Taoiseach
Encyclopedia
The Taoiseach (ˈ; ˈt̪ˠiːʃəx) is the head of government
or prime minister
of Ireland
. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President
upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann
, the lower house of the Oireachtas
(parliament), and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.
The current Taoiseach is Enda Kenny
, TD
who was appointed on 9 March 2011.
, the Taoiseach must be appointed from among the members of Dáil Éireann. He is nominated by a simple majority of the chamber's members, and formally appointed to office by the President. Since the President is required to appoint whomever the Dáil nominates without the right to decline appointment, it is often said that the Taosieach is "elected" by the Dáil.
In the event that the Taoiseach loses the support of a majority in Dáil Éireann, he is not automatically removed from office but, rather, is compelled to either resign or persuade the President to dissolve the Dáil. The President may refuse to grant a dissolution and, in effect, force the Taoiseach to resign, but, to date, no president has exercised this prerogative (though the option arose in 1944 and 1994 and twice in 1982). The Taoiseach may lose the support of Dáil Éireann by the passage of a vote of no confidence, the failure of a vote of confidence or, alternatively, the Dáil may refuse supply
. In the event of the Taoiseach's resignation, he continues to exercise the duties and functions of his office until the appointment of a successor.
The Taoiseach nominates the remaining members of the Government, who are then, with the consent of the Dáil, appointed by the President. The Taoiseach also has authority to advise the President to dismiss cabinet ministers from office, advice the President is required to follow by convention. He or she is further responsible for appointing eleven members of the Seanad
.
A proposed increase of €38,000 in 2007, was deferred when Brian Cowen
became Taoiseach and in October 2008, the government announced a 10% salary cut for all ministers, including the Taoiseach. However this was a voluntary cut and the salaries remained nominally the same with ministers and Taoiseach essentially refusing 10% of their salary. This courted controversy in December 2009 when a salary cut of 20% was based on the higher figure before the refused amount was deducted. The Taoiseach is also allowed an additional €118,981 in annual expenses.
adjoining the Phoenix Park
would become the official residence of the Taoiseach. The house, which forms part of the Farmleigh estate acquired by the State in 1999 for €29.2m, was renovated at a cost of nearly €600,000 in 2005 by the Office of Public Works
. Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern
did not use it as a residence, however his successor Brian Cowen used it "from time to time". In 2011, Enda Kenny became the first Taoiseach to reside at the Steward's Lodge full-time.
(the title of the deputy prime minister) are both from the Irish language
and of ancient origin. Though the Taoiseach is described in the Constitution of Ireland as "the head of the Government or Prime Minister", its literal translation is "Chieftain" or "Leader". Some historians suggest that in ancient Ireland
(where these terms originate), a taoiseach was a minor king, while a tánaiste was a governor placed in a kingdom whose king had been deposed or, more usually, his heir-apparent. In Scottish Gaelic, tòiseach translates as clan
chief and both words originally had similar meaning in the Gaelic languages
of Scotland and Ireland. The related Welsh language
word tywysog
(current meaning "prince" from tywys, "to lead") appears to have had a similar meaning.
The modern position of Taoiseach was established by the 1937 Constitution of Ireland
, to replace the position of President of the Executive Council
of the 1922–1937 Irish Free State
. The positions of Taoiseach and President of the Executive Council differed in certain fundamental respects. Under the Constitution of the Irish Free State
the latter was vested with considerably less power and was largely just the cabinet's presiding officer. For example, the President of the Executive Council could not dismiss a fellow minister. The Free State's cabinet, the Executive Council
, had to be disbanded and reformed entirely in order to remove one of its number. The President of the Executive Council could also not personally seek a dissolution of Dáil Éireann from the head of state, that power belonging collectively to the Executive Council. In contrast, the Taoiseach created in 1937 possesses a much more powerful role. He can both instruct the President to dismiss ministers, and request a parliamentary dissolution on his own initiative. His role is greatly enhanced because under the Constitution, he is both de jure and de facto chief executive. In most other parliamentary democracies, the head of state is at least the nominal chief executive.
