06/08/2025
Happy 250th Birthday to Daniel O’Connell.
The design of the O’Connell Monument was made to signify the life's work and achievements of Daniel O’Connell as well as express the gratitude felt by the Irish population towards ‘The Liberator’. John Henry Foley’s design incorporates the vision of the committee to honour the life and work of O’Connell as well as express the nation's gratitude by breaking the monument into three distinct parts.
The first part of the monument, holds a 13 foot high depiction of a cloaked figure of Daniel O’Connell, holding papers in his right hand and with his left hand tucked between the buttons of a long overcoat. O’Connell’s right foot stands slightly forward with his shoe slightly off its pedestal and with his left foot and leg supported by scrolls and books.
Beneath the colossal figure of O’Connell stands the central drum of the monument which contains at its front the figure of the Goddess Erin, the personification of Ireland, as she leads her people to freedom while pointing with her right hand to ‘The Liberator’. In her left hand Erin holds a copy of the Catholic Relief Act of 1829 while at her feet are the broken shackles by which she and the people of Ireland have been freed. Around this central drum are fifty figures in both high and low relief, representing the various peoples of Ireland from clergy, craftsmen, students and politicians. However it should be remarked that there is a notable absence of the women of Ireland (excluding the figure of the goddess Erin). Just below the central drum can be seen a band depicting a wave pattern symbolising Ireland as a stand alone island nation while beneath this facing north, south east and west are the shields of Ireland’s four provinces.
Finally, the base of the sculpture forms the shape of an Irish high cross lying flat. At each of the four corners of this base sit four winged victories depicting the attributes of O’Connell’s character - Patriotism, Courage, Fidelity and Eloquence.
