John Donohoe FitzGerald

“ As a politician his career was honourable and consistent. His professional advancement was not due to politics; he had already reached the highest place at the bar before he sought a seat in parliament. From the time of the collapse of the repeal movement, he supported an alliance between the popular party in Ireland and the English liberals, and he lived to see the Irish measures which he most desired passed as the result of that alliance. His papers and addresses and his principal speeches and arguments are collected in 'Occasional Papers and Addresses by Lord O'Hagan,' 1884 ”

“ O'Connell, writing to Lord Duncannon in October 1834, says: 'Than O'Loghlen, a more amiable man never lived—a more learned lawyer, a more sensible, discreet, and, at the same time, a more powerful advocate never belonged to the Irish bar. He never made an enemy, he never lost a friend He possesses in an eminent degree all the best judicial qualities' (Correspondence of O'Connell, ed. FitzPatrick, i. 490) . On the bench he justified O'Connell's forecast of his judicial powers. 'There never was a judge who gave more entire satisfaction to both the suitors and the profession ”

“ From 1836 to 1840 he resided at Newry, editing the 'Newry Examiner,' and practising on circuit, principally in the defence of prisoners. His conduct of the paper was warmly praised by O'Connell: 'I was assailed at every turn, and defended with zeal and spirit by nobody save the "Newry Examiner," a paper to which I really am more indebted than to any other in Ireland' (Correspondence of O'Connell, 23 Oct. 1838, ii. 154) . In 1840 O'Hagan removed to Dublin, and, though still contributing to the press, devoted his attention mainly to the bar. ”

“ In 1883 he was elected an honorary bencher of Gray's Inn. On the death of Sir Edward Sullivan [q. v.] in 1885 FitzGerald was offered the lord chancellorship of Ireland with an hereditary peerage, which he at first accepted, but, on further consideration, declined. He died on 16 Oct. 1889, at the residence of his brother, 22 FitzAVilliam Place, Dublin, and was buried in Glasnevin cemetery, near Dublin.
As a judge FitzGerald enjoyed a high reputation. 'No fairer minded, abler, or more independent man sat upon the Irish bench' (Lord Selbourne, Memorials, ii. ii. 18) . ”

“ KEOGH, WILLIAM NICHOLAS (1817–1878) , Irish judge, belonged to a Roman catholic family formerly settled at Keoghville, co. Roscommon. He was born at Galway on 7 Dec. 1817. His father, William M. Keogh, was a solicitor, and sometime clerk of the crown for the county of Kilkenny; his mother was Mary, daughter of Mr. Austin Ffrench of Rahoon, co. Galway. He was educated at the school of the Rev. Dr. Huddard in Mountjoy Square, Dublin, then in high repute, entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1832, and obtained honours in science in his first and second years. ”

“ Choosing the bar as his profession, he was admitted a student of the King's Inns, Dublin, in Hilary term 1834, and of Gray's Inn on 1 May of the same year, was called to the Irish bar in Easter term 1838, and shortly afterwards joined the Munster circuit, then the leading circuit in Ireland. ”

“ O'Hagan addressed the jury for the defence in a speech of great force and eloquence, and a verdict of 'not guilty' was returned. In 1857 he was transferred as assistant-barrister from Longford to co. Dublin. In 1859 he was appointed third Serjeant, and elected a bencher of the King's Inns. He became solicitor-general for Ireland in 1861 in Lord Palmerston's government, and in the following year attorney-general, and was sworn of the Irish privy council. ”

“ During the next six years O'Hagan sat regularly in the House of Lords on the hearing of appeals. His judgments will be found in vol. vii. of 'English and Irish Appeal Cases,' and vols. i.–v. of ' Appeal Cases ' in the 'Law Reports.' In 1875 he was selected to deliver the O'Connell centenary address in Dublin; the illness of a near relative prevented its actual delivery, but it was printed and circulated. A similar task was assiraed to him at the Moore centenary in 1878; twenty-one years before he had made the principal speech on the unveiling of Moore's statue in Dublin. ”

“ Its main object was to prevent any partiality by the sheriff or his officers in the framing of the jury panel; this object it successfully effected, but it also altered the qualification of jurors, and admitted to the jury-box a class of men who were hardly fitted for the position. ”

“ His action largely increased his reputation and popularity in Ireland. He was the principal speaker at a mass-meeting of Roman catholics held in Dublin in August 1851 to protest against the measure, and was one of the founders of the Catholic Defence Association established in consequence of it. ”

“ He left in his third year without having taken a degree. While at Trinity he was a frequent speaker in the debates of the Historical Society, and was awarded the first prize for oratory at the age of nineteen. ”