# Denis Daly (died 1791)

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

## Biography

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

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

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

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.

## Personal life

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:
* James Daly, 1st Baron Dunsandle and Clanconal (1782–1847), who represented County Galway in Parliament; he married Maria Elizabeth Smyth, daughter of Rt. Hon. Sir Skeffington Smyth, 1st Baronet and Margaret Daly (sister of Denis Bowes Daly), in 1808.
* Rt. Rev. Robert Daly (1783–1872), who was a leading Irish evangelical who became Bishop of Cashel and Waterford, and was noted for his hostility to Roman Catholics.
* Charlotte Elizabeth Daly (c. 1787–1866), who married Very Rev. Horatio Townsend Newman, Dean of Cork, in 1817.
* Henrietta Daly, who died unmarried.
* Katharine Daly, who married John Godley, the High Sheriff of Leitrim who was a son of John Godley, in 1813.
* Elizabeth Daly
* Emily Daly (d. 1876), who married Sir Morgan Crofton, 3rd Baronet, son of Sir Hugh Crofton, 2nd Baronet, in 1812.
* Mary Daly (d. 1885), who married Rev. Arthur Knox, son of Arthur Knox, in 1820.
His widow died at a great age in 1852.

### Descendants

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.
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).