People, Place and Power – The Grand Jury System in Ireland

48 Fig. 23. Resolution of Kerry Grand Jury to appoint three members to Kerry’s new County Council, 1899. Electing the County Council in Louth Catholics accounted for more than 91 per cent of County Louth’s 1891 population, yet its Grand Jury was dominated by Protestants. The religious breakdown of Louth’s last three Grand Juries is shown in the table (religion identified from 1901 census). Session Catholic jurors Protestant jurors Religion uncertain Spring 1898 5 17 1 Summer 1898 7 15 1 Spring 1899 7 16 Elections for the new county councils were held on Thursday, 6 April 1899. Unionist candidates ran in five Louth constituencies, and all were defeated except William Plunket Cairnes, who was elected unopposed. 51 The expiring grand jury appointed three jurors to the new county council: Henry J. Daly, the county High Sheriff, and John Ribton Garstin, both Protestant, and John Quinn, Catholic (Fig. 24). 52