[2] O'Connell was tried with his father in the 1843 State Trials, and was imprisoned in Richmond prison before being released the next year by an order of the House of Lords.
During his father's declining years, he was the dominant force in the Repeal Association and denounced Young Ireland as irreligious and lawless.
[2] Of Daniel's four sons, he was considered to be the only one who inherited something of his father's political skill: he was nicknamed "The Young Liberator", although critics claimed he did little to justify the title.
He opposed the Tenant Right League and was subsequently elected as member for Clonmel in 1853, after which he accepted a sinecure position as Clerk of the Crown and Hanaper at Dublin Castle.
[2] O'Connell was not an impressive public speaker, but wrote political works for the Repeal Association.