The period 1835-1865 saw the height of popularity for the Irish born Michael Balfe (1808–70), composer of "The Bohemian Girl" (1843), the operas of John Pyke Hullah (1812–84), and the earlier English operas of German-born Sir Julius Benedict (1804–85), including his best-known, "The Lily of Killarney" (1862). "Maritana" (1845) was the most famous and ballad-rich of the Irish born William Vincent Wallace's operas. The operas of Frederic Clay (1838–89) were among the most popular of the period, including "Ages Ago" (1869), "The Gentleman in Black" (1870) and "Happy Arcadia" (1872), all written with W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911).