The woolsack in the former Irish House of Lords. The Irish House of Lords (Irish Teach na dTiarnai) was the Upper house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from mediæval times until 1800

The Woolsack is the seat of the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords, the Upper House of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Lord Speaker is the speaker of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" An upper house is one of two chambers of a Bicameral Legislature, the other chamber being the Lower house. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories From the Middle Ages until 2006, the presiding officer in the House of Lords was the Lord Chancellor and the Woolsack was usually mentioned in association with the office of Lord Chancellor. The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the Government of the United Kingdom. In July 2006 the function of Lord Speaker was split from that of Lord Chancellor.

The Woolsack is a large, wool-stuffed cushion or seat covered with red cloth; it has neither a back nor arms. Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species The Lords' Mace is placed on the rear part of the Woolsack. The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal and wood carried before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies by a Mace-bearer, intended

Introduced in the 14th century, the seat was originally stuffed with English wool, which, due to the importance of the wool trade, was a symbol of the nation's prosperity. When the Woolsack was remade after damage in the Second World War, wool from the various nations of the Commonwealth was used, in order to symbolise the Commonwealth's unity. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

The Lord Speaker may speak from the Woolsack when speaking in his or her capacity as Speaker of the House, but must, if he or she seeks to debate, deliver his or her remarks either from the left side of the Woolsack, or from the normal seats of the Lords.

If a Deputy Speaker presides in the absence of the Lord Speaker, then that individual uses the Woolsack. However, when the House meets in the "Committee of the Whole", the Woolsack remains unoccupied, and the presiding officer, the Chairman or Deputy Chairman, occupies a Chair at the front of the table of the House. A Committee of the Whole is a device in which a legislative body or other Deliberative assembly is considered one large committee

In front of the Woolsack is an even larger cushion known as the Judges' Woolsack. During the State Opening of Parliament, the Judges' Woolsack is occupied by the Law Lords. In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event held usually in October or November that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, or Law Lords, are appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the House of Lords of the The seat, however, is by no means restricted to judges only; during normal sittings, any Lord may occupy it.

References

• The Woolsack at the UK Parliament site. URL accessed February 6, 2006

• The Interior of the House of Lords at the Explore Parliament website. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. URL accessed April 25, 2006. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Right-click on the image to see it at full resolution. The woolsacks are the large, low, rectangular objects in front of the throne, surrounded by ropes.