The High Sheriff of County Galway was the Sovereign's judicial representative in County Galway. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the Sovereign, the High Sheriff became annually appointed from the Provisions of Oxford in 1258. Besides his judicial importance, he had ceremonial and administrative functions and executed High Court Writs.
The first (High) Shrivalties were established before the Norman Conquest in 1066 and date back to Saxon times. In 1908, an Order in Council made the Lord-Lieutenant the Sovereign's prime representative in a county and reduced the High Sheriff's precedence. However the office retained his responsibilities for the preservation of law and order in a county.
In Galway the office of High Sheriff was established when Connacht was shired around 1569 and ceased to exist with the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922.
Elizabeth I, 1558–1603 1582: William Óge Martyn
James I, 1603–1625 1607: Henry Bingham / Robert Martin 1612: John Donelan
Charles I, 1625–1649 1641: William Donelan 1642: Ulick Burke of Castle Hacket 1644: Robert Martin of Ross
English Interregnum, 1649–1660
1655: Edward Ormsby of Tobervaddy 1656: Sir Arthur Gore, 1st Baronet 1659:
Charles II, 1660–1685
1660: 1666: Edmund Donelan of Cloghan, Roscommon 1672: Thomas Croadsdaile
1673: 1680: Edward Eyre 1681: John Eyre of Eyrecourt Castle 1684:
William III, 1689–1702
1689: John Power 1690: 1691: 1692: 1693: 1694: Thomas Coneys
1695: 1696: Samuel Eyre 1697: 1698: 1699: 1700: Sir George St George, 2nd Bt 1701: Henry Persse
Anne, 1702–1714
1702: 1703: Frederick Richard Trench 1704: 1705: 1706: George Eyre of Eyrecourt Castle 1707:
1708: 1709: Robert Blakeney of Castle Blakeney 1711: David Power of Corheen 1711: William Persse of Spring Garden 1712: 1713:
George I, 1714–1727
1714: 1720: 1721: Anthony Brabazon
1721: Thomas Croadsdaile 1723: Frederick Richard Trench (2nd term) 1724: John Eyre of Eyrecourt CastleA genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Ireland, 1912, Bernard Burke 1726:
George II, 1727–1760
1727: John Blakeney of Abbert 1729: Robert Blakeney of Castle Blakeney 1731: Stratford Eyre 1734: Francis Persse of Ballymerret 1737: David Power of Corheen 1738: John Blakeney of Abbert 1742: Robert Persse 1743:
1744: Henry Croadsdaile of Woodford 1745: 1749: Richard Eyre 1754: Robert Blakeney of Abbert 1759:
George III, 1760–1820
1760: 1763: Theophilus Blakeney 1766: William Persse of Roxborough 1768: John Blakeney of Ashfield 1774: Charles French, later Sir Charles ffrench, 1st Baronet 1775: Richard Croadsdaile of Woodford 1776: Theophilus Blakeney 1778: James Galbraith of Cappard 1781: James Burke of Isercleran 1782: Richard Martin 1783: Redmond Dolphin of Corr 1784: Thomas Mahon of Rindify 1785: Martin Kirwan of Blindwell 1786: Michael Burke of Ballydugan 1789: Hyacinth DalyDublin Evening Post 15 October 1789 1790: Garrett O'Moore, Snr. 1797: David Power of LoughreaDublin Evening Post 16 February 1797 1798: Giles Eyre of Eyrecourt Castle 1799: William Gregory 1800: Sir John O'Flaherty 1801: Walter Lawrence 1802: Dominic Browne 1803: Frederick Trench of Garbally, Ballinasloe 1804: Robert O'Hara 1805: Sir John Taylor 1806: Edmond Netterville 1807: Arthur French St George 1808: John Kirwan 1809: Robert French 1810: Peter Blake 1811: James H. Burke and John D'Arcy 1812: James H. Burke 1813: James Staunton Lambert 1814: Robert Parsons Persse 1815: Richard Rathborne of Ballimore 1816: Burton Persse of Moyode Castle 1817: Thomas Wade 1818: Richard James Mansergh-St George 1819: John Henry Blakeney
