Parliamentary Elections (Ireland) Act 1829 facts for kids

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to amend certain Acts of the Parliament of Ireland relative to the Election of Members to serve in Parliament, and to regulate the Qualification of Persons entitled to vote at the Election of Knights of the Shire in Ireland.
Citation	10 Geo. 4. c. 8
Quick facts for kids Dates
Royal assent	13 April 1829
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Parliamentary Elections (Ireland) Act 1829, also known as the Irish Franchise Act 1829, was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1829. It restricted the franchise to elect knights of the shire (Members of Parliament) in county constituencies in Ireland to those who had a freehold of £ 10, disfranchising the forty-shilling freeholders. It received the royal assent on the same day as the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 permitted Catholics to sit in parliament.

The impact of the legislation has been estimated as a drop in the electorate from 215,000 to 40,000. The county franchise was increased again shortly after by the Representation of the People (Ireland) Act 1832, which increased the franchise to around 60,500.