Great Names in Irish History
A collection of fine cast figures
O’Connell (1775-1847) was born into an old Gaelic family in 1775. At 23 he became one of the first practicing Catholic lawyers in Ireland. By 1808 he was the leading spokesman of the Catholic Committee pressing for Catholic civil rights.
Having grown impatient with a lack of progress he established his own Catholic Association in 1823 which gained mass support. In the general election of 1828 O’Connell won the Clare constituency but was prohibited as a Catholic from taking his seat. Fearing another Irish rebellion the English government conceded emancipation. For the first time since 1691 Irish Catholics were allowed to stand for and sit in parliament.
That parliament was still held in London however, inspired by his success. O'Connell began to campaign for the recreation of an Irish Parliament in Dublin. At its height, on August 15th 1843, one million people met on the hill of Tara in support of the campaign. Six months later O'Connell was arrested. The combination of this and increasing concern about repeated potato crop failures culminating in the Great Famine years of the late 1840's broke O'Connell's following.
He died in 1847 and was buried in Dublin after the biggest funeral ever witnessed in Ireland.
This range of 54mm pewter figures are mounted on wooden plinths with metal plaques that have the embossed name of the figure. Plinth colour and design may vary without notice.
The figures are painted by experienced Irish artists and were designed by internationally famous miniature designer Chris Tubb.
