ˈɜːvɪŋ fˈɜːst stˈʊd fɔːɹ ᵻlˈɛkʃən tə ðə hˈaʊs ʌv kˈiːz ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti fˈaɪv ænd ɹˌɛpɹᵻzˈɛntᵻd ðə kənstˈɪtʃuːənsiz ʌv dˈʌɡləz nˈɔːɹθ ænd dˈʌɡləz ˈiːst fɹʌm nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti fˈaɪv tə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti tˈuː ænd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti sˈɪks tə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi wˈʌn, ɹˈaɪzɪŋ, ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti sˈɛvən, tə bɪkˌʌm tʃˈɛɹmən ʌvðɪ ɛɡzˈɛkjuːtˌɪv kˈaʊnsəl, ðə fˈɔːɹʌnɚ tə ðə tʃˈiːf mˈɪnɪstɚɹ ʌvðɪ ˈaɪəl ʌv mˈæn, ɐ pəzˈɪʃən hiː hˈɛld ʌntˈɪl ðɪ ˈɛnd ʌv hɪz tˈɜːm ʌv sˈɜːvɪs ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi wˈʌn.
Irving first stood for election to the House of Keys in 1955 and represented the constituencies of Douglas North and Douglas East from 1955 to 1962 and 1966 to 1981, rising, in 1977, to become Chairman of the Executive Council, the forerunner to the Chief Minister of the Isle of Man, a position he held until the end of his term of service in 1981.