Rearuh

Irish House of Commons
Type
Type	Lower house
History
Established	1297
Disbanded	31 December 1800
Succeeded by	House of Commons of the United Kingdom
Leadership
Speaker of the House	John Foster (1785–1801)
Seats	3001
Elections
Voting system	First past the post with limited suffrage
Meeting place
The House of Commons in session (by Francis Wheatley, 1780)
Footnotes
1 In 1800 See also: House of Commons of Great Britain

The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive franchise, similar to the Unreformed House of Commons in contemporary England and Great Britain. In counties, forty-shilling freeholders were enfranchised whilst in most boroughs it was either only the members of self-electing corporations or a highly-restricted body of freemen that were able to vote for the borough's representatives. Most notably, Catholics were disqualified from sitting in the Irish parliament from 1691, even though they comprised the vast majority of the Irish population. From 1728 until 1793 they were also disfranchised. Most of the population of all religions had no vote. The vast majority of parliamentary boroughs were pocket boroughs, the private property of an aristocratic patron. When these boroughs were disfranchised at the under the Act of Union, the patron was awarded £15,000 compensation for each.^[1]

The British-appointed Irish executive, under the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, was not answerable to the House of Commons but to the British government. However, the Chief Secretary for Ireland was usually a member of the Irish parliament. In the Commons, business was presided over by the Speaker. The House of Commons was abolished when the Irish parliament merged with its British counterpart in 1801 under the Act of Union, forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The House sat for the last time in Parliament House, Dublin on 2 August 1800.

Means of resignation

Until 1793 members could not resign their seats. They could cease to be a member of the House only by one of four ways:

• death


• expulsion


• taking Holy Orders
  


• being awarded a peerage and so a seat in the Irish House of Lords.

In 1793 a methodology for resignation was created, equivalent to the Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds or the Manor of Northstead as a means of resignation from the British House of Commons. From that date, Irish members could be appointed to the Escheatorship of Munster, the Escheatorship of Leinster, the Escheatorship of Connaught or the Escheatorship of Ulster. Possession of one of these Crown offices, "office of profit under the Crown" with a 30-shilling salary, terminated one's membership of the House of Commons.

Speaker of the Commons

Drawing of the front of the Irish Parliament House with the dome, seen from the street-level, in the 18th century

The Speaker of the Irish House of Commons was the presiding officer of the House and its most senior official. The position was one of considerable power and prestige, and in the absence of a government chosen from and answerable to the Commons, he was the dominant political figure in the Parliament. The last Speaker was John Foster.

Constituencies

Engraving of section of the Irish House of Commons chamber by Peter Mazell based on the drawing by Rowland Omer 1767

The House was elected in the same way as the British House of Commons. By the time of the Union, the shape of the House had been fixed with two members elected for each of the 32 Counties of Ireland, two members for each of 117 Boroughs, and two members for Dublin University, a total of 300 members. The number of Boroughs invited to return members had originally been small (only 55 Boroughs existed in 1603) but was doubled by the Stuart monarchs.

Notes

Sessions

Parliaments of Edward III

Parliament of 1374

• 
  William de Karlell, Kilkenny
  


• 
  John de Karlell, Kilkenny
  


• Sir Richard Plunkett, Meath
  

Parliament of 1375^[20]

• Sir Richard Plunkett, Meath
  


• Henry Mitchell


• John Tirel

Parliaments of Richard II

^[21]

Parliament of 1380

• Sir Richard Plunkett
  


• John Tirel

Parliaments of Henry VI

^[22]

Parliament of 1429

• Sir Richard FitzEustace, Kildare
  

Parliament of 1450

• 
  John Chevir, Kilkenny, Speaker
  

Parliaments of Henry VIII

Parliament 1516

Parliament 1521–22

Parliament 1531

Parliament 1533

Parliament 1536–37

Members

• Patrick Barnewall


• Sir William Brabazon
  

Parliament 1541–43

• First session held at Dublin 13 June to 20 or 23 July 1541, 7 November 1541, 22 December 1541^[23]
  


• Second session held at Limerick 15 February to 7 or 10 March 1542^[23]
  


• Third session held at Trim June 1542


• Dissolved 19 November 1543^[23]
  

