Matthew Corbally

Matthew Corbally MP
Member of Parliament for Meath
In office 10 June 1842 – 25 November 1870 Serving with Edward McEvoy (1855–1871) Frederick Lucas (1852–1855) Henry Grattan (1842–1852)
Preceded by	Daniel O'Connell Henry Grattan
Succeeded by	Edward McEvoy John Martin
In office 4 February 1840 – 9 July 1841 Serving with Henry Grattan
Preceded by	Morgan O'Connell Henry Grattan
Succeeded by	Daniel O'Connell Henry Grattan
Personal details
Born	April 1797
Died	25 November 1870(1870-11-25) (aged 73)
Resting place	Saint Colmcille's Church, Skryne, County Meath
Nationality	Irish
Party	Liberal
Other political affiliations	Independent Irish (1852–1859) Whig (before 1852)
Spouse	Matilda Margaret Preston ​ ​ (m. 1842)​
Children	Mary Margaret Stourton, Baroness Stourton
Parent(s)	Elias Corbally, Mary Keogh
Residence(s)	Corbalton Hall, County Meath

Matthew Elias Corbally (April 1797 – 25 November 1870) was an Irish Liberal, Whig and Independent Irish Party politician.

Family

Corbally was the son of Elias Corbally and Mary née Keogh. He married Matilda Margaret Preston, daughter of Jenico Preston, 12th Viscount Gormanston (1775–1860) and Margaret Southwell, in 1842. They had one child, Mary Margaret Corbally (1845–1925), who married Alfred Stourton, Baron Mowbray, Segrave and Stourton and had ten children. They lived at Corbalton Hall in County Meath. Corbally and his wife are buried in a sealed vault at Saint Colmcille's Church, Skryne.

Education

He was educated by Rev. Richard Norris in Drogheda, and then at Trinity College Dublin.

Political career

Corbally was first elected unopposed as a Whig-Radical MP for Meath at a by-election in 1840 but he did not stand for re-election at the next general election in 1841. When Daniel O'Connell was elected for both Meath and County Cork a by-election was called at which Corbally was again elected as a Whig unopposed. He then held the seat for the remainder of his life in 1870, joining the Independent Irish Party shortly after the general election in 1852 and joining the Liberal Party when it was formed in 1859. He was a supporter of the abolition of tithes, reform of corporations, and reform of the ballot, and was opposed to privileges being given to the Bank of Ireland.

Other activities

Corbally was also a Justice of the Peace and, in 1838, he was High Sheriff of Meath. He was also a captain in the Royal Meath Regiment.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Mr Matthew Corbally