ally died unable to
bequeath to his son more than the means of acquiring a liberal
education. That education, commenced at Stoneyhurst, was continued at
Trinity College, Dublin, where the young Mr. Sheil, then remarkable for
the precocity of his talents, graduated with much distinction, and at
the age of twenty-one, in the year 1814, he was called to the Irish bar.
In the profession of the law, though he attained the rank of Queen's
counsel, he never enjoyed a lucrative practice. On remarkable occasions
he held briefs and made showy speeches, but the attorneys had no
confidence in his legal acquirements, and though the judges regarded
affectionately his personal character and greatly admired his genius,
yet his arguments were listened to with comparatively little attention.
It was said, however, that he determined, if possible, to get on in the
more arduous walks of the profession, and hoped for especial favor in
the Rolls' Court, having married at an early age Miss O'Halloran, niece
to Sir William MacMahon, (who then presided in that court), and niece
also to Sir John MacMahon, who at that time was private secretary to the
Prince Regent. But all this gossip of the "Four Courts" ended in
nothing. Mr. Sheil, instead of an eminent lawyer, became a political
agitator, and in the Roman Catholic Association reached a position
second only to that of Mr. O'Connell. His speeches at public meetings in
Dublin, the first of which was delivered by him at the early age of
eighteen, attracted the admiration of all classes; his passionate tone
delighted the vulgar, his wit and exquisite fancy charmed the most
cultivated minds, while his perfect amiability of character, his high
and generous nature, secured the friendship of every one who enjoyed the
advantage of his acquaintance. With all this celebrity, however, he was
not making a fortune, and when literature offered to him some of its
rewards, he gladly contributed to the monthly periodicals of that day,
producing at the same time the tragedy of _Evadne_, and many other
dramatic works.

The Roman Catholic Relief Bill of 1829, when it became a law, opened to
Mr. Sheil a new and more extended sphere of action; he was returned to
Parliament for Lord Anglesey's borough of Milbourne Port, and soon
became one of the favorite orators of the House. At first, there was
some disposition to laugh at his shrill tones and vehement
gesticulation, but Parliament soon recognized him as one of its