Historically, where there have been multi-party or coalition governments, the Taoiseach has come from the leader of the largest party in the coalition. One exception to this was John A. Costello
, who was not leader of his party, but an agreed choice to head the government, because the other parties refused to accept then Fine Gael
leader Richard Mulcahy
as Taoiseach.
, the head of government was referred to as the President of the Executive Council
. This office was first held by W. T. Cosgrave of Cumann na nGaedheal from 1922–32, and then by Éamon de Valera
from 1932–37. By convention Taoisigh are numbered to include Cosgrave, for example Enda Kenny is considered the 13th Taoiseach not the 12th.
provides a good overview of the conflicting roles for the Taoiseach. Though long out of print, it may still be available in libraries or from AbeBooks. Biographies are also available of de Valera, Lemass, Lynch, Cosgrave, FitzGerald, Haughey, Reynolds and Ahern. FitzGerald wrote an autobiography, while an authorised biography was produced of de Valera.
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
or prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
, the lower house of the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
(parliament), and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.
The current Taoiseach is Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
, TD
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
who was appointed on 9 March 2011.
Overview
Under the Constitution of IrelandConstitution of Ireland
The Constitution of Ireland is the fundamental law of the Irish state. The constitution falls broadly within the liberal democratic tradition. It establishes an independent state based on a system of representative democracy and guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected...
, the Taoiseach must be appointed from among the members of Dáil Éireann. He is nominated by a simple majority of the chamber's members, and formally appointed to office by the President. Since the President is required to appoint whomever the Dáil nominates without the right to decline appointment, it is often said that the Taosieach is "elected" by the Dáil.
In the event that the Taoiseach loses the support of a majority in Dáil Éireann, he is not automatically removed from office but, rather, is compelled to either resign or persuade the President to dissolve the Dáil. The President may refuse to grant a dissolution and, in effect, force the Taoiseach to resign, but, to date, no president has exercised this prerogative (though the option arose in 1944 and 1994 and twice in 1982). The Taoiseach may lose the support of Dáil Éireann by the passage of a vote of no confidence, the failure of a vote of confidence or, alternatively, the Dáil may refuse supply
Loss of Supply
Loss of supply occurs where a government in a parliamentary democracy using the Westminster System or a system derived from it is denied a supply of treasury or exchequer funds, by whichever house or houses of parliament or head of state is constitutionally entitled to grant and deny supply. A...
. In the event of the Taoiseach's resignation, he continues to exercise the duties and functions of his office until the appointment of a successor.
The Taoiseach nominates the remaining members of the Government, who are then, with the consent of the Dáil, appointed by the President. The Taoiseach also has authority to advise the President to dismiss cabinet ministers from office, advice the President is required to follow by convention. He or she is further responsible for appointing eleven members of the Seanad
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
.
Salary
The Taoiseach's annual salary is €200,000 since March 2011. It was cut from €214,187 to €200,000 when Kenny took office.A proposed increase of €38,000 in 2007, was deferred when Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
became Taoiseach and in October 2008, the government announced a 10% salary cut for all ministers, including the Taoiseach. However this was a voluntary cut and the salaries remained nominally the same with ministers and Taoiseach essentially refusing 10% of their salary. This courted controversy in December 2009 when a salary cut of 20% was based on the higher figure before the refused amount was deducted. The Taoiseach is also allowed an additional €118,981 in annual expenses.
Residence
For the first 70 years of the office's existence, there was no official residence of the Taoiseach. However, in 2008 it was reported that the former Steward's Lodge at FarmleighFarmleigh
Farmleigh is the official Irish State guest house. It was formerly one of the Dublin residences of the Guinness family. It is situated on an elevated position above the River Liffey to the north-west of the Phoenix Park...
adjoining the Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth...
would become the official residence of the Taoiseach. The house, which forms part of the Farmleigh estate acquired by the State in 1999 for €29.2m, was renovated at a cost of nearly €600,000 in 2005 by the Office of Public Works
Office of Public Works
The Office of Public Works is a State Agency of the Department of Finance in the Republic of Ireland...
. Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
did not use it as a residence, however his successor Brian Cowen used it "from time to time". In 2011, Enda Kenny became the first Taoiseach to reside at the Steward's Lodge full-time.
Origins and etymology
The words Taoiseach and TánaisteTánaiste
The Tánaiste is the deputy prime minister of Ireland. The current Tánaiste is Eamon Gilmore, TD who was appointed on 9 March 2011.- Origins and etymology :...
(the title of the deputy prime minister) are both from the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and of ancient origin. Though the Taoiseach is described in the Constitution of Ireland as "the head of the Government or Prime Minister", its literal translation is "Chieftain" or "Leader". Some historians suggest that in ancient Ireland
Early history of Ireland
The early medieval history of Ireland, often called Early Christian Ireland, spans the 5th to 8th centuries, from the gradual emergence out of the protohistoric period to the beginning of the Viking Age...
(where these terms originate), a taoiseach was a minor king, while a tánaiste was a governor placed in a kingdom whose king had been deposed or, more usually, his heir-apparent. In Scottish Gaelic, tòiseach translates as clan
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
chief and both words originally had similar meaning in the Gaelic languages
Goidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
of Scotland and Ireland. The related Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
word tywysog
Tywysog
Tywysog , in modern Welsh, means "Prince", although historically it referred to a broader category of rulers. The feminine form is Tywysoges. The work Brut y Tywysogion is the Annals of the Princes of Wales and is a historical narrative of the deeds of the various rulers of the kingdoms, large and...
(current meaning "prince" from tywys, "to lead") appears to have had a similar meaning.
Modern office
Constitution of Ireland
The Constitution of Ireland is the fundamental law of the Irish state. The constitution falls broadly within the liberal democratic tradition. It establishes an independent state based on a system of representative democracy and guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected...
, to replace the position of President of the Executive Council
President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State
The President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State was the head of government or prime minister of the Irish Free State which existed from 1922 to 1937...
of the 1922–1937 Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
. The positions of Taoiseach and President of the Executive Council differed in certain fundamental respects. Under the Constitution of the Irish Free State
Constitution of the Irish Free State
The Constitution of the Irish Free State was the first constitution of the independent Irish state. It was enacted with the adoption of the Constitution of the Irish Free State Act 1922, of which it formed a part...
the latter was vested with considerably less power and was largely just the cabinet's presiding officer. For example, the President of the Executive Council could not dismiss a fellow minister. The Free State's cabinet, the Executive Council
Executive Council of the Irish Free State
The Executive Council was the cabinet and de facto executive branch of government of the 1922–1937 Irish Free State. Formally, the role of the Executive Council was to "aid and advise" the Governor-General who would exercise the executive authority on behalf of the King...
, had to be disbanded and reformed entirely in order to remove one of its number. The President of the Executive Council could also not personally seek a dissolution of Dáil Éireann from the head of state, that power belonging collectively to the Executive Council. In contrast, the Taoiseach created in 1937 possesses a much more powerful role. He can both instruct the President to dismiss ministers, and request a parliamentary dissolution on his own initiative. His role is greatly enhanced because under the Constitution, he is both de jure and de facto chief executive. In most other parliamentary democracies, the head of state is at least the nominal chief executive.
Historically, where there have been multi-party or coalition governments, the Taoiseach has come from the leader of the largest party in the coalition. One exception to this was John A. Costello
John A. Costello
John Aloysius Costello , a successful barrister, was one of the main legal advisors to the government of the Irish Free State after independence, Attorney General of Ireland from 1926–1932 and Taoiseach from 1948–1951 and 1954–1957....
, who was not leader of his party, but an agreed choice to head the government, because the other parties refused to accept then Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
leader Richard Mulcahy
Richard Mulcahy
Richard James Mulcahy was an Irish politician, army general and commander in chief, leader of Fine Gael and Cabinet Minister...
as Taoiseach.
