Derrynane House in County Kerry the childhood home of Daniel O'Connell opens as a museum.
A barrister, nationalist and political leader, Daniel O'Connell was born in Cahirciveen in 1775 and spent the early years of his life at Derrynane House in Caherdaniel. He came to live in Derrynane at the age of four when he was adopted by his uncle Maurice 'Hunting Cap' O'Connell. Derrynane remained close to Daniel O'Connell's heart for the remainder of his life.
At the opening of Derrynane House to the public, President Éamon de Valera spoke about Daniel O'Connell being one of Ireland's great democratic leaders. He had set the seeds for many organisations such as the Land League, the Parnell Movement, and Sinn Féin. Éamon de Valera acknowledges that his generation did not give Daniel O'Connell the credit he was due.
The president references the high regard in which Daniel O'Connell is held. He recalls when growing up and seeing pictures of men such as Robert Emmet, Daniel O'Connell, Father Matthew and Father Burke in people's homes.
These pictures would not be in the homes if they hadn't great regard for O'Connell.
He also references the many monuments erected in the memory of Daniel O'Connell before declaring Derrynane House and grounds open to the public.
The property was handed over to the Daniel O'Connell Trust by the O'Connell family some years earlier.
I hope that this will be a memorial, better than any of the other memorials, to O'Connell.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 20 August 1967.
