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Denis Daly (died 1791)

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Denis Daly
Portrait of Daly, by Joshua Reynolds, c. 1775
Member of Parliament for Galway Borough
In office
1790–1791
Preceded byAnthony Daly
Denis Bowes Daly
Succeeded byPeter Daly
Sir Skeffington Smyth, 1st Bt
Member of Parliament for County Galway
In office
1768–1790
Preceded byCharles Daly
Richard Trench
Succeeded byWilliam Trench
Joseph Blake
Member of Parliament for Galway Borough
In office
1783–1783
Serving with Denis Bowes Daly
Preceded byDenis Bowes Daly
Anthony Daly
Succeeded byDenis Bowes Daly
Anthony Daly
In office
1767–1768
Serving with John Eyre
Preceded byJohn Eyre
Hon. Richard FitzPatrick
Succeeded byJames Daly
Robert French
Personal details
Born1748
Died10 October 1791(1791-10-10) (aged 42–43)
Spouse
Lady Henrietta Maxwell
(m. 1780; died 1791)
RelationsJohn Robert Godley (grandson)
Children8, including James and Robert
Parent(s)James Daly
Catherine Gore
EducationChrist Church, Oxford

Denis Daly (1748 – 10 October 1791) of Carrownakelly and Dunsandle Castle, Loughrea, County Galway, was an Irish landowner and politician.

Biography

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His father was James Daly of Carrownakelly and Dunsandle Castle in County Galway, and his mother was Catherine Gore, daughter of Sir Ralph Gore, 4th Baronet and his second wife Elizabeth Ashe. He was the eldest of five sons. His siblings included St George Daly, judge of the Court of King's Bench (Ireland). He was the great-grandson of Denis Daly, judge of the Court of Common Pleas (Ireland). Though traditionally Roman Catholics, and of Gaelic origin, the Dalys had been able to hold on to their lands by converting to the Protestant faith and forsaking their allegiance to the Stuart dynasty.

He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, but there is no record of his taking a degree there.

Career

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Daly owned estates in County Mayo, County Galway, County Clare, and County Limerick. He had to sell off half of these estates to pay his debts, but on his marriage to Lady Henrietta Maxwell, his fortunes once again increased. His family residence was Carrownakelly Castle, in the parish of Kiltullagh, where the Dalys had lived for several generations, but he moved some four miles south towards Loughrea where he built Dunsandle House, sometime in the mid-18th century. In 1769 and 1772 he served as Mayor of Galway.

Political career

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Daly was a friend of Henry Grattan, who had great respect for his political skills, and like him sat in the Irish House of Commons. Between 1767 and 1768, he was Member of Parliament for Galway Borough. Subsequently, he represented County Galway until 1790, and then Galway Borough again until 1792. In 1783, he was also elected for the latter constituency, but chose not to sit. He never held high ministerial office but was appointed Muster Master-General. He was a fine orator but did not often speak in Parliament; when he did it was usually from a carefully prepared script.

Character

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He had a reputation for laziness, but he was intelligent, good-humoured, and a fine classical scholar. Grattan called him one of the best and brightest characters Ireland had ever produced, and said that his early death was a tragedy for his country. Grattan even suggested that Daly's wisdom and moderation, had he lived, might have prevented the Irish Rebellion of 1798.[1]

Personal life

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In 1780, Daly married Lady Henrietta Maxwell (d. 1852), the only daughter of Robert Maxwell, 1st Earl of Farnham and Henrietta Cantillon, widow of the 3rd Earl of Stafford. Together, they were the parents of two sons and six daughters, including:

His widow died at a great age in 1852.[4]

Descendants

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Through his eldest son James, he was grandfather of seven, including Denis Daly, 2nd Baron Dunsandle and Clanconal and Skeffington Daly, 3rd Baron Dunsandle and Clanconal.[4]

Through his daughter Katharine, he was a grandfather of John Robert Godley (who married Charlotte Griffith-Wynne and was the father of Arthur Godley, 1st Baron Kilbracken) and William Godley (who married Laura Bird and was the father of Gen. Sir Alexander Godley).[4]

References

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  1. ^ Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1888). "Daly, Denis" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 13. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  2. ^ a b L. G. Pine, The New Extinct Peerage 1884-1971: Containing Extinct, Abeyant, Dormant and Suspended Peerages With Genealogies and Arms (London: Heraldry Today, 1972), page 110.
  3. ^ Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003 volume 2, p. 2149.
  4. ^ a b c Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh. Burke's Irish Family Records. London: Burkes Peerage Ltd, 1976, p. 314.
[edit]
  • The Lords of Dunsandle, James Noel Dillon, in Kiltullagh/Killimordaly: As the Centuries passed: A history from 1500-1900, pp. 43–67, ed. Kieran Jordan, 2000.
  • Clare bards, Galway gentry, Patrick Melvin, The Irish Genealogist, 2002
  • The Daly Chronicle, Dermot Daly,The Irish Genealogist, 2002
Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Galway Borough
1767–1768
With: John Eyre
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Galway Borough
1783
With: Denis Bowes Daly
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for County Galway
1768 – 1790
With: Henry de Burgh, Lord Dunkellin 1768
William Power Keating Trench 1768–1790
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Galway Borough
1790–1792
With: Sir Skeffington Smyth, 1st Bt
Succeeded by