L'Irlanda e il mito di Daniel O'Connell nelle pagine della rivista francese Correspondant

Abstract

The liberal French magazine «Correspondant» has historically devoted some articles to the Irish political history and to the Irish “Liberator” and “Emancipator” Daniel O’Connell. Charles de Montalembert, who was named «O’Connell’s pupil» by French liberal Catholics, played a part in the first series of the French magazine. This appeared in 1829 as an organ of the Association pour la défense de la religion catholique. Among the editors’ goals there were: the truth, Catholicism, the independence and alliance of faith and freedom. In 1843, after a few years of inactivity, the «Correspondant» resumed publication and Montalembert returned to work in this second edition, supporting in his writings the defense of oppressed nations and the ideal of ‘Free Church in Free State’. Starting from French liberal Catholic writings and some articles about Ireland and the Irish patriot (written by Charles Audley, Edmond de Cazalès, Adolphe Perraud, Louis Joubert and Frédéric de Bernhardt), this paper aims to examine the influence of both Irish political experience and the myth of O’Connell exerted on the training of French liberal Catholics, i.e. the editors of «Correspondant».