Charles O’Conor of Ballinagare was one of eighteenth-century Ireland’s greatest scholars, who wrote in both Irish and English. His work was clearly influenced by the Enlightenment. O’Conor regularly corresponded with the important intellectual and cultural figures of his day. He is regarded as having played a key role in founding the modern study of Ireland’s language, culture and history. For example, he was author of the highly influential Dissertations on the Ancient History of Ireland, first published in 1753, along with many other works. Furthermore, O’Conor tried to advance the civil rights of Roman Catholics, then marginalized by the Penal Laws, and in 1756 he was one of the founder members of the Catholic Association. One of the most interesting features of O’Conor’s career was how his antiquarian and historical studies fuelled his political interests and his heartfelt desire to see the Penal Laws ameliorated or repealed.

Charles O’Conor’s library and papers are preserved today at Clonalis House, Co. Roscommon