High Sheriff of County Galway


The High Sheriff of County Galway was the Sovereign's judicial representative in County Galway. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the Sovereign, the High Sheriff became annually appointed from the Provisions of Oxford in 1258. Besides his judicial importance, he had ceremonial and administrative functions and executed High Court Writs.
The first Shrivalties were established before the Norman Conquest in 1066 and date back to Saxon times. In 1908, an Order in Council made the Lord-Lieutenant the Sovereign's prime representative in a county and reduced the High Sheriff's precedence. However the office retained his responsibilities for the preservation of law and order in a county.
In Galway the office of High Sheriff was established when Connacht was shired around 1569 and ceased to exist with the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922.

Elizabeth I, 1558–1603

James I, 1603–1625

Charles I, 1625–1649

  • 1641: William Donelan
  • 1642: Ulick Burke of Castle Hacket
  • 1644: Robert Martin of Ross

English Interregnum, 1649–1660

Charles II, 1660–1685

  • 1660:
  • 1666: Edmund Donelan of Cloghan, Roscommon
  • 1672: Thomas Croadsdaile
  • 1673:
  • 1680: Edward Eyre
  • 1681: John Eyre of Eyrecourt Castle
  • 1684:

William III, 1689–1702

  • 1689: John Power
  • 1690:
  • 1691:
  • 1692:
  • 1693:
  • 1694: Thomas Coneys
  • 1695:
  • 1696: Samuel Eyre
  • 1697:
  • 1698:
  • 1699:
  • 1700: Sir George St George, 2nd Bt
  • 1701: Henry Persse

Anne, 1702–1714

George I, 1714–1727

George II, 1727–1760

George III, 1760–1820

  • 1760:
  • 1763: Theophilus Blakeney
  • 1766: William Persse of Roxborough
  • 1768: John Blakeney of Ashfield
  • 1774: Charles French, later Sir Charles ffrench, 1st Baronet
  • 1775: Richard Croadsdaile of Woodford
  • 1776: Theophilus Blakeney
  • 1778: James Galbraith of Cappard
  • 1781: James Burke of Isercleran
  • 1782: Richard Martin
  • 1783: Redmond Dolphin of Corr
  • 1784: Thomas Mahon of Rindify
  • 1785: Martin Kirwan of Blindwell
  • 1786: Michael Burke of Ballydugan
  • 1789: Hyacinth Daly
  • 1790: Garrett O'Moore, Snr.
  • 1797: David Power of Loughrea
  • 1798: Giles Eyre of Eyrecourt Castle
  • 1799: William Gregory
  • 1800: Sir John O'Flaherty
  • 1801: Walter Lawrence
  • 1802: Dominic Browne
  • 1803: Frederick Trench of Garbally, Ballinasloe
  • 1804: Robert O'Hara
  • 1805: Sir John Taylor
  • 1806: Edmond Netterville
  • 1807: Arthur French St George
  • 1808: John Kirwan
  • 1809: Robert French
  • 1810: Peter Blake
  • 1811: James H. Burke and John D'Arcy
  • 1812: James H. Burke
  • 1813: James Staunton Lambert
  • 1814: Robert Parsons Persse
  • 1815: Richard Rathborne of Ballimore
  • 1816: Burton Persse of Moyode Castle
  • 1817: Thomas Wade
  • 1818: Richard James Mansergh-St George
  • 1819: John Henry Blakeney

George IV, 1820–1830

William IV, 1830–1837

  • 1830:
  • 1833: Robert Bodkin
  • 1834: James O'Hara of West Lodge
  • 1835: Dudley Persse / James Knox Gildea
  • 1836: John Cheevers of Killyan, Monivae

Victoria, 1837–1901

Edward VII, 1901–1910

  • 1901: William Daly of Dunsandal.
  • 1902: William Sharp Waithman of Merlin Park.
  • 1903: John Michael Aylward Lewis of Ballinagar.
  • 1904: Edmond Joseph Philip Lynch-Athy of Renville.
  • 1905:
  • 1906: Charles Richard John O'Farrell of Dalyston.
  • 1907: John Beresford Campbell of Moycullen House, Moycullen.
  • 1908: John Joseph Smyth of Masonbrook.
  • 1909: Arthur Henry Courtenay.
  • 1910: Cecil Robert Henry of Toghermore and of Crumlin Park, Ballyglunin.

George V, 1910–1922