As stewards of Daniel O'Connell's former Dublin home, the University of Notre Dame will host a series of events, symposia, and conversations around the life and legacy of Daniel O'Connell, one of Ireland's most important historical figures, from 2025—the 250th anniversary of his birth—to 2029—the bicentenary of Catholic Emancipation in Ireland.
Daniel O'Connell: The Emancipator Documentary
Directed by Ruán Magan and narrated by Domhnall Gleeson, Daniel O’Connell: The Emancipator is a Create One production in association with the University of Notre Dame, University College Cork, and RTÉ.
Documentary Screenings and Events:
- Cork International Film Festival, Cork, Ireland (November 16, 2025)
- Notre Dame Dublin Gala Premiere, Dublin, Ireland (November 25, 2025)
- Capital Irish Film Festival, Washington, DC, USA (March 1, 2026)
- University of Notre Dame (2026 TBC)
- Chicago, IL (2026 TBC)
- London, UK (2026 TBC)
The documentary is supported by Ireland's Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It will be included in school curricula across the island of Ireland, as laid out in Ireland’s “2025 Programme for Government,” to highlight “how Irish identity was, and remains a European identity, while showcasing O’Connell’s contribution to intellectual and political thought on a global scale.”
“I would like to congratulate everyone involved in this excellent project,” said Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD, Prime Minister of Ireland, at the 2025 Cork International Film Festival. “It is a tough challenge to bring to life someone who was born 250 years ago, but you managed to do this with great success and to invite a wider national discussion about The Liberator.” (Read An Taoiseach's full speech here.)
“In a time of extreme social inequality, famine, and disease, Daniel O’Connell almost singlehandedly raised a nation from its knees and forced Britain, the most powerful empire in the world, to grant the Irish people their democratic rights.” - Domhnall Gleeson, narrator
The 50-minute documentary follows the journey of O’Connell, from a humble cottage in Kerry to one of the world’s most influential political leaders of the nineteenth century.
With insights from leading scholars from the University of Notre Dame, University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, and University of Cambridge, the film illuminates O’Connell’s use of mass mobilization, oration, and a bold imagination to advance Catholic Emancipation in Ireland, the abolitionist movement in the United States, and other nonviolent, democratic movements worldwide.
The O'Connell Lecture
The O'Connell Lecture was launched on Culture Night in 2025 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of O'Connell's birth.
This annual lecture will focus on topics inspired by O’Connell’s achievements in human and civil rights, liberty, equality, and democracy, and how they continue to shape and impact our world today.
2025: "Daniel O'Connell: The Global Irishman," Professor Kevin Whelan
2026:
About Culture Night:
Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir is sponsored by the Arts Council of Ireland. It is a national moment, celebrating culture, creativity, and the arts and seeks to actively promote the belief that Ireland's rich and varied culture is alive, treasured and nurtured in people’s lives, today and every day. It is delivered nationwide in cities, towns, villages and rural locations. On a Friday night each September, doors open later and special and unique events are specifically programmed at participating locations. Thanks to the continued support of the Arts Council and Local Authorities across the island of Ireland, all activities are available to the public free of charge.