William Hare, 2nd Earl of Listowel KP (22 September 1801 – 4 February 1856), known as Viscount Ennismore from 1827 to 1837, was an Anglo-Irish

Anglo-Irish

Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...

 peer and Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

.

Listowel was the eldest son of Richard Hare, Viscount Ennismore, and Catherine Bridget Dillon. William Hare, 1st Earl of Listowel

William Hare, 1st Earl of Listowel

William Hare, 1st Earl of Listowel , known as Lord Ennismore from 1800 to 1816 and as the Viscount Ennismore and Listowel from 1816 to 1822, was an Irish peer and Member of Parliament....

, was his grandfather. He was elected to the House of Commons

British House of Commons

The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...

 for Kerry

Kerry (UK Parliament constituency)

A former UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning two Members of Parliament. In 1885, it was split into four constituencies. From the time of Irish independence, the area was no longer represented in the UK Parliament, as it was no longer part of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:This...

 in 1826, a seat he held until 1830. He was appointed High Sheriff of County Cork

High Sheriff of County Cork

The High Sheriff of County Cork was the Sovereign's judicial representative in County Cork. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the Sovereign, the High Sheriff became an annual appointment following the Provisions of Oxford in 1258. Besides his judicial importance, the sheriff had...

 for 1835. In 1837 he succeeded his grandfather in the earldom but as this was an Irish peerage it did not entitle him to a seat in the House of Lords

House of Lords

The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....

. Listowel instead returned to the House of Commons in 1841 when he was elected for St Albans

St Albans (UK Parliament constituency)

St Albans is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Established in 1885, it is a county constituency in Hertfordshire, and elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.From 1554 to 1852 there was a...

, a constituency he represented until 1846. He also served as Vice-Admiral of Munster

Munster

Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...

 and was made a Knight of the Order of St Patrick in 1839.

Lord Listowel married Maria Augusta Windham, daughter of Vice-Admiral William Lukin Windham, in 1831. He died in February 1856, aged 54, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son William Hare, 3rd Earl of Listowel

William Hare, 3rd Earl of Listowel

William Hare, 3rd Earl of Listowel KP , known as Viscount Ennismore from 1837 to 1856, was an Anglo-Irish peer and Liberal politician.-Background:...

. Lady Listowel died in 1871.