List of chief governors of Ireland explained
The office of chief governor of Ireland existed under various names from the 12th-century Anglo-Norman invasion to the creation of the Irish Free State on 6 December 1922. Common names were (Chief) justiciar (13th–14th centuries); (King's) lieutenant (14th–16th century); (Lord) Deputy (15th–17th centuries), and Lord Lieutenant (standard after 1690). The unofficial term Viceroy was also common.
Reasons for difficulty in stating terms of office include that many left the office empty for a period (sometimes to return to the Court of St. James's, sometimes to return to their British estates) before either being replaced or returning. There is difficulty in getting clear information before 1529; in the earlier years, there were frequent long vacancies, during which a Lord Deputy or Lord Justice would act as chief governor. The Irish Act of Union merged the Kingdom of Ireland with the Kingdom of Great Britain to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The new United Kingdom came into being on 1 January 1801 resulting in the disappearance of the separate Irish Parliament: Though many expected the office of Lord Lieutenant to be abolished, it survived. Periodic debates throughout the nineteenth century erupt over whether it should be replaced by a 'Secretary of State for Ireland'. The office of Chief Secretary for Ireland (in effect number two in Irish government ranking) grows in importance, with the Lord Lieutenant gradually reduced to a largely though not completely ceremonial role.
The office was replaced by the Governor-General of the Irish Free State. In Northern Ireland the position was replaced by that of Governor of Northern Ireland.
Medieval
Source:[1]
Under the House of Anjou
- Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath: 1172–73[2]
- William FitzAldelm: 1173
- Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (Strongbow): 1173–1176
- William FitzAldelm: 1176–1177
- Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath: 1177–1181
- John fitz Richard, Baron of Halton, Constable of Chester and Richard Peche, Bishop of Lichfield, jointly: 1181
- Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath and Hubert Walter, Bishop of Salisbury, jointly: (1181–1184)
- Philip de Worcester: 1184–1185
- John de Courcy: 1185–1192
- William le Petit & Walter de Lacy: 1192–1194
- Walter de Lacy & John de Courcy: 1194–1195
- Hamo de Valognes: 1195–1198
- Meiler Fitzhenry: 1198–1208
- John de Gray, Bishop of Norwich: 1208–1213
- William le Petit 1211: (during John's absence)
- Henry de Loundres, Archbishop of Dublin: 1213–1215
- Geoffrey de Marisco: 1215–1221
Under the House of Plantagenet
- Henry de Loundres, Archbishop of Dublin: 1221–1224
- William Marshal: 1224–1226
- Geoffrey de Marisco: 1226–1228
- Richard Mor de Burgh: 1228–1232
- Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent 1232 (held the office formally, but never came to Ireland)[3]
- Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Lord of Offaly: 1232–1245
- Sir John Fitz Geoffrey: 1246–1256
- Sir Richard de la Rochelle 1256
- Alan de la Zouche: 1256–1258
- Stephen Longespée: 1258–1260
- William Dean: 1260–1261
- Sir Richard de la Rochelle: 1261–1266
- David de Barry 1266–1268
- Robert d'Ufford 1268–1270
- James de Audley: 1270–1272
- Maurice Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald: 1272–1273
- Geoffrey de Geneville: 1273–1276
- Sir Robert D'Ufford: 1276–1281
- Stephen de Fulbourn, Archbishop of Tuam: 1281–1288
- John de Sandford, Archbishop of Dublin: 1288–1290
- Sir Guillaume de Vesci: 1290–1294
- Sir Walter de la Haye: 1294
- William fitz Roger, prior of Kilmainham 1294
- Guillaume D'Ardingselles: 1294–1295
- Thomas Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald: 1295
- Sir John Wogan: 1295–1308
- Edmund Butler 1304–1305 (while Wogan was in Scotland)
- Piers Gaveston: 1308–1309
- Sir John Wogan: 1309–1312
- Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick: 1312–1314
- Theobald de Verdun, 2nd Baron Verdun: 1314–1315
- Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick: 1315–1318
- Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March: 1317–1318
- William FitzJohn, Archbishop of Cashel: 1318
- Alexander de Bicknor, Archbishop of Dublin: 1318–19
- Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March 1319–1320
- Thomas FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Kildare: 1320–1321
- Sir Ralph de Gorges: 1321 (appointment ineffective)
- John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth: 1321–1324
- John D'Arcy: 1324–1327
- Thomas FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Kildare: 1327–1328
- Roger Utlagh: 1328–1329
- John D'Arcy: 1329–1331
- William Donn de Burgh, 3rd Earl of Ulster: 1331–1331
- Anthony de Lucy: 1331–1332
- John D'Arcy: 1332–1338 (Lords Deputy: Sir Thomas de Burgh: 1333–1337 and Sir John Charlton: 1337–1338)
