DANIEL O'CONNELL: THE EMANCIPATOR

Special Features: North American Premiere

Post-screening panel discussion with director Ruán Magan; Dr. Jay Roszman, Historian and Lecturer at the School of History, University College Cork; and Dr. Chanté Mouton-Kinyon, Assistant Professor of English at University of Notre Dame; moderated by Christopher Morash, author & diplomat

This documentary celebrates the life and legacy of Daniel O’Connell, also known as The Liberator and The Emancipator, on the 250th anniversary of his birth. From his origins as a young Catholic living under the oppression of British rule to his rise as a lawyer and global advocate for justice, O’Connell dedicated his life to the struggle of achieving Catholic emancipation. Influenced by the philosophical ideals of liberty and equality from the American founding era, O’Connell pioneered nonviolent mass political mobilization and inspired democratic movements across the world, becoming renowned as a visionary statesman, reformer and champion of human rights. Written and directed by multi-award-winning filmmaker Ruán Magan and narrated by Domhnall Gleeson, the documentary features insights from leading scholars, including Mary McAleese, Declan Kiberd, Jay Roszman, Patrick Geoghegan, Niamh Gallagher and Chanté Mouton Kinyon. Featuring newly uncovered archival material and a beautiful original score by Colm Mac Con Iomaire, the film reveals how O’Connell’s campaigns reshaped Ireland’s political and cultural landscape and positioned O’Connell as a model for later figures, including Frederick Douglass, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. DIR/SCR/PROD Ruán Magan; PROD Suzanne Colwell. Ireland, 2025, color, 55 min. In English and Irish with English subtitles. NOT RATED

Presented in partnership with the University of Notre Dame and University College Cork, Ireland

Run Time: 55 Minutes

Opening Date: Sunday, March 01, 2026

Genre: Documentary

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