sense of humiliation, the anger at the way Catholics were being treated. "Some of it was the ego motivating him, but he had this incredible drive and determination. I think the depression in the later years was probably to do with the death of his wife and probably a despair about how things were going in Ireland."
The Journal
30-07-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Stamps of Daniel O'Connell have been unveiled to celebrate his 250th birthday
TWO NEW STAMPS commemorating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Daniel O'Connell have been unveiled. The stamps are part of the widespread celebrations planned to celebrate the revolutionary's quarter of a millennium anniversary. Daniel O'Connell, hailed in his time as 'The Liberator', was born in August emerged as a key figure in Ireland's pursuit of parliamentary democracy through his movement for the repeal of the 1800 Act of Union. Barred from taking his parliamentary seat in 1828, his campaign eventually led to the passage of the 1829 Catholic Emancipation Act. The Kerry man was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin after securing the passage of the Act. The Act meant that Irish Catholics could become members of parliament. Dublin's main thoroughfare bears his name. The two stamps were unveiled by Taoiseach Micheál Martin today. They are designed by Irish artist David Rooney, and are said to commemorate O'Connell's enduring legacy, 'showing him as an inspiring and towering figure in momentous, stylised scenes from his life'. Advertisement One stamp depicts his release from Richmond Bridewell after his three-month imprisonment. The second stamp shows him front and centre at one of his famous 'monster meetings'. According to magazine History Ireland , O'Connell's fifty-plus 'monster meetings' have been described the most spectacular public gatherings in Irish history. They were held across the three southern provinces during the summers of 1843 and 1845 to demonstrate support for O'Connell's campaign to repeal the Act of Union. 'These gatherings were arguably the largest mass phenomena in modern Irish history. In the contemporary nationalist press, almost all of them were said to number over 100,000; many were reported at between a quarter million and a half million; and one of them, the famous gathering at Tara Hill in mid-August 1843, was put at over one million,' the magazine said. Micheál Martin, TCD Provost Linda Doyle, and An Post CEO David McRedmond. MAXWELL PHOTOGRAPHY MAXWELL PHOTOGRAPHY A limited edition First Day Cover envelope features his famous statue in Ennis, Co. Clare and is available, together with the stamps, at selected post offices and online from tomorrow. Speaking today at Trinity College, Martin said that O'Connell is the greatest popular leader the world has ever known. 'He was a campaigner for the Catholic emancipation, the repeal of the Act of the Union and the abolition of slavery. He proved to be a powerful constitutional and legal reformer. I am delighted to unveil these stamps marking 250 years since his birth, to honour him and remember his legacy.' CEO of An Post David McRedmond said that An Post hopes that the stamps will promote a renewed interest in O'Connell. Also a part of the celebrations, Leinster House is to unveil a statue of Daniel O'Connell later this year. A programme of commemorative events will be held for 'The Liberator' in the coming weeks and months, including a State-led ceremony at his principal residence, Derrynane House in Co Kerry. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
29-07-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
How 'sandwich generation' are caught up in cost of living crisis
Analysis: As Ireland ages and family care stretches across three generations, the squeezed middle are quietly doing it all with little recognition By Bhavya Shrivastava, TCD If society were a family, the sandwich generation would be the middle child: steady, responsible and too often overlooked. These are adults who simultaneously care for ageing parents and young children, all while managing household budgets, work commitments and rising living costs. As Ireland's population grows older and childbirth happens later in life, more families are supporting three generations at once. While this reflects progress, it also places growing pressure on those in the middle, especially as the state supports struggle to keep pace with today's demographic realities and economic demands. We need your consent to load this rte-player content We use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences From RTÉ Radio 1's Brendan O'Connor Show, clinical psychologist Dr. Rosaleen McElvaney talks about the sandwich generation who are juggling care for children with care for parents Ireland's changing demographics For the last few years, Ireland's population has been ageing rapidly. In 2022, there were over 806,000 people aged 65 and over, more than 17% of the population, and this number is projected to double by 2051. At the same time, the average age of mothers giving birth continues to rise, from 30.3 years in 2001 to 31.5 in 2010. This means more people are finding themselves raising young children just as their parents begin to require care. Looking at the future projections, Ireland's old-age dependency ratio (that is, the number of people aged 65 and over for every 100 working-age adults) is projected to reach 50 by 2057 . With fewer workers supporting more retirees under the current pay-as-you-go pension system, pressure on the sandwich generation is set to increase, raising concerns about long-term sustainability. No time, no money, always on the go This increasing pressure on the sandwich generation is often in terms of their time and money. Their unpaid labour includes everything from personal care and emotional support to transport, cooking, budgeting, companionship, GP drop-offs, school drop-offs offs and the list goes on. We need your consent to load this rte-player content We use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, who are the squeezed middle? This invisible work and competing demands for their time and attention from their child and elderly parents lead to "care burnout", through which the sandwich generation suffers silently. They function on auto-pilot potentially harming their physical and mental health, workforce participation and long-term financial security. To manage their competing roles, many reduce their paid working