The Senate of Southern Ireland was the upper house of the Parliament of Southern Ireland, established in 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. The Act stipulated that there be 64 senators, but only 39 were selected and the Senate met only twice before being dissolved: on 28 June and 13 July 1921 in the Council Room of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction in Dublin, now part of Government Buildings.
Composition The Senate's composition was specified in the Second Schedule of the 1920 act, and the mode and time of selection in the Fourth Schedule. These were similar to those suggested for the Senate in the report of the Irish Convention of 1917–1918.Cd.9019 p.13 The 64 members were as follows: 3 members: The Lord Chancellor of Ireland, intended as the presiding officer of the Senate. The Lord Chancellor had previously been the chairman of the Irish House of Lords in the Parliament of Ireland prior to its abolition. The Lord Mayor of Dublin and the Lord Mayor of Cork. 17 "Representatives of Commerce (including Banking), Labour, and the Scientific and Learned Professions" to be nominated by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for a term of 10 years. 44 members elected by various interest groups: Elected for a term of 10 years: 4 Archbishops or Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church holding Sees situated wholly or partly in Southern Ireland. 2 Archbishops or Bishops of the Church of Ireland holding Sees situated wholly or partly in Southern Ireland. 16 Peers (not necessarily members of the Peerage of Ireland) who were taxpayers, or ratepayers in respect of property, and had residences, in Southern Ireland. 8 members of the Privy Council of Ireland of no less than two years standing who were taxpayers or ratepayers in respect of property in and had residences in Southern Ireland. 14 representatives of county councils, elected for a term of three years: 4 from each of Leinster, Munster, and Connacht 2 from the three Ulster counties not in Northern Ireland (Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan)
Election and boycott The election details were given by Orders in Council on 22 April 1921, which made the Clerk of the Crown and Hanaper the electoral registrar and returning officer.Election of Senators (Southern Ireland) Order 1921, ss. 2, 6, 19 Elections would use single transferable vote, except that groups electing two senators used multiple non-transferable vote. Only electors of a given group could stand in that group's election, except that county council groups could elect non-councillors.Election of Senators (Southern Ireland) Order, 1921 s.8(1)
Only 39 of the 64 senators were selected or elected. The Irish Republic declared by Sinn Féin in 1919 rejected the legitimacy of the 1920 act. Sinn Féin had gained control of the county councils in the 1920 local elections. Áine Ceannt as secretary of the General Council of County Councils wrote to the Dáil Ministry asking whether to participate. Only W. T. Cosgrave favoured participation, on the basis that the republic's First Dáil had agreed to use the Southern Ireland Commons election to select the members of the Second Dáil. Other ministers favoured a boycott, both on the principle that the selection process was undemocratic, and on the pragmatic grounds that unionists would have a majority whereas a boycott would leave it inquorate. Accordingly, on 28 April 1921 Austin Stack as Minister for Home Affairs issued a proclamation ordering "that members of County Councils and other bodies who uphold the right of the Irish people to choose their own representatives and Government take no part in the partial election so proposed for the said Senate". The Irish Congress of Trade Unions and Labour Party supported the Republic, and the Catholic hierarchy also refused to co-operate. Of the incomplete membership, many had participated in the Irish Convention.Cd.9019 pp.52–53
Of the 39 selected, 27 took the Parliamentary Oath of Allegiance, of whom 19 attended one of the two meetings. Fifteen attended the first and twelve the second, of whom eight attended both. Of the peers and privy councillors, 19 (all bar Cloncurry, Meath, and Westmeath) signed a letter refusing to act as a Senate if the elected Commons were replaced by an appointed "Crown Colony" assembly.
