Consumption and the Castle Administration

Abstract

The daily management of Irish politics was highly reliant on consumption, and successive viceroys and Castle administrations utilised food, drink, jobs, ceremony and show to secure the loyalty of MPs and encourage the Dublin populace to be compliant and amenable towards government. Irish politicians were well aware that the people had to be ‘managed’ if government was to proceed with its legislative programme unhindered by the populace and patriot MPs. Though jobbery played an important role in the Irish political system, there were never enough jobs to satisfy all expectant MPs and their supporters, and in any case, many Irish MPs did not see a government office as any bar to them voting with the opposition. Thus the Castle government had to look to other means to secure votes in doors and acquiescence out of doors.