List of office holders
Before the enactment of the 1937 ConstitutionConstitution of Ireland
The Constitution of Ireland is the fundamental law of the Irish state. The constitution falls broadly within the liberal democratic tradition. It establishes an independent state based on a system of representative democracy and guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected...
, the head of government was referred to as the President of the Executive Council
President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State
The President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State was the head of government or prime minister of the Irish Free State which existed from 1922 to 1937...
. This office was first held by W. T. Cosgrave of Cumann na nGaedheal from 1922–32, and then by Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
from 1932–37. By convention Taoisigh are numbered to include Cosgrave, for example Enda Kenny is considered the 13th Taoiseach not the 12th.
President of the Executive Council |
||||||||||
| No. | Name (Birth–Death); Constituency |
Portrait | Term of Office | Elected (Dáil) |
Exec. Council |
Party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | W. T. Cosgrave (1880–1965) TD for Carlow–Kilkenny Carlow–Kilkenny (Dáil Éireann constituency) Carlow–Kilkenny is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies... until 1927 TD for Cork Borough Cork Borough (Dáil Éireann constituency) Cork Borough was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1921 to 1969... from 1927 |
 |
6 December 1922 | 9 March 1932 | 1922 Irish general election, 1922 The Irish general election of 1922 took place in Southern Ireland on 16 June 1922, under the provisions of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty to elect a constituent assembly paving the way for the formal establishment of the Irish Free State... (3rd Members of the 3rd Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 3rd Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of the soon to be created Irish Free State. These TDs were elected at the 1922 general election on 16 June 1922. The 3rd Dáil was dissolved by Governor-General Timothy Michael Healy, at the... ) |
1st | Cumann na nGaedheal | |||
| 1923 Irish general election, 1923 The Irish general election of 1923 was held on 27 August 1923. The newly elected members of the 4th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 19 September when the new President of the Executive Council and Executive Council of the Irish Free State were appointed. The election was held just after the end... (4th Members of the 4th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 4th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State. These TDs were elected at the 1923 general election on 27 August 1923 and met on 19 September 1923... ) |
2nd Government of the 4th Dáil The 4th Dáil was elected at the 1923 general election on 27 August 1923 and first met on 19 September when the 2nd Executive Council was appointed. The 4th Dáil lasted 1,382 days.-2nd Executive Council of the Irish Free State:... |
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| Jun.1927 (5th Members of the 5th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 5th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State. These TDs were elected at the June 1927 general election on 9 June 1927 and met on 23 June 1927... ) |
3rd Government of the 5th Dáil The 5th Dáil was elected at the June 1927 general election on 9 June 1927 and first met on 23 June when the 3rd Executive Council was appointed. The 5th Dáil was the shortest Dáil in history lasting only 98 days.-3rd Executive Council of the Irish Free State:... |
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| Sep.1927 (6th Members of the 6th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 6th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State. These TDs were elected at the September 1927 general election on 15 September 1927 and met on 11 October 1927... ) |
4th | |||||||||
| 5th | ||||||||||
| 2. | Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland... (1882–1975) TD for Clare |
 |
9 March 1932 | 29 December 1937 | 1932 Irish general election, 1932 The Irish general election of 1932 was held on 16 February 1932, just over two weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 29 January. The newly elected 153 members of the 7th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 9 March 1932 when the new President of the Executive Council and Executive Council of... (7th Members of the 7th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 7th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State. These TDs were elected at the 1932 general election on 16 February 1932 and met on 9 March 1932... ) |
6th Government of the 7th Dáil The 7th Dáil was elected at the 1932 general election on 16 February 1932 and first met on 9 March when the 6th Executive Council was appointed. The 7th Dáil lasted for 343 days.-6th Executive Council of the Irish Free State:... |
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
|||
| 1933 Irish general election, 1933 The Irish general election of 1933 was held on 24 January 1933. The newly elected members of the 8th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 8 February when the new President of the Executive Council and Executive Council of the Irish Free State were appointed.... (8th Members of the 8th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 8th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State. These TDs were elected at the 1933 general election on 24 January 1933 and met on 8 February 1933. The 8th Dáil was dissolved on 14 June 1937... ) |
7th Government of the 8th Dáil The 8th Dáil was elected at the 1933 general election on 24 January 1933 and first met on 8 February when the 7th Executive Council was appointed. The 8th Dáil lasted for 1,619 days.-7th Executive Council of the Irish Free State:... |
