Professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin Delivers Keynote at Trinity College in Honor of the 250th Anniversary of the Birth of Daniel O'Connell

Professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin KC (Hons), Regents Professor, Robina Chair in Law, Public Policy, and Society, and faculty director of the Human Rights Center, joined several notable speakers to deliver a keynote address at Trinity College Dublin, as part of the national Irish celebration commemorating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Daniel O'Connell, who championed Catholic emancipation. He was recognized internationally for his opposition to slavery and as an advocate for the oppressed around the world.  

The "O’Connell 250 Symposium: Liberty, Democracy, and the Struggle for Human Rights" focused on O’Connell’s European identity, connecting his ideals and his legacy to an exploration of human rights challenges and threats to democracy today.

In addition to Professor Ní Aoláin, the O’Connell 250 Symposium also included keynotes by the Irish Prime Minister, or 'Taoiseach,' Micheál Martin, T.D., Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Ukrainian human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk; renowned historian of O’Connell, the anti-slavery movement, and the Great Famine Professor Christine Kinealy; former Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe and current UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Belarus Nils Muižnieks; former Attorney General Paul Gallagher SC;  human rights lawyer and Ireland’s Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC; and the leading Italian scholar of O’Connell’s oratory and European identity, Professor Davide Mazzi.  

In advance of his keynote address, Prime Minister Micheál Martin launched a new commemorative stamp marking 250 years since the birth of Daniel O’Connell.