Plaque recalls anti-slavery activist’s visit

A commemorative plaque was unveiled at the Imperial Hotel in Cork yesterday to mark a visit to the city 167 years ago by one of the most iconic figures in American history.

Frederick Douglass, a black slave who inspired the abolitionist movement in Britain, Ireland, and the US, made a visit to Cork in 1845 where he made numerous speeches on his experiences, his fight for freedom, and his eventual escape from the bonds of slavery.

One of the most spirited addresses by Douglass, who was a dazzling orator, was made in the Imperial Hotel before an audience of civic dignitaries, political leaders, and business people, including the founder of this newspaper, John Francis Maguire.