Daniel O’Connell (1775–1847) changed the face of Irish history.

A brilliant orator, political organiser and advocate for non-violent reform, O’Connell led the campaign for Catholic Emancipation and founded the Repeal Association to challenge the Act of Union. Known as ‘The Liberator’, he was the first Catholic to win a seat in the British Parliament in more than 100 years. O’Connell helped forge a model of peaceful mass mobilisation that influenced movements far beyond Ireland.

As we mark the 250th anniversary of his birth this year, the National Library of Ireland (NLI) invites the public to rediscover the life and legacy of one of the nation’s most consequential political figures through their unparalleled Daniel O’Connell collections.

Dr Audrey Whitty, Director of the National Library of Ireland, said: “The unparalleled holdings in the National Library on the life, work, associates and family of Daniel O’Connell provide first hand evidence of the vastness of his contribution to 19th century Irish and indeed European political mass movement. His mobilisation of grassroots support throughout Ireland and the Irish diaspora was underlined by peaceful, democratic and lobbyist methods which gives Ireland one of the richest histories in this respect anywhere in the world.”

Explore O’Connell’s Life Through the NLI Collections: https://www.nli.ie/news-stories/news/marking-250-years-birth-daniel-oconnell