Above : Illustrating Picture, Daniel O’Connell Giving Speech

The years that immediately followed the gaining of Emancipation saw O’Connell at the height of his power. He was well fitted in every way to play the part of a popular leader; a part which demands almost of necessity the possession of certain physical, as well as certain mental gifts. With these gifts O’Connell was very specially endowed. He was tall and well made. His face, in spite of rather coarse features, was, as a whole, decidedly handsome. Like most men born with a genius for command, he had remarkably fine and brilliant eyes. The power and clearness of his voice was extraordinary ; when speaking in an immense hall, he could, apparently without difficulty, make his words distinctly heard at its very furthest extremity. As an orator, he is entitled to take a high place, if not one of the highest. The most remarkable fact about him as a speaker was the ease and wonderful skill with which he could adapt himself, not only in style, but in subject matter, in his manner of reasoning ; even, it has been remarked, in gesture to the audience which he happened at the moment to be addressing. Yet no man was more honest, more outspoken, less of a hypocrite. He merely presented different sides of his personality on different occasions.