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'For the other body sometimes called the "Irish House of Commons", see House of Commons of Southern Ireland.

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 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 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.

Contents 1 Famous members 2 Speakers (1689-1800) 3 Constituencies 4 Sessions 4.1 Parliaments of Henry VIII 4.1.1 Parliament 1536-1537 4.1.2 Parliament 1541-1543 4.2 Parliaments of Elizabeth I 4.3 Parliaments of James I 4.4 Parliaments of Charles I 4.5 Parliament of Charles II 4.6 Parliaments of James II 4.7 Parliaments of William II and Mary II 4.8 Parliament of George I 4.9 Parliament of George II 4.10 Parliaments of George III 5 Resignation 6 See also 7 References

• 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 at Waterloo, and served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He represented his family borough of Trim, County Meath from 1790-1796.
• 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 , 1705-1777 Government and Treasury Official, Managed extensive financial functions from 1720 - 1777 on behalf of the Government, de facto Minister for Finance 1740 - 1777, 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."

• 1557, 1560 & 1568: James Stanyhurst
• 1661-????: Sir John Temple
• 1689-1692: Sir Richard Nagle
• 1692-1695: Sir Robert Levinge
• 1695-1703: Robert Rochfort
• 1703-1710: Alan Brodrick
• 1710-1713: John Foster
• 1713-1715: Alan Brodrick
• 1715-1729: William Conolly
• 1729-1733: Sir Ralph Gore
• 1733-1756: Henry Boyle
• 1756-1771: John Ponsonby
• 1771-1785: Edmund Sexton Perry
• 1785-1800: John Foster

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.

Constituency	Type	County	Creation	Enfranchised	Fate after the union
Antrim Borough	Borough	County Antrim	1666	Potwalloper	Disfranchised
Antrim County	County	County Louth			Two seats
Ardee		County Louth	1378	Corporation	Disfranchised
Ardfert		County Kerry	1639?	Corporation	Disfranchised
Armagh Borough	Borough	County Armagh	1613	Corporation	One seat
Armagh County	County	County Armagh			Two seats
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 (also 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
Bandonbridge		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
Carlow County	County	County Carlow			Two seats
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 Borough	Borough	County Cavan	1611	Corporation	Disfranchised
Cavan County	County	County Cavan			Two seats
Charlemont		County Armagh	1613	Corporation	Disfranchised
Charleville		County Cork	1673	Corporation	Disfranchised
Clare County	County	County Clare			Two seats
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
Cork County	County	County Cork			Two seats
Dingle		County Kerry	1607	Corporation	Disfranchised
Donegal County		County Donegal			Two seats
Donegal Borough	Borough	County Donegal	1613	Corporation	Disfranchised
Doneraile		County Cork	1640	Manor	Disfranchised
Down County	County	County Down			Two seats
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
Dublin County	County	County Dublin			Two seats
Dublin University					One seat
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
Fermanagh County	County	County Fermanagh			Two seats
Fethard		County Tipperary	1608	Corporation	Disfranchised
Fethard		County Wexford	1613	Corporation	Disfranchised
Fore		County Westmeath	?	Corporation	Disfranchised
Galway Borough	Borough	County Galway	1264	Freemen	One seat
Galway County	County	County Galway			Two seats
Gorey (also Newburgh)		County Wexford	1620	Corporation	Disfranchised
Gowran	Borough	County Kilkenny	1609	Corporation	Disfranchised
Granard		County Longford	1679	Manor	Disfranchised
Harristown		County Kildare	1684	Corporation	Disfranchised
Hillsborough		County Down	1662	Corporation	Disfranchised
Inistioge		County Kilkenny	?	Corporation	Disfranchised
Jamestown		County Leitrim	1622	Corporation	Disfranchised
Kells		County Meath	1561	Corporation	Disfranchised
Kerry	County	County Kerry			Two seats
Kilbeggan		County Westmeath	1613	Corporation	Disfranchised
Kildare Borough	Borough	County Kildare	15??	Corporation	Disfranchised
Kildare County	County	County Kildare			Two seats
Kilkenny		County Kilkenny	1264?	Freeholders and Freemen	One seat
Kilkenny County	County	County Kilkenny			Two seats
Killybegs		County Donegal	1616	Corporation	Disfranchised
Killyleagh		County Down	1613	Corporation	Disfranchised
Kilmallock		County Limerick	15??	Corporation	Disfranchised
King's County	County	King's County			Two seats
Kinsale		County Cork	1334]?	Corporation and Freemen	One seat
Knocktopher		County Kilkenny	1690?	Potwalloper	Disfranchised
Lanesborough		County Longford	1642	Corporation	Disfranchised
Leitrim County	County	County Leitrim			Two seats
Lifford		County Donegal	1613	Corporation	Disfranchised
Limerick City		County Limerick	1264	Freeholders and Freemen	One seat
Limerick County	County	County Limerick			Two seats
Lisburn		County Antrim	1661	Potwalloper	One seat
Lismore		County Waterford	1614	Manor	Disfranchised
Londonderry City		County Londonderry	16??	Corporation	One seat
Londonderry County	County	County Londonderry			Two seats
Longford Borough	Borough	County Longford	1669	Corporation	Disfranchised
Longfort County	County	County Longfort			Two seats
Louth County	County	County Louth			Two seats
Mallow		County Cork	1613	Manor	One seat
Maryborough		Queen's County	1571	Corporation	Disfranchised
Mayo County	County	County Mayo			Two seats
Meath County	County	County Meath			Two seats
Midleton		County Cork	1671	Corporation	Disfranchised
Monaghan Borough	Borough	County Monaghan	1613	Corporation	Disfranchised
Monaghan County	County	County Monaghan			Two seats
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	Borough	County Carlow	?	Ecclesiastical corporation	Disfranchised
Philipstown		King's County	1571	Corporation	Disfranchised
Philipstown		County Louth			Disfranchised
Portarlington	Borough	Queen's County	1668	Corporation	One seat
Queen's County	County	Queen's County			Two seats
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
Roscommon County	County	County Roscommon			Two seats
St Canice/Irishtown		County Kilkenny	1264?	Corporation	Disfranchised
St Johnstown		County Donegal	before 1619	Corporation	Disfranchised
St Johnstown		County Longford	1628	Corporation	Disfranchised
Sligo Borough		County Sligo	1614	Corporation	One seat
Sligo County	County	County Sligo			Two seats
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
Tipperary County	County	County Tipperary			Two seats
Tralee	Borough	County Kerry	1613	Corporation	One seat
Trim		County Meath	1572	Corporation	Disfranchised
Tuam		County Galway	1614	Corporation	Disfranchised
Tulsk		County Roscommon	1663	Corporation	Disfranchised
Tyrone County	County	County Tyrone			Two seats
Waterford City		County Waterford	1264	Freemen and freeholders	One seat
Waterford County	County	County Waterford			Two seats
Westmeath County	County	County Westmeath			Two seats
Wexford Borough		County Wexford	?	Freemen	One seat
Wexford County	County	County Wexford			Two seats
Wicklow Borough		County Wicklow	1614	Corporation	Disfranchised
Wicklow County	County	County Wicklow			Two seats
Youghal		County Cork	?	Corporation and Freemen	One seat

