Lord Lieutenant of Ireland

The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (also known as the Viceroy or in the Middle Ages as the Lord Deputy) was the head of the Kingdom of England's (before the Act of Union 1707) or Kingdom of Great Britain's (after 1707) administration in Ireland.

Official Residence

The official residence of the Lord Lieutenant was the Viceregal Apartments in Dublin Castle. However from the late 18th century, the Lord Lieutenant lived for much of the year in the Viceregal Lodge (now Áras an Uachtaráin, the Irish presidential palace), a more private residence located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. In later years, Lords Lieutenant only lived in the Castle during the 'Social Season' (early January to St. Patrick's Day, March 17), during which time they held social events; balls, drawing rooms, etc. Other summer or alternative residences used by Lord Lieutenant or Lords Deputy included Abbeyville in Kinsealy (now the home of former taoiseach Charles Haughey) and a Chapelizod House, in which the Lord Lieutenant lived while Dublin Castle was being rebuilt following a fire but which he left due to the building being supposedly haunted. Lords Lieutenant and earlier Lords Deputy sometimes also owned property in Ireland, in which they lived rather than in state residences. The Geraldine Lords Deputy, Gearoid Mór Fitzgerald and Gearoid Óg Fitzgerald being native Irish both lived in, among other locations, their castle in Maynooth, Co. Kildare. The Earl of Essex owned Durhamstown Castle near Navan in County Meath, a short distance from the residence of the Lord Bishop of Meath at Ardbraccan.

Related Topics:
Dublin Castle - 18th century - Viceregal Lodge - Phoenix Park - St. Patrick's Day - March 17 - Charles Haughey - Gearoid Mór Fitzgerald - Gearoid Óg Fitzgerald - Maynooth - Earl of Essex - Durhamstown Castle - Navan - Ardbraccan

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