High Sheriff of Donegal

The High Sheriff of Donegal was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland, from the late 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Irish Free State and replaced by the office of Donegal County Sheriff. The High 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 Donegal unless stated otherwise.

County Donegal was created in 1607.

High Sheriffs of County Donegal

• 1664: Thomas Grove of Castle Shanahan
• 1669: John Nesbitt
• 1682: Paul Benson
• 1686: John Forward
• 1686: Lancelot Carleton
• 1694: Sir Francis Hamilton, 3rd Baronet of Killock in the County of Down.
• 1697: William Stewart, of Fort Stewart

18th century

2

19th century

2

20th century

2