Author: D'Alton, John
Biography:
D’ALTON, John (1792-1867: ODNB)
Barrister and historian. He was born in Bessville, Co. Westmeath, to William D’Alton and his wife Elizabeth Leyne. He studied with the Rev. Joseph Hutton in Summerhill, Dublin, before matriculating at Trinity College Dublin in 1808. On graduation, he entered the Middle Temple, London, and King’s Inns, Dublin; he was called to the Irish bar in 1813. His first book of verse, Dermid, was published in 1814. He married Catherine Phillips (d 1859) of Clonmore, Co. Mayo, in June 1818; they had at least four children. A successful barrister, he was also interested in Irish history. In 1827 he was awarded a prize by the Royal Irish Academy for his “Essay on the ancient history, religion, learning, arts and government of Ireland,” and in 1831, the year he published Irish Minstrelsy, he won the Academy’s prize for his work on the history of Henry II in Ireland. He took a very factual approach to history and his other publications include a treatise on tithes (1832), Memoirs of the Archbishops of Dublin (1838), History of the County of Dublin (1838), History of Drogheda (1844), and History of Ireland from the Earliest Period to the Year 1245 (1845). His account of King James’s 1689 Irish army, with biographical notices of the officers, remains valuable to this day. In 1864 he was asked to write the history of Dundalk but was able to complete only the earlier part of the history. He died at his home in Summerhill, Dublin, and was buried in Glasnevin cemetery. (DIB 2 Feb. 2021; ODNB 2 Feb. 2021; ancestry.co.uk 2 Feb. 2021) SR