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DALY, St. George (?1758-1829), of Eyrecourt, co. Galway.
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Biography Detail
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Constituency
Dates
Family and Education
b. ?1758, 4th s. of James Daly, MP [I], of Carrownakelly and Dunsandle by 2nd w. Catherine, da. of Sir Ralph Gore, 4th Bt., MP [I], sis. of Ralph, 1st Earl of Ross [I]. educ. Trinity, Dublin 9 July 1773, aged 15; L. Inn 1781, called [I] 1783. m. 1803, his cos. Louisa, da. of Richard Gore of Sandymount, co. Wicklow.
Offices Held
MP [I] 1797-1800.
Prime serjeant [I] Jan. 1799; PC [I] 16 Dec. 1800; bencher, King’s Inn 1801; baron of Exchequer [I] 22 June 1801-3; j. KB [I] Nov. 1803-22; commr. of prisons [I] Oct. 1808.
Biography
Daly was distinguished as a student for his ‘application and ability. His understanding was strong; he was conversant with books, and not devoid of some powers of reasoning, but was of a retired habit and unpopular manners.’ He came in for Galway on the family interest in 1797 and, although his elder brother Denis was Grattan’s friend, supported the Union in what was described as the best speech in its favour. He was rewarded by being made prime serjeant, on which Jonah Barrington commented: ‘of all men he was the least thought of for preferment, but it was wittily observed " that the Union was the first brief Mr Daly had spoken from".' This was in reference to his 'never having been in any considerable practice at the bar': yet he was 'a gentleman of excellent family, unblemished private reputation, sound common sense upon subjects within his range.'1
Returned for Galway to Westminster in 1801, Daly vacated soon after taking his seat to become baron of the Exchequer, his reward for his attempt to break the bar prejudice against the Union. As a judge, he took part in the trial of the conspirators of 1803, but his profession subsequently endorsed the opinion of the Marquess of Buckingham in 1799: 'inefficient, though with parts'.2 He died in 1829.