hours or choose flexible, lower-paid jobs. The result is not only lower income but also reduced pension contributions, placing them at risk of financial hardship later in life; and the vicious dependency loop continues. If this is not all, the financial pressure on the sandwich generation is considerable. According to TILDA's report, 9% of sandwich-generation women provide financial support to their parents. This transfer varies in monetary terms, but it decreases the household income and is also linked to higher rates of depression among these caregivers. We need your consent to load this rte-player content We use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty on why Budget 2026 needs to include cost-of-living measures A system under strain In today's economy, the burden is heavier than ever with the rising grocery and energy bills. Even if we somehow manage to get around these high costs, there is always the burden of housing and healthcare expenses. Finding comfort in Ireland's healthcare infrastructure has become challenging. Public provisions such as home care and the Fair Deal scheme often involve long waiting lists or complex application processes. This forces families to fill the gaps themselves, typically unpaid and unrecognised. Despite growing public awareness of the challenges facing carers, Ireland's policies have not caught up. Carers' allowance remains modest and difficult to access, while unpaid caregiving is not fully acknowledged in the pension system. Affordable, accessible childcare and eldercare at work and from employers are still patchy at best. We need your consent to load this rte-player content We use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, a Fair Deal-style scheme giving people a legal entitlement to homecare will be delivered in the lifetime of the Government, according to Kieran O'Donnell, Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Older People Children caught in the middle The horror does not end with the sandwich generation as their children are often pulled into the struggle. Parents who are exhausted, financially insecure or emotionally stretched may struggle to invest in their children's development. From afterschool activities to balanced nutrition, resources are finite — and often divided across three generations. What can be done? The sandwich generation are the backbone of many Irish families. As ageing accelerates and the cost-of-living crisis continues, their struggles will deepen without timely intervention. Supporting the sandwich generation is not just about easing individual strain, but about preparing for the future, where care is fairly shared, structurally supported and sustainably funded. Ireland will thrive if we invest in care infrastructure that reflects today's demographic realities: universal home care, streamlined access to supports like the Fair Deal scheme, flexible work protections (for both child and elder care), and proper pension credits for unpaid carers. Childcare and eldercare must be treated as public goods and not private burdens. Follow RTÉ Brainstorm on WhatsApp and Instagram for more stories and updates Bhavya Shrivastava is a PhD candidate in Economics at Trinity College Dublin The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Texas lake hits 100% capacity after 15 years — officials urge caution amid flooding fears
Heavy rains filled Lake Buchanan in Texas, a first since 2005. Authorities released water to prevent floods. The lake reached full capacity after significant rainfall. Climate change is cited as a factor. Experts suggest reducing air pollution to mitigate future flooding. Individuals can help by adopting eco-friendly practices. Every small action counts towards a larger impact. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Officials take action to avoid floods Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why is this happening? What can people do about it? FAQs Water levels in Texas water bodies have broken decades old records after heavy rainfall in the past few weeks. Even Lake Buchanan has reached almost hundred percent of its capacity for the first time since 2005 after the deadly rain happened after 22 inches of rain fell in the Highland Lakes region over the July Fourth weekend. On July 2, Lake Buchanan was only 60% full, but just weeks later, it's completely full, according to the TCD Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) opened Lake Buchanan's flood gates to release extra water — first time since 2019. The move could prevent flooding and control the heavy flow of water through the system of the Highland Travis gets water from lake Buchanan and due to its hundred percent capacity might overflow. At the moment, Lake Buchanan has little space to hold water. However, officials have said that it can handle 15 more feet of water, but urged caution saying that the situation is being monitored for possible flood risks, News week say that the sudden change in climate in central Texas is an example of what extreme climate change can do to water bodies. Central Texas went from a drought to now flooding in a matter of reason was the enlarged capacity of hot air to hold moisture experts also suggest that for every 1° F rise in temperature 4% more water increases in the air above the lands which can make storms, heavier and rainfall disastrous. Since 1970, the intensity of hourly rainfall has gone up 15% across 126 U.S. like New York are not built to handle big amounts of rain fast. Concrete and roads don't let water soak in, so it all rushes into old storm drains, which get overloaded and cause flash floods. Flash floods can kill people, damage homes, ruin infrastructure, and make insurance more expensive, as per the TCD reduce the risk of heavy rain and flooding, we need to cut down air pollution. Polluted air holds more moisture, which can lead to stronger storms and more are some simple things people can do: Riding a bike instead of driving, using public transport, growing your own food, switching to electric vehicles, and installing solar panels are all small steps that help reduce pollution. As the report TCD says, 'No one can do everything, but if everyone does something — it adds up.'Officials opened the floodgates to release extra water after the lake reached full capacity for the first time in 15 years, to prevent flooding rainstorms in early July 2025 dropped up to 22 inches of rain, rapidly filling the lake from 60% to 100% in just a few weeks.