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| 1937 Irish general election, 1937 The Irish general election of 1937 was held on 1 July 1937, just over two weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 14 June. A plebiscite to ratify the Constitution of Ireland was held on the same day... (9th Members of the 9th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 9th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State. These TDs were elected at the 1937 general election on 1 July 1937 and met on 21 July 1937. The 9th Dáil was dissolved on 27 May 1938. The 9th Dáil lasted 351 days... ) |
8th | |||||||||
Taoiseach |
||||||||||
| No. | Name (Birth–Death); Constituency |
Portrait | Term of Office | Elected (Dáil) |
Govt. | Party of Taoiseach Other parties in govt. |
||||
| 2. | Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland... (1882–1975) TD for Clare |
|
29 December 1937 | 18 February 1948 | — | 1st | Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
|||
| 1938 Irish general election, 1938 The Irish general election of 1938 was held on 17 June 1938. The 138 newly elected members of the 10th Dáil assembled on 30 June when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.... (10th Members of the 10th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 10th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1938 general election on 17 June 1938 and met on 30 June 1938. The 10th Dáil was dissolved by President Douglas Hyde, at the request of the... ) |
2nd Government of the 10th Dáil The 10th Dáil was elected at the 1938 general election on 17 June 1938 and first met on 30 June when the 2nd Government of Ireland was appointed. The 10th Dáil lasted for 1,832 days.-2nd Government of Ireland:... |
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| 1943 Irish general election, 1943 The Irish general election of 1943 was held on 23 June 1943. The 138 newly elected members of the 11th Dáil assembled on 1 July when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.... (11th Members of the 12th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 12th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1944 general election on 30 May 1944 and met on 9 June 1944. The 12th Dáil was dissolved by President Seán T. O'Kelly, at the request of the... ) |
3rd Government of the 11th Dáil The 11th Dáil was elected at the 1943 general election on 23 June 1943 and first met on 1 July when the 3rd Government of Ireland was appointed. The 11th Dáil lasted for 342 days.-3rd Government of Ireland:... |
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| 1944 Irish general election, 1944 The Irish general election of 1944 was held on 30 May 1944, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 9 May. The 138 newly elected members of the 12th Dáil assembled on 9 June when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.... (12th Members of the 12th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 12th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1944 general election on 30 May 1944 and met on 9 June 1944. The 12th Dáil was dissolved by President Seán T. O'Kelly, at the request of the... ) |
4th Government of the 12th Dáil The 12th Dáil was elected at the 1944 general election on 30 May 1944 and first met on 9 June when the 4th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 12th Dáil lasted for 1,345 days.-4th Government of Ireland:... |
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| 3. | John A. Costello John A. Costello John Aloysius Costello , a successful barrister, was one of the main legal advisors to the government of the Irish Free State after independence, Attorney General of Ireland from 1926–1932 and Taoiseach from 1948–1951 and 1954–1957.... (1891–1976) TD for Dublin South East Dublin South East (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dublin South–East is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies... |
18 February 1948 | 13 June 1951 | 1948 Irish general election, 1948 The Irish general election of 1948 was held on 4 February 1948. The 147 newly elected members of the 13th Dáil assembled on 18 February when the First Inter-Party government in the history of the Irish state was appointed.... (13th Members of the 13th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 13th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1948 general election on 4 February 1948 and met on 18 February 1948. The 13th Dáil was dissolved by President Seán T. O'Kelly, at the request of... ) |
5th Government of the 13th Dáil The 13th Dáil was elected at the 1948 general election on 4 February 1948 and first met on 18 February when the 5th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 13th Dáil lasted for 1,211 days.... |
Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000... with Labour Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... ; CnaP Clann na Poblachta Clann na Poblachta , abbreviated CnaP, was an Irish republican and social democratic political party founded by former Irish Republican Army Chief of Staff Seán MacBride in 1946.-Foundation:... ; CnaT Clann na Talmhan Clann na Talmhan , abbreviated CnaT, was an Irish agrarian political party active between 1939 and 1965.- Formation and Growth :Clann na Talmhan was founded on 29 June 1939 in Athenry, County Galway, in the wake of the breakdown of unification talks between the Irish Farmers Federation and... ; National Labour National Labour Party (Ireland) The National Labour Party was an Irish political party active between 1944 and 1950. It was founded in 1944 from a rebel faction of the Labour Party, inspired by the intransigence of the incumbent leadership of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union against the majority of the party.The... until 1950 |
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| (2) | Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland... (1882–1975) TD for Clare |