Speaker: Sir Thomas Cusack^[24]

Parliament of Mary I

Parliaments of Elizabeth I

Members:

• Sir Edmond Butler
  


• Sir Thomas Cusack, Athenry
  


• Sir Christopher Barnewall, Dublin County
  


• 
  James Stanyhurst, Speaker


• Sir Lucas Dillon, Meath
  


• Sir John Alan, Kinsale
  


• Francis Agard, Kinsale
  


• 
  John Parker, Trim
  


• 
  Sir Henry Radclyffe, Carlingford
  


• John Walsh, Youghal
  


• John Portyngall, Youghal
  


• Richmond Archbold, Cross Tipperary
  


• Edmund Prendergast, Cross Tipperary
  


• 
  Nicholas White, County Kilkenny
  


• 
  Henry Draycott, Naas
  


• John Meade, Cork City
  


• Humphrey Warren, Carrickfergus
  


• 
  Barnaby Fitzpatrick later 2nd Baron Upper Ossory
  

Members:
List of Irish MPs 1585–86

Parliaments of James I

Members:

• Roger Atkinson, Enniskillen
  


• Andrew Barrett Cork County
  


• Richard Barry, Dublin City
  


• Sir John Bere, Carlow
  


• Sir Francis Berkeley, Limerick County
  


• Ralph Birchenshaw, Augher
  


• 
  Sir Valentine Blake, 1st Baronet, Galway County
  


• Sir John Blennerhassett, Baron of the Court of Exchequer, Belfast
  


• Robert Blennerhassett Tralee
  


• 
  Richard Bolton, Dublin City
  


• Sir Edward Brabazon, Wicklow County
  


• Edmund Butler, Cross Tipperary
  


• Boetius Clancy, junior, Clare
  


• Edmund Coppinger, Youghal
  


• 
  Sir Thomas Crooke, 1st Baronet, Baltimore
  


• Sir John Davies, Speaker and Attorney-General, Fermanagh
  


• Gilbert Domville, Kildare
  


• Charles Doyne, Trinity College
  


• Sir John Everard, Catholic d. 1624, 'the acknowledged leader of the opposition'^[25]Tipperary
  


• Humphrey Farnham, Enniskillen
  


• William Ferrar, Clogher^[26]
  


• James Roche Fitz-Philip, Kinsale
  


• Dominick Roche Fitz-Richard, Kinsale
  


• Sir Henry Folliott, Fermanagh
  


• John Forrest, Youghal
  


• 
  Sir Paul Gore, 1st Baronet, Ballyshannon
  


• 
  Henry Gosnold, Second Justice of Munster, Clonakilty
  


• Sir James Gough, Waterford
  


• 
  Sir Edward Harris, Chief Justice of Munster, Clonakilty
  


• Sir Robert Jacobe, Solicitor-General, Carlow
  


• Sir John King, Muster-master, Roscommon County
  


• Thomas Laffan, Cross Tipperary
  


• Gerard Lowther, Justice of the Common Pleas, Tallow
  


• Thomas Luttrell, Dublin County
  


• Dermot McCarthy Cork County
  


• Thomas Browne Mills, Limerick County
  


• Daniel Molyneaux, Ulster King of Arms, Strabane
  


• Samuel Molyneaux, Mallow
  


• 
  Sir Garrett Moore, later Viscount Moore of Drogheda, Dungannon
  


• Sir Edward Moore, Charlemont
  


• Sir Richard Moryson, Vice-president of Munster, Bandonbridge
  


• 
  Barnabas O'Brien, later Earl of Thomond, Coleraine
  


• Sir Daniel O'Brien, later 1st Viscount Clare, Clare
  


• Lawrence Parsons, Tallow
  


• 
  William Parsons, Surveyor General, Newcastle
  


• 
  Henry Piers (or Pierce), Secretary to the Lord Deputy, Baltimore
  


• Sir Christopher Plunket, Dublin County
  


• Sir Hugh Pollerde, Dungannon
  


• 
  Sir Thomas Ridgeway, later Earl of Londonderry, vice-treasurer and treasurer-at-war, 'in practice recognized by both parties as leader of the house'^[27]Tyrone
  


