Laurence Hynes Halloran was born in county Meath, probably at Ratoath, in 1865 and became a schoolmaster, writer, clergyman and forger. His father was a West Indian planter, and his mother, Eleanor Hynes, was descended from landed gentry. He was raised by his uncle after his parents died while he was an infant. He converted and became a Protestant. He began his career by opening a school in England and then became an ordained clergyman. Halloran’s qualifications as a clergyman are sometimes questioned. Halloran wrote a number of poems and translations. He entered the navy in 1781 but was gaoled in 1783 for stabbing and killing a fellow midshipman. He became a chaplain with the Royal Navy and was present at the Battle of Trafalgar. He then settled in the Cape of Good Hope where he served as chaplain to the armed forces and as rector of the local grammar school. In 1810 he became involved in a case of two officers who were charged with duelling. His commanding officer ordered him to be transferred and so he resigned his post. He published his own version of the case and his commanding officer sued him for libel. Found guilty Halloran left the Cape colony and returned to England. He used fake credentials to obtain work. In 1881 he was found guilty of counterfeiting at the Old Bailey and transported to Australia. Here Halloran opened a series of schools but his propensity to get involved in arguments and of being sued for libel resulted in the schools being short lived. He founded the Sydney Grammar School. He died at Sydney in 1831.