The Lord High Steward of Ireland is a hereditary Great Officer of State in the United Kingdom, sometimes known as the Hereditary Great Seneschal. The Earls of Shrewsbury (Earls of Waterford in the Peerage of Ireland) have held the office since the 15th century. Although the Irish Free State, later the Republic of Ireland, became independent in 1922, the title remained the same, rather than reflecting the region of Northern Ireland, which remains within the United Kingdom.
The 1st Earl of Shrewsbury was created Earl of Waterford and Lord High Steward of Ireland on 17 July 1446 by letters patent of King Henry VI, to hold in tail male. The current Lord High Steward is his heir, the 22nd Earl of Shrewsbury.
Contrast with Offices in England and Scotland
The Lord High Steward of England ceased to be hereditary; for example, it was conferred on the Duke of Northumberland for the Coronation in 1911. It is considered the first of the Great Officers of State, and a supreme judge in parliament. The Lord High Steward walks in front of the new Sovereign, carrying the Crown of St. Edward, on a velvet cushion. He wears robes of white satin and gold under-garment, with a long red mantle and ermine tippet.
The Lord High Steward of Scotland is the Prince of Scotland, as Duke of Rothesay, who is also currently the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall. Given this Prince's other responsibilities, at the last two Coronations the Earl of Crawford was appointed as deputy to officiate in his stead.
The Lord High Steward of Ireland is a hereditary position, vested historically in the Earl of Shrewsbury, but in other respects largely analogous to that of England, as determined by the Attorney-General in 1862. The historical background to that was the office of the Lord High Steward or Great Seneschal of Ireland granted to Sir Bertram de Verdun by King Henry II. Lynch devotes a detailed section of his book on feudal dignities to this office and hereditary title, and to its descent.
The hereditary nature of the office
Blackstone observes that there are offices, consisting of a right to exercise public or private employment, along with the fees and emoluments thereunto belonging, that are also incorporeal hereditaments, i.e., heritable. Examples include certain royal offices, such as the Lord High Steward of Ireland. The holder may have an estate in them, unto him and his heirs. Other offices may be for life or for a term of years. In his work, Lynch devotes a chapter to such incorporeal hereditaments as "Honorary Hereditary Officers". He describes the dignity of Lord Constable conferred on Hugh de Lacy by original grant in 1185 of Meath. The Lord Constable of Ireland, originally vested with lands to which it was incident or annexed, and which descended through Walter's son Gilbert de Lacy to John de Verdun (ex jure uxoris Margaret) by virtue of his moiety of Meath (the other moiety descending to Geoffrey de Geneville, 1st Baron Geneville, ex jure uxoris Matilda). By 1460, the lands to which it had been incident were vested in Lord Theobald de Verdun's co-heirs, and, according to Lynch, the exercise of the office fell into desuetude.
William FitzAldelm, Chief governor of Ireland in 1176-7, was described as "Senescallus Hiberniae" or as "Dapifer".
"It is worthy of remark that the title of Seneschal was revived in 1444 in favour of John Talbot when he was created Earl of Shrewsbury, as his wife was descended from Lord Furnival [Thomas de Furnivall, 2nd Baron Furnivall] who had in marriage the eldest daughter of Theobald de Verdon, and his descendant Lord Fumival, who died in 1446, left a daughter and heiress Maud Neville, who named Lord Talbot, and in this way he became possessed of his wife's portion of Theobald de Verdon's estate in Meath, as also of Alveston, now Alton Towers."