Michael Lally (1 July 1714 – 1773) was an Irish soldier. Lally was a member of the senior line of the Ó Maolalaidh of Máenmaige but who had been resident at Tullaghnadaly,

Tuam Tuam (; , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midland Region, Ireland, midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. The town is in a civil parishe ...

, since the 15th century. He was a descendant of

Seán Ó Maolalaidh Seán Ó Maolalaidh (fl. 1419–1480) was Chief of the Name. Ó Maolalaidh of Máenmaige The Ó Maolalaidhs ( Lally, Mullally) were, with the Ó Nechtains (Naughton), one of the two leading septs of Máenmaige in western Uí Maine. There is so ...

(

fl. ''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...

1419–1480),

Chief of the Name The Chief of the Name, or in older English usage Captain of his Nation, is the recognised head of a family or clan ( Irish and Scottish Gaelic: ''fine'') in Ireland and Scotland. Ireland There are instances where Norman lords of the time like ...

, and was a cousin to

Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally, baron de Tollendal (13 January 17029 May 1766) was a French army officer. Lally commanded French forces, including two battalions of his own red-coated Regiment of Lally of the Irish Brigade, in India during the ...

, baron de Tollendal (1702–1766). His parents were Michael Lally and Helen O'Carroll, he was born in Glasgow, Scotland. On emigrating to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, Lally joined Dillon's regiment. In 1745, after ten years service, he was made captain in the regiment named after his uncle,

Gerard Lally Gerard Lally or O'Mullally (? in Tuam, County Galway – 1737) was an Irish Jacobite and French military officer. Biography Lally was the second son of Thomas Lally (or O'Mullally) of Tullaghnadaly, by his wife, Jane, sister of Theobald Dillon ...

. He fought at the

Battle of Fontenoy The Battle of Fontenoy took place on 11 May 1745 during the War of the Austrian Succession, near Tournai, then in the Austrian Netherlands, now Belgium. A French army of 50,000 under Maurice, comte de Saxe, Marshal Saxe defeated a Pragmatic Ar ...

, after which he was promoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

, and later again to that of brigadier-general. He was the ''constant companion'' of Count Lally ''during the many vicissitudes of a strenuous campaign'' in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. He returned in 1762 and died at

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

in 1773.

References

* ''Biographical Dictionary of Irishmen in France'', Richard Hayes,

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, 1949 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lally (Brigadier-General), Michael 18th-century Irish military personnel Military personnel from County Galway 1714 births 1773 deaths Irish soldiers in the French Army Irish expatriates in France