Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of Shannon

Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of Shannon KP, PC (Ire) (30 January 1727 – 20 May 1807) was an Irish peer and Member of Parliament. He represented Dungarvan and Cork County, and succeeded his father as Earl of Shannon.

He was a son of Henry Boyle, 1st Earl of Shannon and his second wife, Lady Henrietta Boyle (1700–1746). His maternal grandparents were Charles Boyle, 2nd Earl of Burlington and Juliana Noel.

Boyle was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. In 1749, he entered the Irish House of Commons, representing Dungarvan until 1761. He was then elected for Clonakilty as well as Cork County and sat for the latter constituency until 1764, when he succeeded his father in the titles. According to the "Blackwell Companion to Modern Irish Culture" (1998) by William John McCormack and Patrick Gillan, Richard "did not possess the political talent which had enabled his father to dominate the Irish House of Commons for so long."

He served in the Privy Council of Ireland from 1763 to 1770. In 1766, Shannon was commissioned Master-General of the Ordnance of the Kingdom of Ireland. He resigned his post in 1770. In 1774, Shannon was again appointed Privy Councilor, serving to 1789. The same year he was appointed Muster-Master-General of the royal military forces in the Kingdom of Ireland. He maintained his position to 1781. That year he became Joint Vice Treasurer of Ireland, an office held in commission with other politicians to 1789. In the later office Shannon served under William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, the active Lord High Treasurer of Ireland.

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