# County Kilkenny (UK Parliament constituency)

County Kilkenny was a former UK Parliament county constituency in County Kilkenny in Ireland. The County constituency returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1801 until 1885.
County Kilkenny constituency was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Acts of Union 1800 by Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801, and remained in existence until its abolition in 1885 when it was replaced by North Kilkenny and South Kilkenny.

## Boundaries

County Kilkenny constituency was made up of the traditional county except for the borough constituency of Kilkenny City for Kilkenny.
This constituency comprised the whole of County Kilkenny, except for the parliamentary borough of Kilkenny City.

## Members of Parliament

| Year | 1st member | 1st member | 1st party | 2nd member | 2nd member | 2nd party |
| 1801, 1 January | | William Ponsonby, later Baron Ponsonby | Whig | | James Butler, later Marquess of Ormonde | |
| 1806, 12 April | | George Ponsonby | | | James Butler, later Marquess of Ormonde | |
| 1806, 21 November | | Frederick Ponsonby | | | James Butler, later Marquess of Ormonde | |
| 1820, 11 September | | Frederick Ponsonby | | | Charles Clarke | Whig |
| 1826, 22 June | | John Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon, later Earl of Bessborough | Whig | | Charles Clarke | Whig |
| 1830, 12 August | | John Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon, later Earl of Bessborough | Whig | | John Butler, Earl of Ossory, later Marquess of Ormonde | Whig |
| 1832, 20 December | | Pierce Butler | Repeal Association | | William Francis Finn | Repeal Association |
| 1837, 12 August | | Pierce Butler | Repeal Association | | George Bryan | Whig |
| 1843, 1 December | | Pierce Butler | Repeal Association | | Pierce Somerset Butler | Repeal Association |
| 1846, 29 July | | Richard Smithwicke | Repeal Association | | Pierce Somerset Butler | Repeal Association |
| 1847, 18 August | | John Greene | Repeal Association | | Pierce Somerset Butler | Repeal Association |
| 1852, 26 July | | John Greene | Ind. Irish | | William Shee | Ind. Irish |
| 1857, 13 April | | John Greene | Ind. Irish | | Leopold Agar-Ellis | Whig |
| 1859, 20 May | | John Greene | Liberal | | Leopold Agar-Ellis | Liberal |
| 1865, 24 July | | George Leopold Bryan | Liberal | | Leopold Agar-Ellis | Liberal |
| 1874, 10 February | | George Leopold Bryan | Home Rule League | | Patrick Martin | Home Rule League |
| 1880, 15 April | | Edward Marum | Parnellite Home Rule League | | Patrick Martin | Home Rule League |
| 1885 | Constituency abolished: see North Kilkenny and South Kilkenny | Constituency abolished: see North Kilkenny and South Kilkenny | Constituency abolished: see North Kilkenny and South Kilkenny | Constituency abolished: see North Kilkenny and South Kilkenny | Constituency abolished: see North Kilkenny and South Kilkenny | Constituency abolished: see North Kilkenny and South Kilkenny |

## Elections
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | John Ponsonby | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | John Butler | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,078 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Ponsonby was appointed as First Commissioner of Woods and Forests, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 28 February 1831: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | John Ponsonby | 336 | 55.5 |
| | Irish Repeal | Pierce Butler | 269 | 44.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 67 | 11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 605 | c. 53.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 1,139 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1831: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | John Ponsonby | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | John Butler | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,139 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1832: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Irish Repeal | Pierce Butler | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Repeal | William Francis Finn | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,246 | |
| | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig |
| | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig |
General election 1835: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Irish Repeal (Whig) | Pierce Butler | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Repeal (Whig) | William Francis Finn | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,262 | |
| | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold |
| | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold |
General election 1837: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Irish Repeal (Whig) | Pierce Butler | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | George Bryan | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,726 | |
| | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold |
| | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal | Whig gain from Irish Repeal |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Repeal | Pierce Butler | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig | George Bryan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,530 | | |
| | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Bryan's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 1 December 1843: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Repeal | Pierce Somerset Butler | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig |
Pierce Butler's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 29 July 1846: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Repeal | Richard Smithwicke | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold |
General election 1847: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Repeal | John Greene | 277 | 30.1 | N/A |
| | Irish Repeal | Pierce Somerset Butler | 262 | 28.5 | N/A |
| | Irish Repeal | Charles Hely | 241 | 26.2 | N/A |
| | Irish Repeal | Patrick Richard Welch | 139 | 15.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21 | 2.3 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 460 (est) | 41.6 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,107 | | |
| | Irish Repeal hold | Irish Repeal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Irish Repeal gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent Irish | William Shee | 2,622 | 43.6 | New |
| | Independent Irish | John Greene | 2,537 | 42.2 | +12.1 |
| | Conservative | James Wandesford Butler | 500 | 8.3 | New |
| | Whig | Leopold Agar-Ellis | 350 | 5.8 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,037 | 33.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,005 (est) | 59.7 (est) | +18.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,036 | | |
| | Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal | Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal | Swing | N/A | |
| | Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal | Independent Irish gain from Irish Repeal | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1857: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Leopold Agar-Ellis | 2,589 | 39.5 | +33.7 |
| | Independent Irish | John Greene | 1,604 | 24.5 | −17.7 |
| | Whig | George Charles Mostyn | 1,324 | 20.2 | N/A |
| | Whig | William Shee | 1,036 | 15.8 | −27.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,277 (est) | 64.0 (est) | +4.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,124 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 985 | 15.0 | N/A |
| | Whig gain from Independent Irish | Whig gain from Independent Irish | Swing | +28.2 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 280 | 4.3 | −29.6 |
| | Independent Irish hold | Independent Irish hold | Swing | −17.3 | |
General election 1859: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Leopold Agar-Ellis | 2,483 | 31.8 | −7.7 |
| | Liberal | John Greene | 1,992 | 25.5 | +1.0 |
| | Liberal | George Henry Moore | 1,747 | 22.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal | William Shee | 1,590 | 20.4 | +4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 245 | 3.1 | −11.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,906 (est) | 73.1 (est) | +9.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,347 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Leopold Bryan | 2,913 | 44.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal | Leopold Agar-Ellis | 2,728 | 42.0 | +10.2 |
| | Liberal | John Greene | 852 | 13.1 | −12.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,876 | 28.9 | +25.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,247 (est) | 63.0 (est) | −10.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,151 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1868: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | George Leopold Bryan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal | Leopold Agar-Ellis | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,159 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Home Rule | George Leopold Bryan | 2,603 | 44.2 | New |
| | Home Rule | Patrick Martin | 2,139 | 36.3 | New |
| | Liberal | Leopold Agar-Ellis | 1,151 | 19.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 988 | 16.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,522 (est) | 66.5 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,300 | | |
| | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Swing | | |
| | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Home Rule gain from Liberal | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: County Kilkenny :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Parnellite Home Rule League | Edward Marum | 2,707 | 42.9 | −1.3 |
| | Home Rule | Patrick Martin | 2,694 | 42.7 | +6.4 |
| | Conservative | James Butler | 913 | 14.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,781 | 28.2 | +11.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,620 (est) | 73.8 (est) | +7.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,907 | | |
| | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Swing | N/A | |
| | Home Rule hold | Home Rule hold | Swing | N/A | |