Chief Secretary for Ireland

The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a political office in the Dublin Castle administration. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and officially the "Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant", from the early 19th century until 1921 he was effectively the government minister with responsibility for governing Ireland, roughly equivalent to the role of a Secretary of State, such as the similar role of Secretary of State for Scotland. Usually it was the Chief Secretary, rather than the Lord Lieutenant, who sat in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The Chief Secretary was ex officio President of the Local Government Board for Ireland from its creation in 1872.

British rule in Ireland came to an end through most of the island as the result of the Irish War of Independence, which culminated in the establishment of the Irish Free State. In consequence, the office of Chief Secretary was abolished, as well as that of Lord Lieutenant. Executive responsibility within the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland was effectively transferred to the President of the Executive Council (i.e. the prime minister) and the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland respectively. Northern Ireland affairs became the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs and Home Secretary.