George Ogle

George Ogle (14 October 1742 – 10 August 1814) was an Irish Tory politician.

He was born 14 October 1742, the only child of George Ogle (1704–1746). He was brought up at Rossminoge, near Camolin, co. Wexford, under the care of one Miller, vicar of the parish, and was imbued through life with strong Protestant feeling. Ogle received his early education at Kilkenny College. He had literary tastes, and composing, while at Rossminoge, two songs which are still popular. The earlier, called ‘Banna's Banks,’ beginning ‘Shepherds, I have lost my love,’ was said to be inspired by Miss Stepney, of Durrow House, Queen’s County, afterwards Mrs. Burton Doyne of Wells. The second, ‘Moll Ashore,’ was written to celebrate the charms of Mary Moore, whose sister Elizabeth, daughter of William Moore of Tinrahan, co. Wexford, subsequently became his wife. Burns, writing to Thomson 7 April 1793, described Ogle's ‘Baana`s Banks’ as ‘heavenly,’ and ‘certainly Irish’; but it was included in ‘Songs of Scotland,' 1851. A gentleman of wealth and fashion, Ogle appears to have been affluent visitor at Laly Miller's assemblies at Bath, and he contributed to the volume, ‘Poetical Amusements at a Villa near Bath,’ published by that lady‘s admirers in 1775. Some songs by him appear in Crofton Croker's Popular Songs of Ireland and in Samuel Lover's Poems and Ballads, where there is assigned to him the fine lyric known as Banish Sorrow. He declined to publish any of his poems himself.

In 1768, Ogle was elected to the Irish House of Commons as member for Wexford County, and he sat for that constituency till 1796. A brilliant speaker, he delighted in 'splendid superlatives and figurative diction, whilst the spirit and energy of his manner corresponded to the glowing warmth of his expressions'. He joined the whig party, and, although in favour of extending to Ireland popular rights and a legislative independence, he was opposed to catholic emancipation, and was a staunch upholder of the established church.

Before 1778, he was challenged to a duel by Barney Coyle, a whisky distiller and member of the catholic board, on the ground that he had publicly said that 'a papist could swallow a false oath as easily as a poached egg.' Eight shots were exchanged, but the combatants remained unhurt. Ogle declared that the remark which led to the encounter had been misreported, and he had referred not to 'papists,' but to 'rebels.'

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