Before 1925, the chair of each rural district council sat as an ex officio member of the council.[5] Under the Local Government Act 1925, rural district councils in Ireland were abolished and their functions transferred to the county councils.[6] In County Carlow, these were the districts of Baltinglass No. 2, Carlow and Idrone.[7] The number of members of the county council increased from 20 to 26.[8][9][10]
In 1942, in an order under the Local Government Act 1941, the number of councillors was reduced to 21.[11][12] This figure was restated by the Local Government Act 2001.[13]
In November 2012, Phil Hogan, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, appointed a Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee to review the allocation of seats and the local electoral areas across local authorities. In the case of Carlow County Council, it recommended a decrease to 18 seats.[14] This was implemented by the Local Government Reform Act 2014.[15] In addition, all town councils in Ireland were abolished and their functions transferred to the county councils. In County Carlow, these were the town councils of Carlow and Muinebheag.[16]
The council originally met in Carlow Courthouse.[17] The council established their County Secretary's Office at 1 Athy Road in the former offices and printing works of the Carlow Sentinel which ceased publication after the First World War.[18][19] The council subsequently moved further north along Athy Road into modern premises which are now known as the County Buildings.[20]
^Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, s. 3: Additional members and chairman and vice-chairman of county council, and constitution of chairman as justice (61 & 62 Vict., c. 37 of 1898, s. 3). Enacted on 12 August 1898. Act of the UK Parliament. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
^Local Government Reform Act 2014, s. 24: Dissolution of town councils and transfer date (No. 1 of 2014, s. 24). Enacted on 27 January 2014. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 21 May 2022.
^"Dublin Street 1985". Ireland Genealogical Projects. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^Tracy, Alice (1 December 1953). "The Story of Athy Road"(PDF). Carloviana. p. 30. Archived(PDF) from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^"Local Authorities". Oireachtas. 26 May 1982. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
^Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014, Article 5 and Schedule 3 (S.I. No. 573 of 2014). Signed on 16 December 2014. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 20 April 2023.
^County of Carlow Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2018 (S.I. No. 610 of 2018). Signed on 19 December 2018. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 19 January 2019.
