Bryan O'Loghlen

Sir Bryan O'Loghlen, 3rd Baronet (pronounced and sometimes spelt Brian O'Lochlen; 27 June 1828 – 31 October 1905)

Career In 1862 he emigrated to Victoria and was appointed a Crown Prosecutor in 1863. He succeeded to his father's baronetcy in 1877 on the death of his brother, Colman, and in the same year he was elected, in absentia, to the British House of Commons for County Clare, replacing his brother, but did not take his seat.

O'Loghlen narrowly lost the election for the seat of North Melbourne in May 1877.

O'Loghlen was a radical liberal in Victorian politics: he favoured breaking up the estates of the landowning class (who were mainly English and Scottish Protestants) to provide land for small farmers, and ending the power of the landowner-dominated Victorian Legislative Council.

He also wanted government aid for Catholic schools, but not if this meant government supervision of what they taught. He served as Attorney-General in the reforming ministry of Graham Berry from 27 March 1878 to 1880, and was a loyal supporter of Berry in his struggles with the Council and the conservatives it represented. His appointment as Attorney-General constituted an office of profit from the Crown; in Victoria he won the consequent ministerial by-election, whereas in the UK a select committee deemed he had vacated his Westminster seat, triggering a by-election.

Premier of Victoria When Berry's third government resigned in July 1881, O'Loghlen succeeded him as leader of the liberal forces and became Premier—the second Irish Catholic to hold the position. His government was described as "unspectacular", and "a collection of party rebels, Catholics and opportunists". Much of the radical impetus of the Berry years had passed and O'Loghlen's government achieved little. In 1883, a scandal arose over the activities of Railways Minister Thomas Bent, who was accused of corruption. In the March 1883 election, the liberals were defeated and O'Loghlen lost his seat.

In 1888, O'Loghlen returned to politics as member for Belfast, which he held until 1889, when the seat was renamed Port Fairy, which he represented from 1889 to 1894, and again from 1897 to 1900. He was Attorney-General again, albeit only for one year, in the Patterson government (1893–1894).

Personal life

O'Loghlen was married to Ella Margaret Seward (1846–1919). Together, they were the parents of twelve children, including:

Sir Michael O'Loghlen, 4th Baronet (1866–1934), who married Beatrice Mary Murphy in 1918.