Under-Secretary for Ireland facts for kids
The Under-Secretary for Ireland was a very important government official in Ireland a long time ago. They were like the main manager for the British government in Ireland before Ireland became independent in 1922. This person was the most senior civil servant, meaning they were in charge of all the daily work and operations of the government in Dublin Castle.
The Under-Secretary lived in a special house called Ashtown Lodge, which was located in a big park called Phoenix Park.
One of the most well-known people who held this job was Thomas Henry Burke. Sadly, he was killed along with another important official, Lord Frederick Cavendish, in an event known as the Phoenix Park Killings on May 6, 1882.
Later, in 1887, Colonel Edward Robert King-Harman was appointed to a similar role, but he passed away the next year, and no one else was appointed to that specific position after him.
Important Under-Secretaries for Ireland
This section lists the people who held the important job of Under-Secretary over many years. The role changed a bit over time, so you'll see different titles for the position.
- Under-Secretary to the Chief Secretary
- Arthur Podmore (by 1690)
- Joshua Dawson (1699)
- Eustace Budgell (1714)
- Charles Maddockes (1718)
- Thomas Tickell (1724)
- John Potter (1740)
- Thomas Waite (1747)
- Under-Secretary (Civil Department)
- Thomas Waite (1777)
- Sackville Hamilton (1780–1795)
- Lodge Morres (1795)
- Sackville Hamilton (1795–1796)
- Edward Cooke (1796-1800)
- Under-Secretary (Military Department)
- Henry Meredyth (1777)
- John William Hamilton (1778)
- John Lees (1781)
- Charles Francis Sheridan (1782)
- Edward Cooke (1789)
- John Doyle (February 9, 1795)
- Edward Cooke (June 1, 1795)
- William Elliot (1796)
- Under-Secretary (General Role)
- Alexander Marsden (1801-1806)
- James Traill (1806-1808)
- Sir Charles Saxton (1808-1812)
- William Gregory (1812-1831)
- Sir William Gossett (1831-1835)
- Thomas Drummond (1835–1840)
- Norman Hilton Macdonald (1840–1841)
- Edward Lucas (1841–1845)
- Richard Pennefather (1845–1846)
- Sir Thomas Nicholas Redington (1846–1852)
- John Arthur Wynne (1852–1853)
- Sir Thomas Aiskew Larcom (1853–1868)
- Sir Edward Robert Wetherall (1868–1869)
- Thomas Henry Burke (1869–1882)
- Sir Robert George Crookshank Hamilton (1882–1886)
- Sir Redvers Henry Buller (1886–1887)
- Sir Joseph West Ridgeway (1887–1893)
- Sir David Harrel (1893–1902)
- Sir Antony MacDonnell (1902–1908)
- Sir James Brown Dougherty (1908–1914)
- Sir Matthew Nathan (1914–1916)
- Sir Robert Chalmers (1916)
- Sir William Byrne (1916–1918)
- James Macmahon (1918–1922) (worked with Sir John Anderson from 1920)
- Sir John Anderson (1920–1922) (worked with James Macmahon)
Assistant Under-Secretaries for Ireland
From 1852 to 1876, the Assistant Under-Secretary was known as the Chief Clerk. This person also had another important role as the Clerk of the Privy Council of Ireland.
| Name | Dates of Service | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Robert M. Matheson | 1856–1875 | His son became the Registrar-General for Ireland. |
| Henry Robinson (1823–1893) | 1876–1879 | He was later promoted to a high position in the Local Government Board for Ireland. |
| William Kaye (1831–1901) | 1878–1895 | He later became a private secretary to the Lord Lieutenant. |
| James Brown Dougherty (1844–1934) | 1895–1908 | He received a knighthood in 1902. |
| Edward O'Farrell (d.1926) | September 1908–June 1918 | He left this role to become one of the Estates Commissioners in the Irish Land Commission. |
| John James Taylor (1859–1945) | June 1918–1920 | When he left, John Anderson became a "joint under-secretary" with James Macmahon. This happened during a difficult time in the Anglo-Irish War. |
| Alfred Cope (1877–1954) | May 28, 1920–October 1922 | He was sent from Whitehall (the British government center) because of security problems.
|