George IV, 1820–1830
1820: Walter Lawrence of Lisreaghan 1821: Denis Henry Kelly 1822: William Malachy Burke of Ballydugan 1823: Robert Burke 1824: Robert Ffrench of Monivea Castle
1825: Edward Blake of Castlegrove, Tuam 1826: James Martin 1827: Walter Lambert of Castle Lambert 1828: Sir George Shee, 2nd Bt 1829:
William IV, 1830–1837
1830: 1833: Robert Bodkin
1834: James O'Hara of West LodgeHistory of Parliament Online 1835: Dudley Persse / James Knox Gildea 1836: John Cheevers of Killyan, Monivae
Victoria, 1837–1901
1837: 1838: Sir John Burke, 2nd Bt of Marble Hill 1840: Frederick Mason Trench 1841: Andrew William Blake of Furbough 1842: Denis Daly of Dunsandle 1843: 1844: Charles Kilmaine Blake / Hon. Standish Prendergast Vereker 1845: Denis Kirwan 1846: Christopher St George 1847: Michael Joseph Browne 1848: F. Blake of Creg Castle, Claregalway 1849: John Martin / William Henry Gregory 1850: Cornelius Joseph O'Kelly of Gallagh Castle 1851: Francis Manly Shaw Taylor 1852: Thomas Appleyard Joyce of Rahasane ParkA genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Ireland 1853: James Peter Daly 1854: Edward Eyre Maunsell 1855: Richard Andrew Hyacinth Kirwan † / succeeded by John Walter Henry Lambert of Aggard 1856: Stephen Roche 1857: FitzGerald Higgins 1858: Pierce Joyce of Merview, Galway 1859: Walter Peter Lambert of Castle Ellen 1860: Michael Joseph Chevers 1861: Cornelius Joseph O'Kelly, of Gallagh, Tuam 1862: Burton Robert Parsons Persse of Moyode Castle 1863: Richard D'Arcy of New Forest 1865: Hon. Luke Dillon 1866: John Archer Daly (né Blake) of Raford 1867: George Staunton Lynch-Stanton of Clydagh 1868: Walter Taylor Newton Shawe-Taylor of Castle Taylor
1869: Marcus Nicholas Lynch of Barna. / Thomas Redington Roche of Rye Hill. 1870: John Wilson Lynch of Duras and Renmore. 1873: John Blakeney of Abbert, Castle Blakeney. 1875: William St George Nugent, 10th Earl of Westmeath 1877: Hyacinth D'Arcy of New Forest. 1878: John Smyth of Masonbrook. 1879: James O'Hara of Lenaboy. 1880: James Francis MacDermott of Ramore. 1883: Sir Henry George Burke, 5th Baronet. 1884: Percy Brodrick Bernard of Castle Hacket. 1885: Robert Algernon Persse of Creg Clare, Andrahan. / Robert William Waithman 1886: Edward Joseph Martyn of Tulira. 1887: Sir Henry Grattan-Bellew, 3rd Bt. 1888: Stephen John Cowan. 1889: William Arthur Perrse. 1890: Francis Travers Dames-Longworth. 1891: Peter Fitzwalter Lambert of Castle Ellen. 1892: Frederic Thomas Lewin of Castlegrove. 1893: Francis John Graham of Drumgoon, Fermanagh and Ballinakill, Galway. 1894: Richard Berridge of Ballynahinch Castle. 1896: Hon. Robert Edward Dillon. 1897: Hon. Martin Morris. 1898: Quintin Dick Dick / Sir William Mahon, 5th Bt. 1899: William Arthur Persse of Roxborough. 1900:
Edward VII, 1901–1910
1901: William Daly of Dunsandal. 1902: William Sharp Waithman of Merlin Park. 1903: John Michael Aylward Lewis of Ballinagar. 1904: Edmond Joseph Philip Lynch-Athy of Renville. 1905:
1906: Charles Richard John O'Farrell of Dalyston. 1907: John Beresford Campbell of Moycullen House, Moycullen. 1908: John Joseph Smyth of Masonbrook. 1909: Arthur Henry Courtenay. 1910: Cecil Robert Henry of Toghermore and of Crumlin Park, Ballyglunin.
George V, 1910–1922
1911: Henry Thomas Hall. 1912: Pierce John Joyce. 1913: Thomas Frederic Lewin. 1914: Charles Randolph Kilkelly. 1915: Francis Manley Shawe-Taylor. 1916:
1917: Nicholas O'Connell Comyn. 1918: 1919: Charles Trench O'Rorke. 1920: James Gunning Alcorn. 1922:
Notes † ?
References