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13 June 1951 | 2 June 1954 | 1951 Irish general election, 1951 The Irish general election of 1951 was held on 30 May 1951. The newly elected members of the 14th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 13 June when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.... (14th Members of the 14th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 14th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1951 general election on 30 May 1951 and met on 13 June 1951. The 14th Dáil was dissolved by President Seán T. O'Kelly, at the request of the... ) |
6th Government of the 16th Dáil The 16th Dáil was elected at the 1957 general election on 5 March 1957 and first met on 20 March when the 8th Government of Ireland was appointed... |
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
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| (3) | John A. Costello John A. Costello John Aloysius Costello , a successful barrister, was one of the main legal advisors to the government of the Irish Free State after independence, Attorney General of Ireland from 1926–1932 and Taoiseach from 1948–1951 and 1954–1957.... (1891–1976) TD for Dublin South East Dublin South East (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dublin South–East is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies... |
2 June 1954 | 20 March 1957 | 1954 Irish general election, 1954 The Irish general election of 1954 was held on 18 May 1954. The newly elected members of the 15th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 2 June when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.... (15th Members of the 15th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 15th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1954 general election on 14 May 1954 and met on 2 June 1954. The 15th Dáil was dissolved by President Seán T. O'Kelly, at the request of the... ) |
7th Government of the 15th Dáil The 15th Dáil was elected at the 1954 general election on 18 May 1954 and first met on 2 June when the 7th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 15th Dáil lasted for 1,022 days.-7th Government of Ireland:... |
Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000... with Labour Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... ; Clann na Talmhan Clann na Talmhan Clann na Talmhan , abbreviated CnaT, was an Irish agrarian political party active between 1939 and 1965.- Formation and Growth :Clann na Talmhan was founded on 29 June 1939 in Athenry, County Galway, in the wake of the breakdown of unification talks between the Irish Farmers Federation and... |
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| (2) | Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland... (1882–1975) TD for Clare |
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20 March 1957 | 23 June 1959 | 1957 Irish general election, 1957 The Irish general election of 1957 was held on 5 March 1957, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 4 February. The newly elected members of the 16th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 20 March when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place... (16th Members of the 16th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 16th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1957 general election on 5 March 1957 and met on 20 March 1957. The 16th Dáil was dissolved by President Éamon de Valera, at the request of the... ) |
8th | Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
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| 4. | Seán Lemass Seán Lemass Seán Francis Lemass was one of the most prominent Irish politicians of the 20th century. He served as Taoiseach from 1959 until 1966.... (1899–1971) TD for Dublin South Central Dublin South Central (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dublin South–Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies... |
23 June 1959 | 10 November 1966 | 9th | Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
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| 1961 Irish general election, 1961 The Irish general election of 1961 was held on 4 October 1961, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 8 September. The newly elected members of the 17th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 11 October when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took... (17th Members of the 17th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 17th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1961 general election on 4 October 1961 and met on 11 October 1961. The 17th Dáil was dissolved by President Éamon de Valera, at the request of the... ) |
10th Government of the 17th Dáil The 17th Dáil was elected at the 1961 general election on 4 October 1961 and first met on 11 November when the 10th Government of Ireland was appointed... |
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| 1965 Irish general election, 1965 The Irish general election of 1965 was held on 7 April 1965. The newly elected members of the 18th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 21 April when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.... (18th Members of the 18th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 18th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1965 general election on 7 April 1965 and met on 21 April 1965. The 18th Dáil was dissolved by President Éamon de Valera, at the request of the... ) |
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| 5. | Jack Lynch Jack Lynch John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979.... (1917–1999) TD for Cork Borough Cork Borough (Dáil Éireann constituency) Cork Borough was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1921 to 1969... until 1969 TD for Cork City North West Cork City North West (Dáil Éireann constituency) Cork City North–West was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1969 to 1977... from 1969 |
10 November 1966 | 14 March 1973 | 12th | Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
