The High Sheriff of Leitrim was the British Crown's judicial representative in

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...

, Ireland from c.1582 until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Leitrim 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 Leitrim unless stated otherwise. County Leitrim was created in 1569

High Sheriffs of County Leitrim

*1582: O'Rourke (

Annals of Loch Cé The ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (also ''Annals of Lough Cé'') cover events, mainly in Connacht and its neighbouring regions, from 1014 to 1590. It takes its name from Lough Cé in the kingdom of Moylurg - now north County Roscommon - which was the ...

1582- Another depredation was committed by the sheriff O'Ruairc, and by the Saxons along with him, upon the sons of Mac Tighernain of the Breifne, at Loch-Roda; and their women were borne off captives from them) *1605: Sir Ralph SidleyCatalogue of the High Sheriffs of the County of Leitrim from the year 1605 to the year 1800, by Joseph Meehan (ed.), in Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Part IV, 31 December 1908, pp. 382–389 *1606: Cola O'Kelly *1609: William Farrell *1613: John Reynolds of Loughscur Castle *1620: Humphrey Reynolds of Loughscur Castle *1621: Humphrey Reynolds of Loughscur Castle *1623: Humphrey Reynolds of Loughscur Castle *1624: Henry Crofton of Mohill *1639: John Blundell of Port *1640: John Blundell of Port *1641: Con O'Rourke of Castlecar, Manorhamilton *1642: Con O'Rourke of Castlecar, Manorhamilton *1645: James Ringe *1655: Sir George St. George, Carrick-on-Shannon *1656: Robert Parke, Newtown Castle, Dromahair *1657: James King, Charlestown, Co. Roscommon *1658: Edward Crofton *1659: Owen Wynn of Lurganboy *1663: Owen Wynn of Lurganboy *1682: Walter Jones of DublinA genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Ireland *1686: James Wynne of Lurganboy *1688: William Jones of Headfort *1689: Hugh O'Rorke of Clooncorrick *1698: Thomas Crofton *1699: William Lawder of Bonnybeg

High Sheriffs of County Leitrim

18th century

19th century

20th century

References