The High Sheriff of Limerick was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Limerick, Ireland from the 13th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Limerick County Sheriff. The sheriff had judicial, electoral, ceremonial and administrative functions and executed High Court Writs. 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 sheriff retained his responsibilities for the preservation of law and order in the county. The usual procedure for appointing the sheriff from 1660 onwards was that three persons were nominated at the beginning of each year from the county and the Lord Lieutenant then appointed his choice as High Sheriff for the remainder of the year. Often the other nominees were appointed as under-sheriffs. Sometimes a sheriff did not fulfil his entire term through death or other event and another sheriff was then appointed for the remainder of the year. The dates given hereunder are the dates of appointment. All addresses are in County Limerick unless stated otherwise.
High Sheriffs of County Limerick 1274: Sir Robert Bagod the elder 1302-3: Sir Robert Bagod the younger 1355: Thomas Daundoun (also Escheator of County Limerick) 1371: William Cadygan 1372: James de la Hyde 1375-1376: Sir Thomas Clifford, Kt 1403: Thomas Fitzmaurice 1424–1425: Sir Thomas Fitzthomas 1453: Sir Thomas Fitzthomas Fitzgerot Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald 1545: Teige M'Brene 1558: Gerald Fitzgerald of Thomastown
17th century
18th century
19th century
20th century 1900: Basil James Roche-Kelly of Rockstown Castle. 1901: William Jasper Joseph White of Mount Sion. 1903: Clennell Frank Massy Drew. 1904: Desmond FitzJohn Lloyd FitzGerald, 27th Knight of Glin. 1905: Hugh Hamon Massy O'Grady.Edward Walford. The county families of the United Kingdom 1906: Erasmus Joseph Beresford Gubbins of Kilrush, Knocklong. 1907: 1908: John Joseph Ryan of Scarteen, Knocklong. 1909: 1910 1911: James Denis Lyons of Croom House, Croom. 1912: John Beatty Barrington. 1913: Montiford Westropp Gavin. 1914: John de Courcy O'Grady. 1915: David Roche Browning. 1916: Dermod O'Brien.
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