In the 1830s, O’Connell campaigned inside and outside Westminster for the abolition of tithe payments. In 1838 he managed to have the cost lowered and to have the tithes paid to landlords instead of to the Church of Ireland. He was elected the fi rst Catholic Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1841.
Daniel O’Connell speaking at a monster meeting in Co. Clare in 1828
In 1830, O’Connell set up the Repeal Association to campaign for the repeal (abolition) of the Act of Union. He wanted the Irish parliament restored, with the British monarch remaining as king or queen of Ireland. He used his previous tactics: people paid a Repeal Rent to support the campaign. There was little support for repeal in Britain and at the end of the 1830s, O’Connell started organising ‘monster meetings’ around Ireland. These were huge rallies, attended by over 100,000 people. The British government grew concerned that these meetings would lead to rebellion and banned one, at Clontarf in 1843. Many of O’Connell’s supporters wanted to defy the ban and go ahead with the meeting. Unwilling to run the risk of violence, O’Connell called off the meeting. This led to a split in the movement, with younger members setting up the Young Irelanders.
Death and legacy
Just as the Great Famine began in 1845, O’Connell’s health started to fail him. His last speech in the House of Commons in February 1847 was an impassioned plea for help for the Irish people dying of starvation. He was on a pilgrimage to Rome when he died in May 1847.
Go to pages 92–93 of your Sources and Skills Book for evidence tasks on Daniel O’Connell.
