Richard Nagle

Sir Richard Nagle (1636 – 6 April 1699) was an Irish Jacobite politician and lawyer. He held the positions of Attorney-General for Ireland, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, Lord Justice of Ireland and Secretary of State and War for Ireland under King James II. He fled to France in 1691 in the wake of the Jacobite defeat in Ireland, joining James II at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, where he resumed his duties as nominal Secretary of State and War.

Biography Richard was born into an Old English family at Carrigacunna Castle, in County Cork, the son of James Nagle of Annakissy, and James' wife, Honora Nugent. This was his family's seat. His brother Pierce was a future High Sheriff of County Cork. Although Richard initially intended to join the clergy, he was educated in law at Gray's Inn and was called to the bar in Dublin. "Active and skilful", he had a successful career as a lawyer. James created him Attorney-General for Ireland and knighted him in 1686.

As an MP for Cork, Nagle was elected Speaker by the Irish House of Commons in 1689. ), which had punished royalists and Roman Catholics who had fought against parliament in the Civil Wars; he unsuccessfully advocated its repeal in this session.

James's Irish Army forces were routed by William's at the Battle of the Boyne, in 1690; King James retreated to Dublin. In Nagle's absence, his duties as Secretary of State were executed by Thomas Nugent, 1st Baron Nugent of Riverston.

Sir Richard Nagle married Jane (Joan) O'Kearney on 19 September 1669 at Clonbrogan, Ireland. Jane's sister, Mary O'Kearney, married Sir Richard's brother, Pierce Nagle of Annakissy, the high sheriff of County Cork in 1689.