On his deathbed, Daniel O’Connell, known as the “Liberator” of Ireland, made a request: “My body to Ireland, my heart to Rome and my soul to heaven.” Ireland marked the 250th anniversary of his birth with speeches, pomp, and a question: where is the heart? O’Connell’s heart was sent to Rome and kept as a relic in the Irish College at St Agata dei Goti, but in 1927 authorities discovered it was gone. It remains missing, and calls have been made for a renewed search to find it. O’Connell’s descendant wants the heart to be laid to rest on Abbey Island in County Kerry, where O’Connell’s wife is buried. O’Connell, who became the founding father of Irish nationalism by securing Catholic emancipation, inspired civil rights movements around the world. Statues of him dot Irish towns and cities, but there is no trace of his heart.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/07/daniel-oconnell-missing-heart-anniversary-search-ireland
Commemoration of the birth of Irish legend Daniel O’Connell reignites the enigma of his absent heart | Ireland
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