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 Year1st member1st party2nd member2nd party 1801, 1 January William Ponsonby, later Baron Ponsonby Whig James Butler, later Marquess of Ormonde 1806, 12 April George Ponsonby 1806, 21 November Frederick Ponsonby 1820, 11 September Charles Clarke Whig 1826, 22 June John Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon, later Earl of Bessborough Whig 1830, 12 August 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 George Bryan Whig 1843, 1 December Pierce Somerset Butler Repeal Association 1846, 29 July Richard Smithwicke Repeal Association 1847, 18 August John Greene Repeal Association 1852, 26 July Ind. Irish William Shee Ind. Irish 1857, 13 April Leopold Agar-Ellis Whig 1859, 20 MayLiberal Liberal 1865, 24 July George Leopold Bryan Liberal 1874, 10 FebruaryHome Rule League Patrick Martin Home Rule League 1880, 15 April Edward Marum 1885 Constituency abolished: see North Kilkenny and South Kilkenny

Elections Elections in the 1830s

Ponsonby was appointed as First Commissioner of Woods and Forests, requiring a by-election.

Elections in the 1840s

Bryan's death caused a by-election.

Pierce Butler's death caused a by-election.

Elections in the 1850s

Elections in the 1860s

Elections in the 1870s

Elections in the 1880s

References

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)