• Trim Session 1542

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
1	12 January 1559	1 February 1559		?
2	17 January 1568	25 April 1571		?

Members:

• Sir Edmond Butler
• Sir Christopher Barnwall

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
3	26 April 1585	14 May 1586	Nicholas Walsh	?

Members:

• Sir Richard Bingham
• Sir Warham St. Ledger

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
?	18 May 1613	24 October 1615		?

Members:

• Sir John Davies
• Sir John Everard, (Catholic d. 1624)
• Sir James Gough, Waterford

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
1	14 July 1634	18 April 1635		?

Members:

• Patrick Darcy
• Sir Edward Fitzharris
• Maurice Fitzgerald
• Sir Henry Lynch
• Sir Thomas Luttrell
• Richard Martin
• Nicholas Plunkett
• Sir William Sarsfield
• Sir Nicholas White

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
2	16 March 1639 (prorogued 1641)	30 January 1649		?

Members:

• Nicholas Barnewall, Catholic
• Patrick Barnewall,Trim
• John Bellew
• Sir Richard Blake, Galway
• Sir Piers Crosby
• Geoffrey Browne, Cathoic
• Thomas Burke, Catholic, Mayo
• Oliver Cashell, Louth
• William Cole, Protestant, Fermanagh, d. 1653
• Simon Digby, Protestant
• Sir Maurice Eustace, Speaker, Protestant
• Richard Fitzgerald, Protestant, Strabane
• Sir Roebuck Lynch
• Donagh MacCarthy, Viscount Muskerry, Catholic
• Richard Bellings, Catholic
• Sir Phelim O'Neill, Catholic
• James Montgomery, Protestant
• Nicholas Plunkett, Catholic, Meath
• Edward Rowley, Protestant
• Hardress Waller, Protestant
• John Walsh, Catholic

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
1	8 May 1661	7 August 1666		?

Members:

• Nicholas Plunkett, Meath
• Sir Audley Mervyn, Tyrone
• Sir Maurice Eustace, Speaker

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
1	7 May 1689	20 July 1689		?