- Thomas Charleton, Bishop of Hereford: 1338–1340
- Roger Utlagh: 1340
- Sir John d'Arcy: 1340–1344 (Lord Deputy: Sir John Morice (or Moriz))
- Sir Raoul d'Ufford: 1344–1346 (died in office in April 1346)
- Roger Darcy 1346
- Sir John Moriz, or Morice: 1346–1346
- Sir Walter de Bermingham: 1346–1347
- John L'Archers, Prior of Kilmainham: 1347–1348
- Sir Walter de Bermingham: 1348–1349
- John, Lord Carew: 1349
- Sir Thomas de Rokeby: 1349–1355
- Maurice FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Kildare: 1355–1355
- Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond: 1355–1356
- Maurice FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Kildare: 1356
- Sir Thomas de Rokeby: 1356–1357
- John de Boulton: 1357
- Maurice FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Kildare: 1357
- Almaric de St. Amaud, Lord Gormanston: 1357–1359
- James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond: 1359–1360
- Maurice FitzGerald, 4th Earl of Kildare: 1361
- Lionel of Antwerp, 5th Earl of Ulster (later Duke of Clarence): 1361–1364
- James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond: 1364–1365
- Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence: 1365–1366
- Thomas de la Dale: 1366–1367
- Gerald FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond: 1367–1369, a.k.a. Gearóid Iarla[4]
- Sir William de Windsor: 1369–1376
- James Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond: 1376–1378
- Alexander de Balscot and John de Bromwich: 1378–1380
- Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March: 1380–1381
- Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March: 1382 (first term, aged 11, Lord Deputy: Sir Thomas Mortimer)
- Sir Philip Courtenay: 1385–1386
- Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland: 1386
- Alexander de Balscot, Bishop of Meath: 1387–1389
- Sir John Stanley, K.G., King of Mann: 1389–1391 (first term)
- James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond: 1391
- Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester: 1392–1395
- Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March: 1395–1398 (second term)
- Thomas Holland, Duke of Surrey: 1399
Under the Houses of York and Lancaster
- Sir John Stanley: 1399–1402 (second term)
- Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence: 1402–1405 (aged 13)
- James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond: 1405
- Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Earl of Kildare: 1405–1408
- Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence: 1408–1413
- Sir John Stanley: 1413–1414 (third term)
- Thomas Cranley, Archbishop of Dublin: 1414
- John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury: 1414–1421 (first term)
- James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond: 1419–1421 (first term)
- Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March: 1423–1425
- John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury: 1425 (second term)
- James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond: 1425–1427
- Sir John Grey: 1427–1428
- John Sutton, later 1st Lord Dudley: 1428–1429
- Sir Thomas le Strange: 1429–1431
- Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley: 1431–1436
- Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron Welles: 1438–1446
- John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury: 1446 (third term)
- Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York: 1447–1460 (Lord Deputy: Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Kildare)
- George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence: 1462–1478 (Lords Deputy: Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Desmond/Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Kildare)
- John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk: 1478
- Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York: 1478–1483 (aged 5. Lord Deputy:Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare)
- Edward of Middleham: 1483–1484 (aged 11. Lord Deputy:Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare)
- John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln: 1484–1485
Under the House of Tudor
Lords Deputy
Under the House of Tudor
Under the House of Stuart
During the Interregnum
Under the House of Stuart
Under the House of Hannover
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Under the House of Hannover
Under the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (later Windsor)
See also
References
- Book: Borlase, Edmund. The Reduction of Ireland to the Crown of England with the Governours since 1172. 1641.
Notes and References
- Web site: The Viceroys of Ireland. Charles. O'Mahony. Project Guthenberg. 20 September 2014.
- A New History of Ireland, vol IX, pp. 470–4.
- A New History of Ireland, vol IX, pp 471, 481
- http://www.searcs-web.com/fitzgerald.html Gearóid Iarla FitzGerald (1335–1398)