Irish House of Lords - Definition and Overview

The former House of Lords chamber in the Irish Parliament Building, today in use as a function room by the Bank of Ireland.

The Irish House of Lords was the upper house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from mediæval times until 1800. It was abolished along with the Irish House of Commons by the Act of Union.

The House of Lords was presided over by the Lord Chancellor, who sat on the woolsack, a large seat stuffed with wool from each of the three lands of England, Ireland and Scotland. At the state opening of the Irish parliament Members of Parliament were summoned to the House of Lords from the House of Commons chamber by Black Rod, a royal official who would "command the members on behalf of His Excellency to attend him in the chamber of peers" Sessions were formally opened by the Speech from the Throne by the Lord Lieutenant, who sat on the throne beneath a canopy of crimson velvet.

Following the Act of Union, the peerage of Ireland elected 28 of their number to sit in the United Kingdom House of Lords. This practice ended in 1922 with the establishment of the Irish Free State. Other Irish peers were able to stand for election to the UK House of Commons.

Today the 18th century Irish Parliament building on College Green in Dublin is an office of the commercial Bank of Ireland and visitors can view the Irish House of Lords chamber within the building.

See also: List of Irish Representative Peers