• Sir Robert Ridgeway, Ballynakill
  


• Sir Francis Roe, Tyrone
  


• Christopher Sibthorpe, Justice of the Court of King's Bench, Newtown Limavady
  


• Edward Skorye, Augher
  


• 
  Sir Oliver St John, Master of the Ordnance and Vice-President of Connaught, Roscommon County
  


• 
  Sir William Talbot, 1st Baronet, Kildare
  


• 
  William Temple, Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, Trinity College
  


• Sir William Usher, Clerk of the Council, Wicklow Borough
  


• Sir James Ware, Auditor-General, Mallow
  


• George Watkins, Clogher^[26]
  


• 
  Sir Richard Wingfield, Marshal of the Army, Downpatrick
  

Parliaments of Charles I

Parliament of 1634–35

Members:

• Sir Nathaniel Catelyn, Speaker


• John Clotworthy


• Patrick Darcy


• Sir Edward Fitzharris
  


• Maurice Fitzgerald


• Sir Henry Lynch


• Sir Thomas Luttrell
  


• Richard Martin


• Nicholas Plunkett


• Sir William Sarsfield
  


• Sir Nicholas White
  


• William Gallwey


• James Roche


• Guildford Slingsby


• Nicholas Barnewall


• Sir Paul Davys
  


• Sir John Borlase


• Sir Valentine Blake, 3rd Baronet


• Sir James Ware


• James Donnellan


• Sir Henry Spotteswood


• Edward Ayscough


• Sir William Cole


• Sir John Hume


• Sir Faithful Fortescue


• John Perkins


• Barnabas O'Brien


• Daniel O'Brien


• Christopher Wandesford


• George Radcliffe


• Sir Richard Kennedy, 1st Baronet


• Lott Peere


• Edward Skipwith


• Sir Charles Coote, later Earl of Mountrath


• James Dillon


• Sir Thomas Geogh


• Geoffrey Mockler


• Sir James Erskine


• Sir Henry Tichborne


• Sir William St Leger, Cork County


• Sir Donough MacCarty, 1st Earl of Clancarty, Cork County


• William Kingsmill, Mallow


• Robert Meredith, Augher


• James Erskine, Augher


• 
  James Barry, later Lord Barry, Liamore


• 
  Sir Henry Bingham, 1st Baronet, Castlebar


• 
  John Bysse, Charlemont
  


• 
  Sir Robert Talbot, 2nd Baronet, Wicklow
  


• Sir Jerome Alexander, Lifford
  


• Sir William Ryves, Belturbet


• Geoffrey Barron, Clonmel


• Sir Robert Travers, Clonakilty


• 
  Philip Mainwaring, Clonakilty

Parliament of 1639–49

Members:
List of Irish MPs 1639–49

Parliament of Charles II

Members:
List of Irish MPs 1661–66

Members:

• Sir John Temple, Carlow


• 
  Sir Thomas Burdett, 1st Baronet, Carlow


• 
  Nicholas Plunkett, Meath


• Sir Audley Mervyn, Tyrone, Speaker


• 
  Sir Arthur Forbes, later Earl of Granard, Tyrone


• Sir Maurice Eustace junior, Knocktopher


• Sir William Domville, Dublin City


• St. John Broderick


• Randolph Clayton


• 
  Sir Henry Ingoldsby, 1st Baronet, Clare


• Sir William Davys, Dublin City


• Sir MIchael Cole


• Sir Robert Cole


• 
  Sir Arthur Gore, 1st Baronet, Mayo


• Matthew Harrison


• 
  Sir James Ware, University of Dublin


• 
  Lord John Butler, University of Dublin


• Sir William King


• Robert Oliver


• Sir John Cole, 1st Baronet


• Sir Paul Davys, Kildare


• Sir Robert King. 1st Baronet, Ballyshannon


• Henry Bellingham


• John Blennerhassett


• Robert Blennerhassett


• Sir John Skeffington


• Sir Toby Poyntz


• 
  Richard Southwell, Askeaton


• 
  Sir Richard Bulkeley, 1st Baronet, Baltinglass


• Sir Arthur Chichester


• Sir Thomas Bramhall


• 
  Nicholas Ward, Downpatrick


• 
  Sir Edward Dering, 2nd Baronet, Lismore


• Sir Nicholas Purdon, Baltimore


• 
  Richard Townsend, Baltimore


• Sir Randal Berseford, Coleraine


• Moses Hill, Drogheda


• Sir Robert Reading, Ratoath


• Sir William Flower, St. Canice


• Oliver Wheeler, St. Canice


• John Ponsonby, County Kilkenny


• Daniel Redman, County Kilkenny


• 
  William Handcock, Westmeath


• John Chambers, Ardee


• John Ruxton, Ardee


• 
  Richard Boyle, Cork County


• 
  Roger Boyle, Cork County


• Sir Henry Tynte, Cork County


• Sir John Perceval, Cork County


• John St Leger, Cork County


• Henry Mervyn, Augher


• Richard Palfrey, Augher


• Francis Harvey, Clonmines


• 
  John Povey, Swords


• 
  Sir George Bingham, 2nd Baronet, Castlebar


• Moses Hill, Drogheda


• 
  Sir Richard Reynell, 1st Baronet, Athboy


• 
  Henry O'Brien, Lord Ibrackan, Clare


• 
  Sir Edward Smith, Lisburn


• 
  Oliver Jones, Roscommon County


• 
  Joshua Boyle, Clonakilty


• Arthur Freke, Clonakilty


• Colonel Carey Dillon, Banagher


• 
  Dudley Colley, Philipstown


• Sir John Lyndon, Carrickfergus

Parliaments of James II

Members:

Parliaments of William III and Mary II

Members:
List of Irish MPs 1692–93

Members:
List of Irish MPs 1695–99

Parliaments of Anne

Members:
List of Irish MPs 1703–13

Members:
List of Irish MPs 1713–14

Parliament of George I

Members:
List of Irish MPs 1715–27

Parliament of George II

Henry Boyle, speaker between 1733–1756

John Ponsonby, speaker between 1756–1771

Members:
List of Irish MPs 1727–60

Members: (elected 1727)

• St John Brodrick


• Henry Boyle


• Sir Richard Cox, 2nd baronet


• Sir Matthew Deane, 3rd Baronet


• Charles Viscount Dungarvan


• 
  Anthony Malone, Westmeath (married Speaker Ralph Gore's daughter),


• Thomas Carter


• 
  Luke Gardiner, Tralee Thomastown to 1755


• 
  Sir Arthur Acheson, 5th Baronet, for Mullingar
  


• Edward Lovett Pearce


• Robert Marshall


• Eaton Stannard

Members: (elected 1728/29)

Members: (elected 1739)

• John Ponsonby

Members: (in 1747)

• 
  Henry Gore, Tulsk
  


• Frederick Gore, Killybegs
  


• 
  Sir Ralph Gore, Donegal County
  


• Arthur Hyde


• John Macarell, Carlingford
  


• Henry Mitchell, Castlebar
  

Members: (elected 1751/1752)

• 
  Thomas Newenham, Cork


• Sir Richard Cox, Cork


• 
  Cosby Nesbitt, Cavan
  


• Frederick Gore, Killybegs
  


• 
  Henry Gore, Tulsk
  


• 
  Sir Ralph Gore, Donegal County
  


• John Macarell, Carlingford
  


• Henry Mitchell, Castlebar
  

Members: (elected 1753/1754)

• 
  Francis Pierpoint Burton, Killybegs
  


• 
  Robert Fitzgerald, Kerry
  


• 
  Henry Gore, Tulsk
  


• Frederick Gore, Killybegs
  


• 
  Sir Ralph Gore, Donegal County
  


• John Macarell, Carlingford
  


• Henry Mitchell, Castlebar
  


• Cosby Nesbitt, Cavan County
  


• Mervyn Archdall


• 
  William Brownlow, Armagh, Independent


• 
  Francis Pierpoint Burton, Killybegs
  


• Charles Viscount Dungarvan


• Robert French


• John Gore


• 
  Henry Gore, Tulsk
  


• Frederick Gore, Killybegs
  


• 
  Sir Ralph Gore, Donegal County
  


• Anthony Malone


• 
  John Macarell, Carlingford
  


• 
  Henry Mitchell, Castlebar
  


• 
  Edmund Pery, Independent


• John Ponsonby


• 
  Abel Ram (Committee of Commons unseated Robert Leigh), Wexford

Members:

• Sir Archibold Acheson
  


• John Bowes


• Benjamin Burton


• Sir Charles Burton, Dublin


• 
  Francis Pierpoint Burton, Killybegs
  


• Nathaniel Clements


• Cunninghame


• 
  James Dunn, Dublin


• Sir William Fownes
  


• John Gore


• Henry Gore


• Frederick Gore


• 
  John Hely-Hutchinson, Cork


• Henry Lyons


• Anthony Malone


• 
  Cosby Nesbitt, Cavan County
  


• Charles O'Hara


• 
  Edmond Pery, Independent


• Sir Thomas Prendergast
  


• Stone


• Philip Tisdall

Parliaments of George III

Edmund Perry, speaker between 1771 and 1785

John Foster, last speaker of the Irish House of Commons (1785–1800)

Members:
List of Irish MPs 1761–68

Members:
List of Irish MPs 1769–76

Grattan's Parliament

Members:
List of Irish MPs 1776–83

Members:List of Irish MPs 1783–90

Members:
List of Irish MPs 1790–97

Members:List of Irish MPs 1798–1800

Famous members

• 
  Henry Grattan: Went on to serve as an Irish member of the United Kingdom House of Commons.


• 
  Boyle Roche: The "father" of Irish bulls
  


• 
  Hon. Arthur Wellesley: Later became Duke of Wellington, defeated Napoleon I at Waterloo, and served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He represented his family borough of Trim, County Meath from 1790–98.


• 
  William Conolly: A past Speaker, Conolly remains today one of the most widely known figures ever to be produced by the Irish parliament. He is famous not just for his role in parliament but also for his great wealth that allowed him to build one of Ireland's greatest Georgian houses, Castletown House.


• 
  Nathaniel Clements: 1705–77 Government and Treasury Official, Managed extensive financial functions from 1720–77 on behalf of the Government, de facto Minister for Finance 1740–77, extensive property owner and developer. major influence on the architecture of Georgian Dublin and the Irish Palladian Country house.


• 
  John Philpot Curran: Orator and wit, originator of the quotation "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty".

See also

• History of Ireland


• Parliament of Ireland


• List of UK Parliamentary constituencies in Ireland 1801–1832

References

Sources

• Charles Ivar McGrath, The making of the 18th century Irish Constitution; Government, Parliament and the Revenue, 1692-1714, Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2000,
  ISBN 1-85182-554-1
  


• Eoin Magennis, The Irish Political System 1740-1765, Doublin: Four Courts Press, 2000,
  ISBN 1-85182-484-7
  


• Moody/Vaughan, A new history of Ireland, Oxford, 1986,
  ISBN 0-19-821742-0 and
  ISBN 0-19-821739-0
  


• Mary Frances Cusack, Illustrated History of Ireland, Project Gutenberg


• 
  Return of the name of every member of the lower house of parliament of England, Scotland, and Ireland, with name of constituency represented, and date of return, from 1213 to 1874. C. 69-I. HMSO. 1878.
  


• 
  Edith Mary Johnston-Liik, ed. (2002). History of the Irish parliament, 1692–1800. Belfast: Ulster Historical Foundation.
  

External links

• 
  Members Name Search (Commons and Lords, 1692–1800) Irish Legislation Database, Queen's University Belfast


• 
  History of the Irish Parliament: Constituencies Ulster Historical Foundation


• Journals of the House of Commons of Ireland (proceedings from 1613)
  
  
  
  • 
    Index page for 14 volumes at HathiTrust
    
  
  
  • large (~1 GB) PDF scans of 21 volumes from Oireachtas library) Index Vol.1 Index Vol.2 Vol.2 Vol.3 Vol.4 Vol.5 Vol.6 Vol.7 Vol.8 Vol.9 Vol.10 Vol.11 Vol.12 Vol.13 Vol.14 Vol.15 Vol.16 Vol.17 Vol.17 (Appendix) Vol.18 Vol.19 Vol.19 (Appendix)