Members:

Main article: Patriot Parliament

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
1	5 October 1692	26 June 1693	Sir Robert Levinge	1

Members:

• Richard Aldworth
• Francis Annesley( brother of Maurice)
• Maurice Annesley (brother of Francis)
• Thomas Beecher
• Henry Boyle
• Alan Brodrick
• St. John Brodrick
• Sir Francis Brewster, Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Randall Brice
• Alan Broderick (brother of Thomas)
• Thomas Broderick (brother of Alan)
• Joseph Coghlan
• Sir Richard Levinge, Speaker
• Stephen Ludlow
• Robert Molesworth
• Neave
• William Ponsonby
• Brigadier Rawdon
• John Reading
• Edward Richardson
• Rochfort (Speaker)
• Philip Savage
• Edward Singleton
• James Sloane
• Richard Warburton
• Brigadier William Wolsely

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
2	27 August 1695	14 June 1699	Robert Rochford	2

Members:

• Thomas Beecher
• Francis Bernard
• Charles Boyle
• St. John Brodrick
• Thomas Brodrick
• Edward Richardson

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
3	21 September 1703	6 May 1713	Alan Brodrick	6

Members:

• Thomas Beecher
• Francis Bernard
• Henry Boyle
• Alan Brodrick, Whig, Speaker
• Thomas Brodrick
• Sir Toby Butler
• Percy Freke
• Francis Langston
• Sir John Perceval
• Edward Riggs
• Henry Tenison, Tory

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
4	25 November 1713	1 August 1714 on death of Queen Anne	Alan Brodrick	1

Members:

• Alan Brodrick, Whig, Speaker
• Richard Barry
• Michael Beecher
• Arthur Bernard
• Francis Bernard
• SirJohn Perceval

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
1	12 November 1715	11 June 1727	William Conolly	6

Members:

• St John Brodrick
• Henry Boyle

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
1	28 November 1727	25 November 1760 on death of King George II	Sir Ralph Gore, Chancellor of the Exchequer	17

Members: (elected 1727)

• St John Brodrick
• Henry Boyle
• Sir Richard Cox
• Sir Matthew Deane
• Charles Viscount Dungarvan
• Anthony Malone, Westmeath (married Speaker Ralph Gore's daughter),
• Thomas Carter
• Luke Gardiner, Tralee Thomastown to 1755

• Edward Lovett Pearce

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

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
1	22 October 1761	28 May 1768 Octennial Act	John Ponsonby	4

Members:

• William Brabazon Ponsonby
• John Foster
• Sir John Freke
• John Hely Hutchinson
• John Lysaght
• Charles Lucas
• Edmund Sexton Pery
• Thomas Waite
• Andrews
• Beauchamp
• Bowes
• Henry Flood, Kilkenny
• Lucas
• Cosby Nesbitt, Cavan County
• Richard Townsend
• Sir Lucius O'Brien, Clare County

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
2	17 October 1769	5 April 1776	John Ponsonby to 4 March 1771, Edmond Pery Sexton	5

Members:

• Robert Clements, Donegal County
• John Hely Hutchinson
• Colonel Alexander Montgomery, Donegal County
• James Agar, Tralee (replaced by Sir Boyle Roche)

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
3	18 June 1776	25 July 1783	Edmond Sexton Pery	4

Members:

• Richard Longfield
• John Hely Hutchinson
• Sir R.T. Meade
• Sir Edward Newenham, Independent
• Sir Boyle Roche, Gowran

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
4	14 October 1783	8 April 1790	Edmond Sexton Pery	7

Members:

• Welbore Agar, Kilkenny
• Isaac Corry
• Thomas Coughlan, Carlingford
• Henry Flood
• Sir William Godfrey, Tralee
• Henry Grattan, Independent
• Robert Jephson, Granard
• Sir Richard Johnstone, Blessington
• John Hely Hutchinson
• Sir James May, Waterford
• James Carrique Ponsonby, Tralee
• Ponsoy
• Augustine Warren
• Nathaniel Warren (possibly a member of the 5th session)
• Sir Boyle Roche, Portarlington

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
5	2 July 1790	11 July 1797	John Foster	8

Members:

• Denis Browne, Mayo County
• Peter Burrows
• Todd Jones
• John Beresford
• Sir Boyle Roche, Tralee

Number	Opened	Dismissed	Speaker	Sessions
6	9 January 1798	31 December 1800	John Foster	3

Members:

• Charles O'Hara
• Lucius O'Brien
• Edmond Sexton Pery
• Sir Boyle Roche, Old Leighlin

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 Chiltern Hundreds in the British House of Commons. Irish members could now be appointed to either the Escheatorship of Munster, the Escheatorship of Leinster, the Escheatorship of Connaught or the Escheatorship of Ulster. Possession of one of these Crown offices, with entailed a 30/ (30 shilling) salary, automatically terminated one's membership of the House of Commons.

• History of Ireland
• Member of Parliament (pre-Union Ireland)

• Charles Ivor McGrath, The making of the 18th century Irish Parliament 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

Lower Houses of Irish Parliaments 1171-present
House of Commons mediæval - 1800 | House of Commons of Southern Ireland 1921-1922 | House of Commons of Northern Ireland 1922-1972 | Dáil Éireann (House of Assembly) 1919-1922 | Dáil Éireann (Chamber of Deputies) 1922-1937 | Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives) 1937-present
See Also First Dáil | Second Dáil | Third Dáil