Daniel O'Connell is known in Ireland as "The Liberator" or "The Great Emancipator" for his success in achieving Catholic Emancipation...O’Connell’s philosophy and career have inspired leaders all over the world, including Mahatma Ghandi (1869-1948) and Martin Luther King (1929-1968). He was told by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) “you have done more for your nation than any man since Washington ever did.” William Gladstone (1809-1898) described him as “the greatest popular leader the world has ever seen.” (Source Wikipedia)