List +Membership of the Senate of Southern Ireland Class Name Attendance Irish Convention Free State Seanad Notes Lord Chancellor of IrelandSir John Ross, Bt 2nd meeting Ross was too ill to attend the inaugural meeting, before which the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland read the proclamation and during which Sir Nugent Everard was temporary chairman. Lord Mayor of DublinLaurence O'Neill Boycotted Member Independent Nationalist Lord Mayor of CorkDonal O'Callaghan Boycotted Then incumbent (Thomas C. Butterfield) was a member Sinn Féin. Elected for Cork Borough in the 1921 election to the House of Commons of Southern Ireland. Article 18(4) of the 1920 Act precluded anyone from sitting in both Houses at once; since O'Callaghan boycotted both, sitting instead in the Second Dáil, the conflict was not resolved. CommerceEdward H. Andrews Both meetings Member Former president of Dublin Chamber of Commerce. Commerce (Retail)Sir John Arnott, Bt Did not attend Of Arnotts department store Commerce (Farming)Sir Nugent Everard, Bt Both meetings Appointed Commerce (Banking)Henry Guinness Both meetings Appointed Commerce (Distilling)Andrew Jameson 1st meeting Member Appointed Commerce or Professions Hugh Patterson Glenn Both meetingsFormer Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Some accounts misspell his surname as "Glynn." Commerce or ProfessionsGeorge O'Callaghan-Westropp 2nd meeting Landowner and local government activist. Professions (Education)Sir Andrew Beattie Both meetings Commissioner of National Education. Leading Dublin Presbyterian. Professions (Education)J. W. R. Campbell 1st meeting Schoolmaster and Methodist minister. Professions (Law)Frederick F. Denning 1st meetingKing's Counsel. Professions (Law)Charles Gamble Both meetingsPresident of the Law Society of Ireland. Professions (Engineering)Sir John Griffith Did not attend, but took the oath of office Elected Professions (Medicine)Sir John William Moore 2nd meetingPhysician to the Meath Hospital and medical administrator.Professions (Medicine)Sir William TaylorBoth meetings Former President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Labour Three Representatives not selected Boycotted Seven members Bishop (Roman Catholic) Four Representatives not selected Did not attend Four members (Cashel, Ross, Raphoe, and Down & Connor). Bishop (Church of Ireland)Charles D'Arcy Did not attend Predecessor (John Crozier) was a member. Archbishop of Armagh. The see is mainly in Northern Ireland. Bishop (Church of Ireland)John Gregg 1st meeting Predecessor (John Bernard) was a member Archbishop of Dublin PeerLord Cloncurry 1st meeting PeerLord de Freyne Did not attend PeerEarl of Desart Did not attend Member The Irish Times wrote that he was kept from attending by business at the House of Lords in Westminster. PeerEarl of Donoughmore Did not attend The Irish Times wrote that he was kept from attending by business at the House of Lords in Westminster. PeerEarl of Dunraven Did not attend Member Appointed PeerLord HolmPatrick Did not attend, but took the oath of office PeerLord Inchiquin Did not attend, but took the oath of office PeerLord Kenmare Did not attend, but took the oath of office PeerEarl of Mayo Did not attend Member Appointed PeerEarl of Midleton Did not attend, but took the oath of office Member PeerLord Oranmore Did not attend, but took the oath of office Member PeerViscount Powerscourt Did not attend, but took the oath of office PeerLord Rathdonnell 1st meeting PeerMarquess of Sligo 1st meeting PeerEarl of Wicklow Did not attend Appointed Peer and Privy CouncillorEarl of Meath Did not attend The Earl of Meath was elected from both the peers' panel and the privy Councillors' panel. The 1920 act and 1921 order made no explicit provision for this, whereas someone elected for multiple Westminster constituencies could only sit for one, creating vacancies in the others. Privy CouncillorEarl of Granard Did not attend Member Appointed Privy CouncillorSir William Goulding, 1st Bt Did not attend, but took the oath of office Member Privy CouncillorWalter MacMurrough Kavanagh 2nd meeting Member Irish Parliamentary Party MP for County Carlow 1908–10. Previously a Unionist, and chairman of Carlow County Council. Privy CouncillorSir Bryan Mahon Both meetings Appointed Privy CouncillorEarl of Westmeath Did not attend Privy CouncillorSir Thomas Stafford, Bt Did not attend Member FRCSI; Medical Commissioner of the Local Government Board for Ireland; baronet. Privy CouncillorLaurence Ambrose Waldron Resigned before the first meeting Waldron was nominated on 27 May without his knowledge; on 10 June he formally wrote to the Lord Lieutenant asking "to be relieved of the position". County councillor 14 Representatives not selected Boycotted 38 members, one per county and county borough; also several from urban district councils.
Supersession In 1922, both the Irish Republic and Southern Ireland were superseded by the Irish Free State. Some of the Southern Ireland senators were subsequently senators in the Free State Seanad (upper house), either appointed by W. T. Cosgrave, President of the Executive Council, or elected by the members of the Dáil (lower house).
See also Parliament of Southern Ireland.
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