O’CONNELL’S HAT

“O’Connell wore his hat in the English House of Commons, what no man but the King can do.  He wore it for three days because he had a sore head, and at the end of that they bade him put it off, and he said he would not, where he had worn it three days.”

THE CHANGE HE MADE

“O’Connell was a great councillor.  At that time if there was a Catholic, no matter how high or great or learned he was, he could not get a place.  But if a Protestant came that was a blockhead and ignorant, the place would be open to him.  There was a revolution rising because of that, and O’Connell brought it into the House of Commons and got it changed.  He was the greatest man ever was in Ireland.  He was a very clever lawyer; he would win every case, he would put it so strong and clear and clever.  If there were fifteen lawyers against him—­five and ten—­he would win it against them all, whether the case was bad or good.”

THE MAN HE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE

“Corly, that burned his house in Burren, was very bad, and it was O’Connell brought him to the gallows.  The only case O’Connell lost was against the Macnamaras, and he told them he would be even with them, and so when Corly, that was a friend of theirs, was brought up he kept his word.  There was no doubt about him burning the house, it was to implicate the Hynes he did it, to lay it on them.  There was a girl used to go out milking at daybreak, and she awoke, and the moon was shining, and she thought it was day, and got up and looked out, and she saw him doing it.”

THE BINDING

“O’Connell was a great man, wide big arms he had.  It was he left us the cheap tea; to cheapen it he did, that was at that time a shilling for one bare ounce.  His heart is in Rome and his body in Glasnevin.  A lovely man, he would put you on your guard; he was for the country, he was all for Ireland.”

HIS MONUMENT

“There is a nice monument put up to O’Connell in Ennis, in a corner it is of the middle of a street, and himself high up on it, holding a book.  It was a poor shoe-maker set that going.  I saw him in Gort one time, a coat of O’Connell’s he had that he chanced in some place.  Only for him there would be no monument; it was he gathered money for it, and there was none would refuse him.”

A PRAISE MADE FOR DANIEL O’CONNELL BY OLD WOMEN AND THEY BEGGING AT THE DOOR

“Dan O’Connell was the best man in the world, and a great man surely; and there could not be better than what O’Connell was.

“It was from him I took the pledge and I a child, and kept it ever after.  He would give it to little lads and children, but not to any aged person.  Pilot trousers he had and a pilot coat, and a grey and white waistcoat.