Lord Justices (Ireland)
Encyclopedia
The Lord Justice of Ireland was an ancient senior position in the governance of Ireland, held by a number of important personages, such as the Earl of Kildare.
In the later centuries of British rule the Lords Justices were three office-holders in the Kingdom of Ireland
who in the absence of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
fulfilled the social and political duties of the Viceroy
as head of the Irish
executive.
The office-holders were usually:
Among their duties was to welcome the incoming Lord Lieutenant when he arrived in state in the port of Dublin, having travelled from Great Britain
to take up his post.
The decision in 1765 of the government of Great Britain to require the viceroy to be a full-time resident in Ireland, rather than just pay visits during sessions of parliament, removed the need for the Lords Justices, while the abolition of the Parliament of Ireland
in 1800 meant that there was no longer a speaker of the House of Commons to serve as a Lord Justice.
In the later centuries of British rule the Lords Justices were three office-holders in the Kingdom of Ireland
Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland refers to the country of Ireland in the period between the proclamation of Henry VIII as King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 and the Act of Union in 1800. It replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171...
who in the absence of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
fulfilled the social and political duties of the Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
as head of the Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
executive.
The office-holders were usually:
- Church of IrelandChurch of IrelandThe Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
primate, the Archbishop of ArmaghArchbishop of Armagh (Church of Ireland)The Anglican Archbishop of Armagh is the ecclesiastical head of the Church of Ireland, the metropolitan of the Province of Armagh and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Armagh.... - Lord Chancellor of IrelandLord Chancellor of IrelandThe office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...
- SpeakerSpeaker (politics)The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the Irish House of CommonsIrish House of CommonsThe 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...
Among their duties was to welcome the incoming Lord Lieutenant when he arrived in state in the port of Dublin, having travelled from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
to take up his post.
The decision in 1765 of the government of Great Britain to require the viceroy to be a full-time resident in Ireland, rather than just pay visits during sessions of parliament, removed the need for the Lords Justices, while the abolition of the Parliament of Ireland
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
in 1800 meant that there was no longer a speaker of the House of Commons to serve as a Lord Justice.
Lord Justices
- Hamo de Valois (in office in 1197)
- Gerald FitzWilliam FitzGerald, Lord OffalyBaron OffalyThere have been two creations of the title Baron Offaly, both in the Peerage of Ireland.Two earlier medieval creations as Baron of Offaly existed; for an earlier FitzGerald, who owned land in County Kildare, including what was then "Offelan", a word that derived from the Gaelic "Uí Faelain" and not...
(d. 1205) - Maurice FitzGerald FitzGerald, Lord Offaly (1229 – c.1248 )
- Stephen de Longuespee (d. 1260 in office)
- David O'Barry, 1st Viscount of Buttevant (d. 1278) 'Appointed 1267'
- Sir James Audley (d. 23 June 1272 in office)
- Maurice FitzMaurice Fitzgerald (d. 1286) (July 1272 – )
- William de Vescy ( – 1291)
- Thomas FitzMaurice FitzGerald, Lord Offaly (d. 1296) (April to October 1295)
- John Logan (18 October 1295 – )
- Roger de Mortimer, 1st Earl of MarchRoger de Mortimer, 1st Earl of MarchRoger de Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer, 1st Earl of March , was an English nobleman and powerful Marcher lord, who had gained many estates in the Welsh Marches and Ireland following his advantageous marriage to the wealthy heiress Joan de Geneville, 2nd Baroness Geneville. In November 1316, he was...
(1285 – 1330) Justiciar of Ireland - Thomas FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of KildareThomas FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of KildareThomas FitzJohn FitzGerald, 2nd Earl of Kildare, Lord Offaly was a noble in the Peerage of Ireland and Lord Justice of Ireland....
(d. 1328) (1320 – 1328) - Sir John Darcy (1329 – still in office in 1335)
- Maurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of DesmondMaurice FitzGerald, 1st Earl of DesmondMaurice FitzThomas FitzGerald, 1st Earl of Desmond was an Irish nobleman in the Peerage of Ireland, Captain of Desmond Castle in Kinsale, so-called ruler of Munster, and for a short time Lord Justice of Ireland....
(d. January 1356) (July 1355 – Jan 1356) - James Butler, 2nd Earl of OrmondeJames Butler, 2nd Earl of OrmondeJames Butler, 2nd Earl of Ormond was a noble in the Peerage of Ireland. He was Lord Justice of Ireland in 1359, 1364, and 1376....
(4 October 1331 – 18 October 1382) (In office 1359, 1364, and 1376.) - Gerald Fitzgerald, 4th Earl of Desmond (k. 1397) (1367 – )
- Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of KildareThomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of KildareThomas FitzMaurice FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Kildare , was an Irish peer and Lord Chancellor of Ireland.-Background:Kildare was the son of John FitzGerald, de jure 6th Earl of Kildare, and Rose Basset.-Career:...
(1454, 1461-1470) - Sir Francis Bryan, Knight-Marshal, (d. 2 February 1549 in office)
- Arthur Forbes, 1st Earl of GranardArthur Forbes, 1st Earl of Granard-Early life:He was the eldest son of Sir Arthur Forbes of Corse in Aberdeenshire; who went to Ireland in 1620 with the Master of Forbes's regiment, of which he was lieutenant-colonel, and was granted large estates in Leitrim and Longford by James I. His mother was Jane, daughter of Sir Robert...
(1623 – 1695) (in office 1671 and 1673) - Sir Richard NagleRichard NagleSir Richard Nagle was an Irish politician and lawyer. He held the positions of Attorney-General for Ireland, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, Lord Justice of Ireland and Secretary of State and War for Ireland under King James II. He fled to France in 1691, joining James II at Saint Germain,...
(1636 - 1699) (in office 1689) - Henri de Massue, Earl of Galway (1648 - 1720), in office 1697 - 1701
- Robert FitzGerald, 19th Earl of KildareRobert FitzGerald, 19th Earl of KildareRobert FitzGerald, 19th Earl of Kildare PC , known as Robert FitzGerald until 1707, was an Irish peer.-Background:...
(1714)
See also
- Lord Deputy of IrelandLord Deputy of IrelandThe Lord Deputy was the King's representative and head of the Irish executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and later the Kingdom of Ireland...
- Lord Lieutenant of IrelandLord Lieutenant of IrelandThe Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
- Lord Chancellor of IrelandLord Chancellor of IrelandThe office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...
- Lord Chief Justice of IrelandLord Chief Justice of Irelandthumb|200px|The Four CourtsThe headquarters of the Irish judicial system since 1804. The Court of King's Bench was one of the original four courts that sat there....