July 7, 2024
On our way to the scenic Ring of Kerry Drive, we passed through Cahersiveen, population 1,300. When we saw the Daniel O'Connell Memorial Church looming over the village, we decided to take a look. We parked across the street and just happened to notice a ceramic Statue of Liberty through the window of a second-hand store. Crazy.
It looks like the church is 2/3 of the way to their fund-raising goal for renovating the building.
Built between 1888 and 1902, this is the only church in Ireland named for a layperson. Daniel O'Connell was an important Irish nationalist leader in the early 1800s who called for the repeal of the Act of Union of 1800 and for the restoration of the Kingdom of Ireland. He served as a member of Parliament and as the Lord Mayor of Dublin. He also played a role in the abolition of slavery in Ireland in 1833. He was born just outside of Cahersiveen, and the village is proud to claim him as their own, as they should be.
The marble block cornerstone of this granite church was a gift from Pope Leo XIII and was sourced from Rome's catacombs.
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