Cashel is a former BritishParliament constituency in Ireland, returning one MP. It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801.
There were problems with the 21 November 1868 election in the borough. A petition was presented by the losing candidate, alleging corruption. As a result, the election was declared void. Parliament then passed the Sligo and Cashel Disfranchisement Act 1870. On 1 August 1870 Cashel lost the right to elect its own MP. The area was transferred to form part of the County Tipperary constituency.
The corporation of the city of Cashel existed, as the local government of its area, until it was abolished by the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840. The parliamentary borough was not affected by this change in administrative arrangements.
Samuel Lewis, writing in 1837, described the oligarchic constitution of the city.
The corporation, under the style of the "Mayor, Aldermen, Bailiffs, Citizens, and Commons of the City of Cashel," consists of a mayor, aldermen (limited by the charter to 17 in number), two bailiffs, and an unlimited number of commons, aided by a recorder, town-clerk, two serjeants-at-mace, a sword-bearer, and a crier; a treasurer is also appointed. The mayor is elected annually on 29 June, by the court of common hall, and is one of three persons nominated by the aldermen from among themselves, but the choice may be extended to the citizens and commons, at the discretion of the aldermen; he is sworn into office on 29 Sept., and, with the concurrence of three aldermen, has power to appoint a deputy during illness or absence. The aldermen, on vacancies occurring, are chosen from among the freemen by the remaining aldermen, and hold office for life. The recorder, according to practice, is elected by the mayor and aldermen, but the charter gives the power to the entire body; he holds his office during good behaviour, and may appoint a deputy. The bailiffs, by the charter, are eligible from among the citizens, one by the mayor and aldermen and one by the corporation at large; according to practice they are elected annually on 29 June in the common hall from among the freemen, on the recommendation of the aldermen. The town-clerk is elected annually with the mayor and bailiffs; the sword-bearer is eligible by the whole body, and holds his office during good behaviour; and the serjeant-at-mace and the crier are appointed by the mayor. The freedom is obtained only by gift of the mayor and aldermen, who are the ruling body of the corporation, and have the entire management of its affairs. The city returned two members to the Irish parliament until the Union, since which it has sent one to the Imperial parliament. The right of election was vested solely in the corporation, but by the act of the 2nd of Wm. IV., cap. 88, has been extended to the £10 householders of an enlarged district, comprising an area of 3,974 acres [16.08 km2], which has been constituted the new electoral borough, and the limits of which are minutely described in the Appendix: the number of electors registered at the close of 1835 was 277, of whom 8 were freemen; the mayor is the returning officer.
The whole of the District under the Jurisdiction of the Mayor; and in addition thereto, The Space which lies between the Boundary of the said Jurisdiction and a straight Line to be drawn from the North-eastern Corner of the Enclosure Wall of the Charter School on the Dublin Road, in a South-easterly Direction, to the Point at which the Southernmost Killenaule Road is met by a Wall which runs thereto from the Northernmost Fethard Road, and which Point is about One hundred and seventy-six Yards North-west of the Point at which the Southernmost Killenaule Road leaves the Northernmost Fethard Road; And also the Space which lies between the Boundary of the said Jurisdiction and the following Boundary; (that is to say,) From the Point on the West of the Town at which the Boundary of the old Borough is met by a Wall which runs therefrom, first Westward and then Northward, to the Golden Road, Westward, along the said Wall to the Point at which the same meets the Golden Road; thence, Eastward, along the Golden Road (for about Twenty-two Yards) to the Point at which the same is met by a Ditch and Wall at the End of a Porter's Lodge; thence along the said Ditch and Wall (which bend Eastward) for about Seventy Yards; thence along the Continuation of the last-mentioned Ditch, Northward, for about One hundred Yards; thence along a Garden Wall continuing in the same Direction, Northward, for about One hundred and thirty Yards, to the Point at which the same meets a Wall which runs Westward therefrom; thence, Westward, along the last-mentioned Wall (for about Fifty-five Yards) to the Point at which the same meets a Wall which bends round Eastward to the Camas Road; thence along the last-mentioned Wall to the Point at which the same meets the Camas Road; thence along the Road which leads from the Camas Road into the Armel Road to the Point at which the same meets the Boundary of the old Borough.
The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), 2nd edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)
Walker, Brian M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922. Royal Irish Academy.
British Electoral Facts 1832–1987, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Research Services, 5th edition, 1989)
