About

O’Connell House is the heart of our Notre Dame community in Ireland since it serves not only as a classroom but also as the venue for communal gatherings and a base for academic endeavours. We envisage O’Connell House and its staff as an embassy and a home away from home for everyone affiliated with the University of Notre Dame and visiting Ireland – students, alums, faculty, staff, and benefactors. One can never be quite sure who will next drop into our centre – presidents, scholars, bishops, authors, actors, artists, musicians, politicians and entrepreneurs.

This historic Georgian house serves as a beacon of hospitality and in keeping with the Irish spirit of generousity our staff are always present to provide a genuine Irish welcome. Céad Míle Fáilte.

Number 58 Merrion Square
This Georgian house was home to the famous early nineteenth century Irish Catholic political leader, Daniel O’Connell, for most of his life.

Daniel O’Connell, famously known as ‘The Liberator’, a leader in the battle for Catholic Emancipation and instrumental in the 1829 law which allowed Irish Catholics to sit in Parliament and hold high office, purchased Number 58 (formerly 30) on the south side of the square in 1809 and lived here until his death in 1847. It was a bold move by a rising Catholic to acquire a house at the heart of establishment Dublin. Because O’Connell devoted his professional career to unremunerative politics, his family after his death was forced to sell off the furniture, and then the house itself in 1853. It passed into professional (mainly medical) use for almost a century. It was used for business and residential purposes from 1936 onwards. Famous residents included the boxer ‘Gorgeous’ Jack Doyle and the Mexican film star Movita.

O’Connell House is now home to the Keough Naughton Centre which hosts a range of academic programmes for the University of Notre Dame.