Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
He formed the Catholic Association with a one-penny-per-month membership fee
and quickly gained a huge following (especially among the poor) with his persuas-
ive speaking skills. Although Catholics weren't allowed to hold office, he ran for
election to Parliament anyway and won a seat in 1828. His unwillingness to take
the anti-Catholic Oath of Supremacy initially kept him out of Westminster, but the
moral force of his victory caused the government to give in and concede Catholic
emancipation the following year.
Known as “the Liberator,” O'Connell was working toward his next
goal—repealing the Act of Union with Britain—when he was imprisoned in 1844
for seditious conspiracy. His massive “monster meeting” rallies attracted thousands
of peaceful poor, and his popularity spooked the British authorities, who threw him
in jail on trumped-up charges. When the Great Potato Famine hit in 1845, some
in the Irish ranks advocated for more violent action against the British, something
O'Connell had long opposed. He died two years later in Genoa on his way to Rome,
but his ideals lived on: His Catholic Association was the model of grassroots organ-
ization for the Irish, who later emigrated and rose within American big-city political
“green machines.”
The coach house (out back) shows off the enormous grand chariot that carried
O'Connell through throngs of joyous Dubliners after his release from prison in 1844. He
added the small chapel wing to the house in gratitude to God for his prison release.
Portmagee
Just a short row of snoozy buildings lining the bay, Portmagee is the best harbor for boat
a handful of B&Bs, two pubs, a bakery, a market, and no ATMs—the closest ATM is 6
miles (10 km) east in Cahersiveen. On the rough harborfront, a slate memorial to sailors
lost at sea from here reads, “In the nets of God may we be gathered.”
A 100-yard-long bridge connects Portmagee to gentle Valentia Island, where you'll
find the Skellig Experience Centre (on the left at the Valentia end of the bridge). A public
parking lot is at the Portmagee end of the bridge, with award-winning WCs (no kidding:
look for the proudly displayed “Irish Toilet of the Year 2002 runner-up” plaque). The first
permanent transatlantic cable (for telegraph communication) was laid from Valentia Is-
land in 1866. The tiny post office hides inside O'Connell's Market (both open Mon-Fri
9:00-17:30, Sat 9:00-13:00, closed Sun).
Sleeping in Portmagee:
The first two listings are in town. The last listing is south of
Portmagee, on St. Finian's Bay.
