Hague, William (1836?–99), architect, was born probably in February 1836 at Cavan, the eldest of the five sons of William Hague (1806?–88), a builder and building materials merchant, and his wife Catherine. After schooling, probably at Kilmore Academy, Co. Cavan, he became an architect and civil engineer, moved to Dublin (1861) and was elected FRSAI (21 May 1863). He had premises at 175 Great Brunswick St., 50 Dawson St., and 44 Westland Row and at least a hundred known commissions, many of them buildings for the catholic church, a dozen or so in his native county. Most notable among Hague's achievements were St Patrick's College, Cavan, the tower and spire of Maynooth College, Archbishop's House, Drumcondra, and the chapel of St Patrick's College, Carlow. He emulated the neo-Gothic style of J. J. McCarthy (qv), whose pupil he is said to have been. It seems likely that the earlier buildings attributed to William Hague – the refurbishment and extension of the catholic cathedral at Cavan is an example – were designed by his father, and that his brother Robert, who stayed on at Cavan as a builder, played a role in his career. From his father he acquired (1883) the demesne and estate of Kilnacrott, Crosserlough, Co. Cavan. William Hague died 22 March 1899 at his residence, 21 Upper Mount St., Dublin.
He married Anne, daughter of Vesey Daly (d. 1880), clerk of the crown for County Donegal and legal adviser to the Redington family. They had two daughters and a son, William Vesey, a writer who contributed to the New Ireland Review and the Irish Ecclesiastical Record.