August 6, 1775

Sometimes referred to as “The Liberator,” Irish nationalist and politician Daniel O’Connell was born on this day in 1775 in Co. Kerry. O’Connell believed that in order to achieve freedom, Ireland would need to assert itself politically rather than by force. He condemned the several rebellions that took place at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. He campaigned for Catholic Emancipation. O’Connell became the first Catholic Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1841. He died in 1847.