Earl Belmore is a title in the Peerage of Ireland that was created in 1797 for Armar Lowry-Corry, 1st Viscount Belmore, who had previously represented County Tyrone in the Irish House of Commons. He had already been created Baron Belmore, of Castle Coole in County Fermanagh, in 1781 and Viscount Belmore in 1789, also in the Peerage of Ireland. Born Armar Lowry, he was the son of Galbraith Lowry, Member of the Irish House of Commons for County Tyrone, and his wife Sarah, daughter of Colonel John Corry. In 1774, he assumed by Royal licence the additional surname of Corry. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl. He represented County Tyrone in both the Irish and British House of Commons, sat in the House of Lords as an Irish representative peer from 1819 to 1841, and served as Governor of Jamaica from 1828 to 1832.
Castle Coole, the family seat
The Peerage of Ireland consists of those titles of nobility created by the English monarchs in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland, or later by monarchs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It is one of the five divisions of Peerages in the United Kingdom. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are duke, marquess, earl, viscount and baron. As of 2016, there were 135 titles in the Peerage of Ireland extant: two dukedoms, ten marquessates, 43 earldoms, 28 viscountcies, and 52 baronies. However, these titles have no official recognition in the Republic of Ireland, with Article 40.2 of the Constitution of Ireland forbidding the state conferring titles of nobility and stating that an Irish citizen may not accept titles of nobility or honour except with the prior approval of the Irish government.
William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster