List of chief governors of Ireland


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 justiciar ; lieutenant ; Deputy, and Lord Lieutenant. 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 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 grew 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:

Under the House of Anjou

  • Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath: 1172–73
  • William FitzAldelm: 1173
  • Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke : 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:
  • Philip de Worcester: 1184–1185
  • John de Courcy: 1185–1192
  • William le Petit & Walter de Lacy, Lord of Meath: 1192–1194
  • Walter de Lacy, Lord of Meath & 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:
  • 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, 2nd Earl of Pembroke: 1224–1226
  • Geoffrey de Marisco: 1226–1228
  • Richard Mor de Burgh: 1228–1232
  • Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent: 1232
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Thomas Charleton, Bishop of Hereford: 1338–1340
  • Roger Utlagh: 1340
  • Sir John d'Arcy: 1340–1344
  • Sir Raoul d'Ufford: 1344–1346
  • 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 : 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
  • 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
  • Sir Philip Courtenay: 1385–1386
  • Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland: 1386
  • Alexander de Balscot, Bishop of Meath: 1387–1389
  • Sir John Stanley, King of Mann: 1389–1391
  • James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond: 1391
  • Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester: 1392–1395
  • Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March: 1395–1398
  • Thomas Holland, Duke of Surrey: 1399

    Under the Houses of York and Lancaster

  • Sir John Stanley: 1399–1402
  • Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence: 1402–1405
  • 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
  • Thomas Cranley, Archbishop of Dublin: 1414
  • John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury: 1414–1421
  • James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond: 1419–1421
  • Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March: 1423–1425
  • John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury: 1425
  • 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
  • Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York: 1447–1460
  • George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence: 1462–1478
  • John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk: 1478
  • Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York: 1478–1483
  • Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales: 1483–1484
  • John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln: 1484–1485

    Under the House of Tudor

  • Jasper Tudor, 1st Duke of Bedford| 1485–1494
  • Henry, Duke of York: 1494–?1519
  • Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk: 1519–1523

    Lords Deputy

Under the House of Tudor

  • Piers Butler, Earl of Ossory: 1523–1524
  • Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare: 1524–1529
  • Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset: 22 June 1529
  • Sir William Skeffington: 1529–1532
  • Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare: 1532–1534
  • Sir William Skeffington: 30 July 1534
  • Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane: 23 February 1536 – 1540
  • Lords Justices: 1 April 1540
  • Sir Anthony St Leger: 7 July 1540
  • Sir Edward Bellingham: 22 April 1548
  • Lords Justices: 27 December 1549
  • Sir Anthony St Leger: 4 August 1550
  • Sir James Croft: 29 April 1551
  • Lords Justices: 6 December 1552
  • Sir Anthony St Leger: 1 September 1553 – 1556
  • Thomas Radcliffe, Viscount FitzWalter: 27 April 1556
  • Lords Justices: 12 December 1558
  • Thomas Radcliffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex : 3 July 1559
  • Thomas Radcliffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex : 6 May 1560
  • Sir Henry Sidney: 13 October 1565
  • Lord Justice: 1 April 1571
  • Sir William FitzWilliam: 11 December 1571
  • Sir Henry Sidney: 5 August 1575
  • Lord Justice: 27 April 1578
  • Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey of Wilton: 15 July 1580
  • Lords Justices: 14 July 1582
  • Sir John Perrot: 7 January 1584
  • Sir William FitzWilliam: 17 February 1588
  • Sir William Russell: 16 May 1594
  • Thomas Burgh, 3rd Baron Burgh: 5 March 1597
  • Lords Justices: 29 October 1597
  • Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex 12 March 1599
  • Lords Justices: 24 September 1599
  • Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy : 21 January 1600

    Under the House of Stuart

  • Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy : 25 April 1603
  • Sir Arthur Chichester: 15 October 1604
  • Sir Oliver St John: 2 July 1616
  • Henry Cary, 1st Viscount Falkland: 18 September 1622
  • Lords Justices: 8 August 1629
  • Thomas Wentworth, 1st Viscount Wentworth later Earl of Strafford: 3 July 1633
  • Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester : 14 June 1641
  • James Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormonde: 13 November 1643
  • Philip Sidney, Viscount Lisle: 9 April 1646
  • James Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormonde: 30 September 1648

    During the Interregnum

  • Oliver Cromwell : 22 June 1649
  • Henry Ireton : 2 July 1650
  • Charles Fleetwood : 9 July 1652
  • Henry Cromwell : 17 November 1657
  • Henry Cromwell : 6 October 1658, resigned 15 June 1659
  • Edmund Ludlow : 4 July 1659

    Lords Lieutenant