Irish Examiner
24-07-2025
- Science
- Irish Examiner
Richard Collins: A joy to learn about extinct and 'resurrected' creatures
'Ireland's Last Great Auk, Extinct 1844 — donated by Dr Robert Burkitt' reads an inscription on a display case in Trinity College Dublin's zoological museum. The large flightless seabird is the institution's most popular exhibit. The Unnatural History of Animals — Tales from a Zoological Museum, just published, describes the celebrated creature's demise. The book's author, Dr Martyn Linnie, is the Museum's curator. He tells us that Burkitt did not realise at the time just how valuable this now priceless exhibit would become. His nose was out of joint so, to bury the hatchet, the College awarded him an annual 'Great Auk Pension' of £50 — a considerable sum at the time. Such colourful asides make this a lively and fascinating book. The sign for the Tetrapod Trackway on Valentia Island, County Kerry The great auk is the best known of the Museum's 25,000 specimens, but Ireland's main claim to palaeontological fame also features in Dr Linnie's account. Mr James Dickinson of Lancashire Conservation Studios, Preston, works on the preservation of TCD's Great Auk, in 2009. Picture: TCD The creature whose footprints are preserved in 385-million year old rock on Valentia Island, was 'a fish out of water'... one of the earliest land vertebrates. The ancient tetrapod is long extinct but specimens of a lungfish and a salamander, thought to be its oldest living relatives, feature in the Museum's collection. The Japanese giant salamander has the distinction of being the world's largest extant amphibian. Path of tetrapod on Valentia Island, County Kerry, just below and to the right of the seaweed. The tetrapod was a predecessor of mammals and lived 385 million years ago in the Devonian period. Picture: Dan MacCarthy But the museum, established as an aid to zoology students, is no parish-pump operation. All animal life, from the leeches used to treat Napoleon's haemorrhoids to the senseless massacre of the passenger pigeon, one of the world's most numerous birds, features in the book's 40 chapters. Nor is this museum just another memorial graveyard — many of the creatures it displays are alive and well. Some of them have even arisen from the dead... ...One such is the world's most famous fish. In recounting its story, one museum curator celebrates the work of another member of his profession. Drawing by Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer of the strange fish recovered in East London, RSA, on Dec. 22, 1938, part of a letter to J.L.B. Smith, sent the next day, and preserved in the SAIAB, Grahamstown, RSA. Picture: On the morning of July 30, 1938, curator Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer was working in South Africa's natural history museum, when local fishermen brought in a fish, the likes of which neither she, nor they, had ever seen previously. Aged just 24, little did Marjorie know that her glamorous name was about to become known worldwide. The 1.5 metre-long carcass, weighing 55kg, reminded Marjorie of depictions she had seen of pre-historic marine creatures. The local mortuary and food wholesalers refused to deep-freeze the smelly specimen, but she stuck to her guns, leaving no stone unturned until the strange fish's identity had been established. It turned out to be a species of coelacanth — a creature thought of have been extinct for 70 million years. Palaeontologist JLB Smith of Rhodes University named the species Latimeria chalumnae in her honour. I peruse newly-published wildlife and natural history books from time to time. They are mostly rather worthy tomes, some offering new information and fresh insights. However, not all of them are easy to read and ploughing through some of the offerings can be tedious. But there are exceptions. Dr Linnie's history of his museum is one such — beautifully illustrated and full of colourful anecdotes, it is a joy to read. I found it hard to put down. Martyn Linnie. The Unnatural History of Animals — Tales from a Zoological Museum . 2025
