Irish House of Commons
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:IrishHC1780.jpg The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from mediæval times until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a very restrictive franchise. Most notably, Roman Catholics were disqualified from sitting in the Irish parliament, even though they comprised the vast majority of the Irish population. From about 1716 until 1793, they were also disfranchised.
The British apponted 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 who, in the absence of a government chosen from and answerable to the Commons, was the dominant political figure in the parliament. The House of Commons was abolished when the Irish parliament merged with its British counterpart in 1801 under the Act of Union.
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Famous members
- Henry Grattan - went on to serve as an Irish member of the United Kingdom House of Commons.
- Hon. Arthur Wellesley - later became Duke of Wellington, defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, and served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He represented his family borough of Trim, in County Meath from 1790-1796.
- William Connolly - a past Speaker, Connolly 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.
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Constituencies
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.
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Irish Boroughs
| Borough | County | Creation | Enfranchised | Fate after the union |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim | County Antrim | 1666 | Potwalloper | Disfranchised |
| Ardee | County Louth | 1378 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Ardfert | County Kerry | 1639? | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Armagh | County Armagh | 1613 | Corporation | One seat |
| Askeaton | County Limerick | 1614 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Athboy | County Meath | 1613 | Manor | Disfranchised |
| Athenry | County Galway | 1310? | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Athlone | County Westmeath | 1607 | Corporation | One seat |
| Athy | County Kildare | 1614 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Augher | County Tyrone | 1614 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Ballynakill | Queen's County | 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Ballyshannon | County Donegal | 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Baltimore | County Cork | 1614 | Potwalloper | Disfranchised |
| Baltinglass | County Wicklow | 1664 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Banagher | King's County | 1629 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Bandon-Bridge | County Cork | 1614 | Corporation | One seat |
| Bangor | County Down | 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Bannow | County Wexford | ? | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Belfast | County Antrim | 1613 | Corporation | One seat |
| Belturbet | County Cavan | 1614 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Blessington | County Wicklow | 1670 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Boyle | County Roscommon | 1614 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Callan | County Kilkenny | 1264 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Carlingford | County Louth | 13?? | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Carlow | County Carlow | 1613 | Corporation | One seat |
| Carrick | County Leitrim | 1614 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Carrickfergus | County Antrim | 1326 | Freeholder and householder | One seat |
| Carysfort | County Wicklow | 1629 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Cashel | County Tipperary | ? | Corporation | One seat |
| Castlebar | County Mayo | 1614 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Castlemartyr | County Cork | 1676 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Cavan | County Cavan | 1611 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Charlemont | County Armagh | 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Charleville | County Cork | 1673 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Clogher | County Tyrone | 1264 | Ecclesiastical | Disfranchised |
| Clonakilty | County Cork | 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Clonmel | County Tipperary | ? | Corporation | One seat |
| Clonmines | County Wexford | ? | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Coleraine | County Londonderry | 16?? | Corporation | One seat |
| Cork City | County Cork | 1264 | Freeholder and Freemen | Two seats |
| Dingle | County Kerry | 1607 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Donegal | County Donegal | 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Doneraile | County Cork | 1640 | Manor | Disfranchised |
| Downpatrick | County Down | 1586 | Potwalloper | One seat |
| Drogheda | County Louth | 1264 | Freeholders and freemen | One seat |
| Dublin City | County Dublin | 1264 | Freeholders and freemen | Two seats |
| Duleek | County Meath | ? | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Dundalk | County Louth | 1264 | Corporation | One seat |
| Dungannon | County Tyrone | 1613 | Corporation | One seat |
| Dungarvan | County Waterford | 1610 | Potwalloper | One seat |
| Dunleer | County Louth | 1679 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Ennis | County Clare | 1613 | Corporation | One seat |
| Enniscorthy | County Wexford | 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Enniskillen | County Fermanagh | 1613 | Corporation | One seat |
| Fethard | County Tipperary | 1608 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Fethard | County Wexford | 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Fore | County Westmeath | ? | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Galway | County Galway | 1264 | Freemen | One seat |
| Gorey | County Wexford | 1620 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Gowran | County Kilkenny | 1609 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Granard | County Longford | 1679 | Manor | Disfranchised |
| Harristown | County Kildare | 1684 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Hillsborough | County Down | 1662 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Innistiogue | County Kilkenny | ? | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Jamestown | County Leitrim | 1622 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Kells | County Meath | 1561 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Kilbeggan | County Westmeath | 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Kildare | County Kildare | 15?? | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Kilkenny | County Kilkenny | 1264? | Freeholders and Freemen | One seat |
| Killybegs | County Donegal | 1616 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Killyleagh | County Down | 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Kilmallock | County Limerick | 15?? | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Kinsale | County Cork | 1334? | Corporation and Freemen | One seat |
| Knocktopher | County Kilkenny | 1690? | Potwalloper | Disfranchised |
| Lanesborough | County Longford | 1642 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Lifford | County Donegal | 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Limerick City | County Limerick | 1264 | Freeholders and Freemen | One seat |
| Lisburn | County Antrim | 1661 | Potwalloper | One seat |
| Lismore | County Waterford | 1614 | Manor | Disfranchised |
| Londonderry City | County Londonderry | 16?? | Corporation | One seat |
| Longford Borough | County Longford | 1669 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Mallow | County Cork | 1613 | Manor | One seat |
| Maryborough | Queen's County | 1571 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Midleton | County Cork | 1671 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Monaghan Borough | County Monaghan | 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Mullingar | County Westmeath | 1583 | Manor | Disfranchised |
| Naas | County Kildare | 1570 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Navan | County Meath | 1469 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| New Ross | County Wexford | ? | Corporation | One seat |
| Newcastle | County Dublin | c. 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Newry | County Down | 1612 | Potwalloper | One seat |
| Newtown Limavady | County Londonderry | 16?? | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Newtownards | County Down | 1614 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Old Leighlin | County Armagh | ? | Ecclesiastical corporation | Disfranchised |
| Philipstown | King's County | 1571 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Portarlington | Queen's County | 1668 | Corporation | One seat |
| Randalstown | County Antrim | 1683 | Freeman / Potwalloper | Disfranchised |
| Rathcormack | County Cork | c. 1611 | Potwalloper / Manor | Disfranchised |
| Ratoath | County Meath | ? | Manor | Disfranchised |
| Roscommon Borough | County Roscommon | ? | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| St Canice/Irishtown | County Kilkenny | 1264? | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| St Johnstown | County Donegal | before 1619 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| St Johnstown | County Longford | 1628 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Sligo Town | County Sligo | 1614 | Corporation | One seat |
| Strabane | County Tyrone | 1613 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Swords | County Dublin | ? | Potwalloper | Disfranchised |
| Taghmon | County Wexford | bef. 1642 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Tallow | County Waterford | ? | Manor / Potwalloper | Disfranchised |
| Thomastown | County Kilkenny | 1541 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Tralee | County Kerry | 1613 | Corporation | One seat |
| Trim | County Meath | 1572 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Tuam | County Galway | 1614 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Tulsk | County Roscommon | 1663 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Waterford City | County Waterford | 1264 | Freemen and freeholders | One seat |
| Wexford Town | County Wexford | ? | Freemen | One seat |
| Wicklow Town | County Wicklow | 1614 | Corporation | Disfranchised |
| Youghal | County Cork | ? | Corporation and Freemen | One seat |
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