Vice Great Seneschal of Ireland

Vice Great Seneschal of Ireland
Incumbent Francis Martin O'Donnell since January 2005
Type	Deputy to a Great Officer of State
Appointer	Lord High Steward of Ireland
First holder	Patrick Denis O'Donnell
Succession	Hereditary

Vice Great Seneschal of Ireland is a ceremonial and functional role that operates under the authority of the Lord High Steward of Ireland - a historic office with roots in royal authority extending back several centuries. ^[1] Traditionally held by the Hereditary Seneschal or Lord Steward of Tyrconnell, the Vice Great Seneschal serves as a deputy to the Lord High Steward. While not a formally titled office, the role includes representing the Lord High Steward when required, ^[2] particularly at State occasions such as coronations, where duties may include bearing the Curtana (a Sword of state) ^[3] and/or a White Wand.

Brief history

The earliest recorded instance of the Lord High Steward appointing a deputy occurred with John Penyngton’s appointment as Steward of the Liberty of Wexford. ^{[4] [5] [6]} The House of Lords upheld the right of the Earls of Shrewsbury to appoint deputies as stewards of counties in Ireland, affirming their prerogatives as holders of the office. ^[7]

The Vice Great Seneschal served as President of the Court during trials of Irish peers in the Irish House of Lords and represented the Lord High Steward on state occasions. This role was formalised by Queen Victoria’s grant on 15 September 1871. Notable appointees who presided over peer trials included Thomas Wyndham, 1st Baron Wyndham in 1739, Robert Jocelyn, 1st Viscount Jocelyn in 1742, and John FitzGibbon, 1st Earl of Clare in 1798, with their ceremonial duties limited to these judicial functions.

Despite Ireland’s division into the sovereign Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the role of Vice Great Seneschal persists in the United Kingdom. The position was granted to Patrick Denis O'Donnell, then Seneschal for Tyrconnell, by Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury. ^{[8] [9] [10] [11]} The role is currently held by Francis Martin O'Donnell, an Irish diplomat, who inherited it from his father in 2005. ^[12]

Deputy Lord High Steward of Ireland

Deputy Lord High Steward of Ireland is an honorary title occasionally bestowed by the Lord High Steward. The position is purely ceremonial and carries no legal standing or authority, either in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland. It is not recognised by the College of Arms in London, nor by official institutions within Ireland. ^[13]

Appointments to the role are typically made in an honorary capacity and are akin to titular distinctions that do not confer land, rights, or privileges. While the title holds little formal significance, it is sometimes viewed as a gesture of goodwill. In some instances, appointees have used the position to support charitable initiatives or other public-minded activities.^{[ citation needed ]} It has been reported that the Earl of Shrewsbury does not permit the title to be used for commercial purposes.^{[ citation needed ]}

One of the known appointees, Joerg Barisch, claims to hold the title; ^{[14] [15]} however, given the unofficial nature of the appointment, it is not registered in the Irish Registry of Deeds, nor is it publicly recorded in the London Gazette. As such, the issuance of letters patent in these cases stands as the primary form of documentation.^{[ citation needed ][ original research? ]}

In 1999, a reported instance involved an appointee auctioning the title for reassignment through the estate agency Strutt & Parker, achieving a sale price in excess of £55,000. ^{[16] [17]}

References

1. Royal Grant of 17 July 1446 (Patent Roll, T.K. 24 Henry 6)
2. The precedent for appointment of a deputy for an honorary hereditary officer of the Crown in Ireland is found in the license from King John in 1220 for John Marshall to appoint a deputy to him as Lord Marshall
3. Preparing the Coronation, chapter by Sir Gerald W. Wollaston, K.C.B., K.C.V.O., Norroy and Ulster King of Arms, in Elizabeth Crowned Queen - The Pictorial record of the Coronation, published by Odhams Press Limited, Long Acre, London, 1953
4. Letters patent on 27 August 1450, the 28th year of the reign of Henry VI of England by John, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, Great Seneschal and Lord High Steward
5. House of Lords, Printed Evidence, 7 August 1855, no. 6, page 11
6. acknowledged in evidence in a case of the House of Lords on 1 August 1862
7. Case on Behalf of Henry John Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford and Earl Talbot on his claim to the office of the Lord Steward of Ireland, lodged pursuant to the order of this Right Honourable House on the 1st Day of August, 1862, and based on favourable report to Queen Victoria by William Atherton, Attorney-General, on March 11, 1862 (see especially pages 8 and 9), and sections on Proofs, page 12-13
8. Letters Patent issued by the Lord High Steward of Ireland, the Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot, on 4 July 2002 at the House of Lords in London, England
9. Registry of Deeds, Dublin, Book 12, referring to Letters Patent issued
10. A Directory of Some Lords of the Manor and Barons in the British Isles [pp. 134–136], with Introduction by Charles Mosley (Editor-in-Chief of Burke's Peerage & Baronetage (106th edition) and of the re-titled 107th edition, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage), London 2012. ISBN   978 0 9572133 0 2
11. Registry of Deeds, Dublin, Book 12, no. 278 (2006), referring to Letters Patent of 4 July 2002
12. Lord O'Donnell of Fingal in The Gazette, London, 10 December 2019
13. "Irish Chiefs: Irish 'Feudal Titles'". homepage.eircom.net. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
14. Letters Patent issued by the Lord High Steward of Ireland, the Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford, on 6 July 2022 at the House of Lords in London, England
15. Chronicle of the Barisch family (German language)
16. "High life as Irish titles snapped up". Irish Independent. 18 November 1999. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
17. "Lord High Steward of Ireland". rec.heraldry.narkive.com. Retrieved 6 May 2024.