The Revival of Daniel O'Connell

Extract

If a year ago anyone had ventured to predict that the name of Daniel O’Connell could have aroused real national enthusiasm in Ireland, and among the Irish population of Great Britain, even in connection with the centenary of Catholic Emancipation, he would almost certainly have been told with complete conviction that O’Connell’s popularity in Ireland was dead for all time. Yet the demonstrations during the past few months in Ireland especially have shown such a sudden and overwhelming revival of his fame and of the deep affection with which he will always be regarded as long as the Irish tradition endures, as has amazed everyone who has watched the progress of the centenary celebrations.

I can speak only of what I saw myself during the week of celebrations in Cork, which, coming after the immense celebrations in Dublin, could scarcely be expected to repeat the extraordinary enthusiasm that the Dublin celebrations had aroused. Yet the demonstrations in Cork were on a scale which it is not easy to imagine. The High Mass in a great open space surrounded by hills attracted a vast concourse of people, which not only overflowed the two great fields which had been thrown into one, but filled all the slopes of the heights that overlooked the scene. The whole city was decorated with flags and banners and religious emblems, to an extent scarcely ever seen even in towns on the Continent, with centuries old traditions of public decoration. The large theatre was taken for three nights during the week, and on each of the three evenings the house was packed with people who paid for their seats, since the gallery only was open to free admission. On each occasion the chief event was a lecture on some aspect of Daniel O’Connell’s life’s work.