A death mask of Daniel O'Connell has been gifted to the Irish state by the Countess of Dunraven.
A gift to the third Earl of Dunraven, a death mask of Daniel O'Connell The Great Liberator was presented to the state at his ancestral home in Derrynane, County Kerry. The mask has sat on a shelf in the Dunraven's nearby cottage for the past 161 years. The family wanted to pass on the mask for posterity.
Lady Geraldine Wyndham Quin, Countess of Dunraven, says that as it was Heritage Week, it was a nice thing to do to hand over the mask to be properly looked after. Maurice Buckley, Chairman of the Office of Public Works, welcomed the donation calling it,
An artefact of some significant importance.
The Office of Public Works now plan to carry out restoration work on the mask after which it will go on permanent public display at Derrynane.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 24 August 2019. The reporter is Jennie O'Sullivan.
