Howard, Ralph, 1st Viscount Wicklow (1726–1786) was an M.P. for County Wicklow and became Baron Clonmore of Clonmore Castle.
Ralph Howard was born at Shelton Abbey, Co. Wicklow, the eldest son of the Rt. Rev. Robert Howard (1683–1740), Bishop of Elphin. Howard was High Sheriff of Wicklow in 1749, and of County Carlow in 1754. In 1761 and 1768 he was elected M.P. for both county Wicklow and the Borough of St. Johnstown.[1]
In May 1770, he joined the privy council and on 12 July 1776 Howard was raised to the Irish peerage as Baron Clonmore of Clonmore Castle, County Carlow. In June 1785 he was promoted to be Viscount Wicklow and died a year later on 26 June 1786. His widow, Alice, daughter and sole heiress of William Forward of Castle Forward, co. Donegal, was created Countess of Wicklow in her own right on the 20 December 1793. She died 7 March 1807. Her son Robert succeeded her as Earl of Wicklow, and sat as a representative peer in the united parliament of 1801.[1]
