Callan (Parliament of Ireland constituency)

Callan
Former borough constituency for the Irish House of Commons
County	County Kilkenny
Borough	Callan
1264 (1264) (1264 (1264))–1801 (1801)
Seats	2
Replaced by	Disfranchised

History

Callan was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800. It was established by royal charter in 1585, apparently at the request of Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond. He was a cousin of Elizabeth I on her mother's side, and one of the few Irish leaders in whom she had complete trust. It was very much a Butler "family borough", whose seats were held by families like the Comerfords, who were Butler clients.

In the Patriot Parliament of 1689 summoned by James II, Callan was represented with two members.^[1]

Members of Parliament, 1585–1801

• 1585 Gerald Comerford and Edward Brennan ^[2]
• 1613–1615 Pierce Hayden and William Rothe (died and replaced by Richard Forrestal) ^[2]
• 1634–1635 Edward Comerford and Lord Maltravers^[3]
• 1639–1649 Edward Comerford and Sir Thomas Wharton (resigned and replaced 1640 by Richard Bellings (expelled 1642))^[3]
• 1661–1666 John Campbell and Henry Baker (Baker died and replaced 1662 by Matthew Harrison)^[3]

1689–1801

Election		First member	First party		Second member	Second party
1689 Patriot Parliament		Walter Butler			Thady Meagher
1692		Samuel Booth			Sir Henry Wemys
1703		Francis Flood[note 1]			Silvester Crosse
1705		John Pacey
1713		Francis Flood
1715					James Agar
1727		Warden Flood			Henry Wemys
1751					James Wemys
1761		James Agar[note 2]			Patrick Wemys[note 2]
1762		Henry Flood[note 3]	Irish Patriot Party		James Wemys
1765					Jocelyn Flood
1767					John Flood
1776					Hercules Langrishe[note 3]
June 1776		Pierce Butler			George Agar
1783		John Bourke O'Flaherty
1790		William Meeke			Nathaniel Warren
March 1796					Hon. Francis James Mathew
November 1796					Charles Kendal Bushe
1798		Patrick Welch
1799					James Savage
1801		Disenfranchised

Notes

1. Expelled in June 1705
2. Declared not duly elected in 1761
3. Declared not duly elected in 1776

References

1. O'Hart 2007, p. 502.
2. McGrath, Brid (22 June 1998). A biographical dictionary of the membership of the Irish House of Commons 1640-1641 (thesis). Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of History. hdl:2262/77206 – via www.tara.tcd.ie.
3. Parliamentary Papers, Volume 62, Part 2. p. 620.

Bibliography

• O'Hart, John (2007). The Irish and Anglo-Irish Landed Gentry: When Cromwell came to Ireland. Vol. II. Heritage Books. ISBN 978-0-7884-1927-0.
• Leigh Rayment's historical List of Members of the Irish House of Commons. Cites: Johnston-Liik, Edith Mary (2002). The History of the Irish Parliament 1692-1800 (6 volumes). Ulster Historical Foundation.