Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 comes into effect

Background. Local government reform in Ireland was a major political issue from the 1880s. The Conservative government introduced the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, which established a system similar to those in England, Wales, and Scotland. This legislation effectively ended landlord control of local government, replacing the previous grand jury system with elected councils.

Implementation. The act brought in a mixed system of government, including county boroughs independent of county administration and a two-tier system elsewhere. The extents of the new administrative counties and county boroughs came into effect on 18 April 1899, defined by orders of the Local Government Board for Ireland. This created a new structure for local governance.

County Structure. The 1898 Act changed the boundaries of several counties. The only entirely new counties created in 1898 were the county boroughs of Londonderry and Belfast. Areas with county councils were known as administrative counties from 1898 to 2001. The act defined counties to include separate counties within the traditional county of Dublin.