Party conflict in an Irish parliamentary borough in the early 18th century: the origins of the Kilkenny Corporation Act of 1717

The surviving documentation from the prolonged political conflict in Kilkenny which ended in 1717 enables a close investigation of the nature of party divisions in an Irish parliamentary borough in the early 18th century. Kilkenny was an extreme case: the disruption caused by ‘the rage of party’ within the Protestant civic elite was serious enough to bring municipal government to a standstill, so that it required outside intervention and the remodelling of the corporation by statute before the political deadlock could be resolved. This article seeks to clarify the complex narrative of politics in Kilkenny leading up to the passing of the regulatory act by the Irish parliament in 1717, to trace the development of party animosities, and to explore the composition of the civic elite. The reality behind Whig allegations of Jacobitism against their opponents is assessed, and particular attention is paid to the role of the clergy in bolstering the Tory interest. Ultimately the waning influence and final collapse of the traditionally dominant house of Ormond is shown to be of crucial importance, in giving opportunities to the ambitious within the corporation.