St Andrew’s Parish, Westland Row, will mark the 250th anniversary of Daniel O’Connell’s birth with a special Anniversary Mass this Sunday, May 11, at 10am. The Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Paul Dempsey, Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin.
Known as ‘The Liberator’, O’Connell was a driving force behind Catholic Emancipation and one of the most influential Irish political figures of the 19th century. A parishioner of St Andrew’s, O’Connell played a decisive role in the construction of the neo-classical church that still stands today.
“O’Connell’s vision and devotion left a lasting spiritual and civic legacy,” a parish spokesperson said.
The politician’s fingerprints remain visible in the parish, from the church he helped build to the painting he donated—The Martyrdom of St Thomas à Becket—which still hangs inside. His personal devotion to Becket, a symbol of Church-State integrity, underpinned his political ideals.
For St Andrew’s, the annual Mass is a chance to recall a man who, in life and death, helped shape modern Irish Catholic identity.
Dublin parish to honour Daniel O’Connell at 250th anniversary Mass