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| 1969 Irish general election, 1969 The Irish general election of 1969 was held on 18 June 1969. The newly elected members of the 19th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 2 July when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed... (19th Members of the 19th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 19th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1969 general election on 18 June 1969 and met on 2 July 1969. The 19th Dáil was dissolved by President Éamon de Valera, at the request of the... ) |
13th Government of the 19th Dáil The 19th Dáil was elected at the 1969 general election on 18 June 1969 and first met on 2 July when the 13th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 19th Dáil lasted for 1,351 days.-13th Government of Ireland:... |
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| 6. | Liam Cosgrave Liam Cosgrave Liam Cosgrave is an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach and as Leader of Fine Gael . He was a Teachta Dála from 1943 to 1981.... (1920– ) TD for Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1948 to 1977... |
14 March 1973 | 5 July 1977 | 1973 Irish general election, 1973 The Irish general election of 1973 was held on 28 February 1973. The newly elected 144 members of the 20th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 4 March when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.... (20th Members of the 20th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 20th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1973 general election on 26 February 1973 and met on 4 March 1973. The 20th Dáil was dissolved by President Patrick Hillery, at the request of the... ) |
14th Government of the 20th Dáil The 20th Dáil was elected at the 1973 general election on 28 February 1973 and first met on 14 March when the 14th Government of Ireland was appointed... |
Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000... with Labour Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... |
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| (5) | Jack Lynch Jack Lynch John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979.... (1917–1999) TD for Cork City Cork City (Dáil Éireann constituency) Cork City was a short-lived parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1977 to 1981... |
5 July 1977 | 11 December 1979 | 1977 Irish general election, 1977 The Irish general election of 1977 was held on 16 June 1977 and is regarded as a pivotal point in twentieth century Irish politics. The general election took place in 42 parliamentary constituencies throughout Ireland for 148 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann. The number of... (21st Members of the 21st Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 21st Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1977 general election on 16 June 1977 and met on 5 July 1977. The 21st Dáil was dissolved by President Patrick Hillery, at the request of the... ) |
15th | Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
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| 7. | Charles Haughey Charles Haughey Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil... (1925–2006) TD for Dublin Artane Dublin Artane (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dublin Artane was a short-lived parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1977 to 1981... |
11 December 1979 | 30 June 1981 | 16th | Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
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| 8. | Garret FitzGerald Garret FitzGerald Garret FitzGerald was an Irish politician who was twice Taoiseach of Ireland, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD in 1969. He... (1926–2011) TD for Dublin South East Dublin South East (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dublin South–East is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies... |
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30 June 1981 | 9 March 1982 | 1981 Irish general election, 1981 The Irish general election of 1981 was held on 11 June 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 21 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 22nd Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 30 June when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.... (22nd Members of the 22nd Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 22nd Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1981 general election on 11 June 1981 and met on 30 June 1981. The 22nd Dáil was dissolved by President Patrick Hillery, at the request of the... ) |
17th Government of the 22nd Dáil The 22nd Dáil was elected at the 1981 general election on 11 June 1981 and first met on 30 June when the 17th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 22nd Dáil lasted for 279 days.-17th Government of Ireland:... |
Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000... with Labour Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... |
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| (7) | Charles Haughey Charles Haughey Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil... (1925–2006) TD for Dublin North Central Dublin North Central (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dublin North–Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies... |
9 March 1982 | 14 December 1982 | Feb.1982 (23rd Members of the 23rd Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 23rd Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the February 1982 general election on 18 February 1982 and met on 9 March 1982. The 23rd Dáil was dissolved by President Patrick Hillery, at the request... ) |
18th Government of the 23rd Dáil The 23rd Dáil was elected at the first general election of 1982 on 18 February 1982 and first met on 9 March when the 18th Government of Ireland was appointed... |
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
