Senate of Southern Ireland
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The Senate of Southern Ireland (1921-1922) was the upper house of the Parliament of Southern Ireland theoretically established by the 1920 Government of Ireland Act. The Senate convened in 1921 but was boycotted by Irish nationalists. Only fifteen members attended its first meeting and it only met on two further occasions. It was formally abolished with the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922.
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Composition
The Government of Ireland Act provided for a Senate of 61:
- The Lord Chancellor of Ireland (who would be chairman).
- Fifteen Peers of the Realm resident in Southern Ireland (elected by a constituency of all Southern Ireland peers).
- Eight privy councillors (elected by all members of the Privy Council of Southern Ireland).
- Two representatives of the Church of Ireland.
- Two representatives of the Catholic Church.
- Fourteen individuals nominated by the Lord Lieutenant.
- Two individuals nominated by the Lord Lieutenant upon consulation with the labour movement.
- Seventeen individuals elected by members of the county councils (divided into a number of geographical constituencies).
In practice, however, only forty senators were selected, as the labour movement, the Catholic Church and the county councils (controlled by Sinn Féin) refused to cooperate1.
Members of the Senate of Southern Ireland, 1921
(Members who actually attended the first meeting of the Senate in bold)
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
- Sir John Ross
Peers of the Realm
- Baron Cloncurry
- Baron de Freyne
- Baron HolmPatrick
- Baron Inchiquin
- Baron Oranmore and Brown
- Baron Rathdonnell
- Earl of Desart
- Earl of Donoughmore
- Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl
- Earl of Kenmore
- Earl of Mayo
- Earl of Midleton
- Earl of Wicklow
- Viscount Powerscourt
- Marquess of Sligo
Privy Councillors
- Sir William Goulding
- Earl of Granard
- W. McMurrough Kavanagh
- Sir Bryan Mahon
- Earl of Meath
- Sir Thomas Stafford
- L.A. Waldron1
- Earl of Westmeath
Church of Ireland
- Archbishop C.F. D'Arcy
- Archbishop J.A.F. Gregg
Appointees of the Lord Lieutenant
- E.H. Andrews
- Sir John Arnott
- Sir Andrew Beattie
- J.W.R. Campbell
- F.F. Denning
- Sir Nugent Everard
- C.G. Gamble
- H.P. Glynn
- Sir John Purser Griffith
- H.S. Guinness
- A. Jameson
- Sir John Moore
- Sir William Taylor
- G. O'Callaghan Westropp
Footnote
1. Waldron resigned before the first meeting of the Senate, reducing the official membership to 39.
References
"The Senate of Southern Ireland, 1921" in Whyte, Nicholas, (2003). Northern Ireland ELECTIONS. Retrieved 8 Mar. 2004 from http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/h1921.htm.