The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland. The plural form is Lords Deputy.

List of Lords Deputy

Lordship of Ireland

Portrait or ArmsName (Birth–Death)NationalityTerm of officeMonarchRef.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Thomas de la Dale (c.1316–1373)English13651366Edward III
Thomas Mortimer (c.1350–1399)English13821383Richard II
Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Kildare (c.1421–1477)Anglo-Irish14541459Henry VI
William Sherwood (died 1482)English14621462Edward IV
Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Desmond (died c.1467)Anglo-Irish14631467
John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester (1427–1470)English14671468
Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Kildare (c.1421–1477)Anglo-Irish14681475
Henry VI
Edward IV
William Sherwood (died 1482)English14751477
Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare (c.1456–1513)Anglo-Irish14771477
Henry Grey, 4th Baron Grey of Codnor (c.1435–1496)English14781479
Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare (c.1456–1513)Anglo-Irish1479?1494
Edward V
Richard III
Henry VII
Walter Fitzsimon (died 1511)Anglo-Irish14921492
Robert Preston, 1st Viscount Gormanston (1435–1503)Anglo-Irish14931494
Edward Poynings (c.1459–1521)English14941496
Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare (c.1456–1513)Anglo-Irish14961513
Henry VIII
Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare (c.1487–1534)Anglo-Irish15131518
Sir Maurice FitzgeraldAnglo-Irish
Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey (1473–1554)English15201522
Piers Butler, 8th Earl of Ormond (c.1467–1539)Anglo-Irish15221524
Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare (c.1487–1534)Anglo-Irish15241529
William Skeffington (c.1465–1535)English15291532
Gerald FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Kildare (c.1487–1534)Anglo-Irish15321534
William Skeffington (c.1465–1535)English15341535
Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane (died 1541)English15361540

Kingdom of Ireland

Portrait or ArmsName (Birth–Death)NationalityTerm of officeMonarchRef.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Anthony St Leger (c.1496–1559)English15401548
Edward VI
Edward Bellingham (1506–1549)English15481549
Lord Justices15491550
Anthony St Leger (c.1496–1559)English15501551
James Croft (c.1518–1590)English15511552
Lord Justices (1552–1553)
Anthony St Leger (c.1496–1559)English15531556
Mary I
Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex (c.1525–1583)English15561558
Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex (c.1525–1583) (as Lord Lieutenant)English15601564Elizabeth I
Nicholas Arnold (1507–1580)English15641565
Henry Sidney (1529–1586)English15651571
William FitzWilliam (1526–1599)English15711575
Henry Sidney (1529–1586)English15751578
Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton (1536–1593)English15801582
John Perrot (1528–1592)Welsh15841588
William FitzWilliam (1526–1599)English15881594
William Russell, 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh (died 1613)EnglishAppointed 16 May 1594; sworn in 11 August 15941597
Thomas Burgh, 3rd Baron Burgh (c.1558–1597)English15971597
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1565–1601)English15991599
Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy (1563–1606) (as Lord Lieutenant 1603–1604)English16001603
James VI and I
George Carey (c.1541–1616)English16031604
Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester (1563–1625)English16051616
Oliver St John, 1st Viscount Grandison (1559–1630)English16161622
Henry Cary, 1st Viscount Falkland (c.1575–1633)English16221629
Charles I
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1593–1641)English16321640
Christopher Wandesford (1592–1640)English16401640
Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester (1595–1677) (as Lord Lieutenant)English16401643
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond (1610–1688) (as Lord Lieutenant)Anglo-Irish16441650
Henry Ireton (1611–1651)English16501651
Charles Fleetwood (c.1618–1692)English16521657
Henry Cromwell (1628–1674) (as Lord Lieutenant 1658–1659)English16571658
Edmund Ludlow (c.1617–1692)English16591660
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle (1608–1670)English16601661
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond (1610–1688)Anglo-Irish16621668
Thomas Butler, 6th Earl of Ossory (1634–1680)Anglo-Irish16681669
John Robartes, 1st Earl of Radnor (1606–1685)English16691670
John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton (1602–1678)16701672
Arthur Capell, 1st Earl of Essex (c.1631–1683)English16721677
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond (1610–1688)Anglo-Irish16771682
Richard Butler, 1st Earl of Arran (1639–1686)Anglo-Irish16821684
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond (1610–1688)Anglo-Irish16841685
Lords Justices24 February 1685
Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Clarendon (1638–1709)English16851687
Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell (c.1630–1691)Irish16871688

The title subsequently became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with the holder also known informally as the Viceroy.

Citations

Bibliography

Further reading

  • Moody, T. W.; et al., eds. (1989). A New History of Ireland. 8: A Chronology of Irish History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-821744-2.