Dublin Corporation (Bardas Bhaile Átha Cliath), known by generations of Dubliners simply as
The Corpo, is the former name given to the city government and its administrative organisation in
Dublin between the
thirteenth century and
1 January 2002. It is now known as
Dublin City Council.
The long form of its name was The Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the City of Dublin.
Two chamber Corporation
Dublin Corporation first came into being under the
Anglo-Normans in
Dublin in the late
1200s. For centuries it was a two chamber body, made up of an upper house of
Aldermen and a lower house, known as the
Sheriffs and Commons, consisting the 48 Sheriff's representatives and 96 representatives of
guilds. The upper house was presided over by a
mayor, who was elected from and by the Aldermen.
19th century reform
The modern Dublin Corporation was restructured by late nineteenth century and twentieth century legislation, particularly, the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840, with the elected body reduced to a single chamber Dublin City Council, presided over by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, an office first instituted but not filled by King Charles I and reconstituted following the Restoration of the Crown by Charles II.
21st century change of name
On
1 January 2002, following a major and controversial reform of local government which also abolished the 300 year old title of
Alderman in Ireland, the ancient name of
Dublin Corporation, known to generations of Dubliners simply as "the Corpo" was abolished, with the nineteenth century name
Dublin City Council that previously had been used simply to refer to the assembly of elected councillors, being given for the entire administration.
See also
