Perhaps the street befits its name, commemorating Daniel O’Connell – a champion for Catholic Emancipation in the early 1800’s; Catholics being denied the right to take seats in Parliament, among many other things. His innovative non-violent methods earned Catholics more rights, however those methods also contributed to his downfall after he called off a ‘Monster Meeting’ to repeal the Act of Union because of pressure from the authorities. However, the end of O’Connell’s political career did not change his heroic status, being often referred to as ‘The Liberator.’ And O’Connell Street, being renamed in 1924 by the Dublin Corporation from Sackville Street to its present day title, is not the only thing bearing his namesake. There is a monument to Daniel O’Connell on his aptly named street sculpted by John Henry Foley, and unveiled in 1882. Connecting O’Connell Street to the southern part of Dublin is O’Connell Bridge. There are also several other O’Connell Streets in different counties throughout Ireland.
Though today O’Connell Street is known for cheap fashions, and the Spire of Dublin – as ugly as it is tall (it stands 393 feet by the way), it is also a symbol of Irish freedom; that freedom being as intrinsic to the people as O’Connell Street is to Dublin.
Pictured above is a view of O'Connell Street, and below is the Daniel O'Connell Monument.
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