Barry Yelverton, 1st Viscount Avonmore

By doing so, he gravely harmed his reputation for integrity, which had already been damaged by his leading role in the conviction and execution for treason of the United Irishman William Orr, which is now seen as a major miscarriage of justice.

He was called to the Bar in 1764: despite his lack of family connections his success in his profession was rapid, due to his legal ability, charm and remarkable eloquence, and he took silk eight years afterwards.

Orr was charged with administering the United Irish oath to a soldier called Hugh Wheatly; this had recently become a capital offence.

Wheatly, who was the principal witness for the prosecution, later confessed that he had perjured himself, but despite a superb defence by John Philpot Curran, Orr was found guilty and hanged.

Yelverton may have formed an early impression of Orr's guilt and acted on it – even his admirers admitted that as a judge he lacked impartiality.

Peter Finnerty, a journalist, was later convicted of seditious libel for publishing an attack on Yelverton over his conduct of Orr's trial: this did nothing to enhance the judge's reputation.

Being a man of insignificant physical appearance, he owed his early successes to his remarkable eloquence, which made a great impression on his contemporaries; as a judge, he was inclined to take the view of the advocate rather than that of the impartial lawyer.

[9] Sir Jonah Barrington wrote that for all Yelverton's faults, and his lack of any real moral code, it was impossible not to like and respect him.

Sir Jonah Barrington, who continued to regard Yelverton with affection and respect, regretted that this action should have destroyed his reputation forever; but he argued that such a mistake of judgment was understandable in a man who lacked worldly wisdom, and despite his many good qualities, did not have a strong moral sense.