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| (8) | Garret FitzGerald Garret FitzGerald Garret FitzGerald was an Irish politician who was twice Taoiseach of Ireland, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD in 1969. He... (1926–2011) TD for Dublin South East Dublin South East (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dublin South–East is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies... |
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14 December 1982 | 10 March 1987 | Nov.1982 (24th Members of the 24th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 24th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the November 1982 general election on 24 November 1982 and met on 14 December 1982... ) |
19th Government of the 24th Dáil The 24th Dáil was elected at the second general election of 1982 on 24 November 1982 and first met on 14 December when the 19th Government of Ireland was appointed... |
Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000... with Labour Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... |
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| (7) | Charles Haughey Charles Haughey Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil... (1925–2006) TD for Dublin North Central Dublin North Central (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dublin North–Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies... |
10 March 1987 | 11 February 1992 | 1987 Irish general election, 1987 The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly-elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place in... (25th Members of the 25th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 25th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1987 general election on 17 February 1987 and met on 10 March 1987. The 25th Dáil was dissolved by President Patrick Hillery, at the request of the... ) |
20th Government of the 25th Dáil The 25th Dáil was elected at the 1987 general election on 17 February 1987 and first met on 10 March when the 20th Government of Ireland was appointed. The 25th Dáil lasted 849 days.-20th Government of Ireland:... |
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
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| 1989 Irish general election, 1989 The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Thursday, 15 June 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 25 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 26th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 29 June... (26th Members of the 26th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 26th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1989 general election on 15 June 1989 and met on 29 June 1989. The 26th Dáil was dissolved by President Patrick Hillery, at the request of the... ) |
21st | Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... with PDs Progressive Democrats The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on... |
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| 9. | Albert Reynolds Albert Reynolds Albert Reynolds , served as Taoiseach of Ireland, serving one term in office from 1992 until 1994. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize... (1932– ) TD for Longford–Roscommon |
11 February 1992 | 15 December 1994 | 22nd | Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... with PDs Progressive Democrats The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on... |
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| 1992 Irish general election, 1992 The Irish general election of 1992 was held on Wednesday, 25 November 1992, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 5 November. However, after difficulties in forming a government the newly elected 166 members of the 27th Dáil did not assemble at Leinster House until 4 January 1993... (27th Members of the 27th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 27th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1992 general election on 25 November 1992 and met on 4 January 1993. The 27th Dáil was dissolved by President Mary Robinson, at the request of the... ) |
23rd | Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... with Labour Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... |
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| 10. | John Bruton John Bruton John Gerard Bruton is an Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 1994 to 1997. A minister under two taoisigh, Liam Cosgrave and Garret FitzGerald, Bruton held a number of the top posts in Irish government, including Minister for Finance , and Minister for Industry, Trade,... (1947– ) TD for Meath |
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15 December 1994 | 26 June 1997 | 24th | Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000... with Labour Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... ; Dem. Left Democratic Left (Ireland) Democratic Left was a democratic socialist political party active in Ireland between 1992 and 1999. It came into being after a split in the Workers' Party and, after just seven years in existence, it merged into the Irish Labour Party.-Origins:... |
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| 11. | Bertie Ahern Bertie Ahern Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008.... (1951– ) TD for Dublin Central Dublin Central (Dáil Éireann constituency) Dublin Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 4 deputies... |
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26 June 1997 | 7 May 2008 | 1997 Irish general election, 1997 The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.... (28th Members of the 28th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 28th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 1997 general election on 6 June 1997 and met on 26 June 1997. The 28th Dáil was dissolved by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the... ) |
25th Government of the 28th Dáil The 28th Dáil was elected at the 1997 general election on 6 June 1997 and first met on 26 June when President Mary Robinson, appointed Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach, on the nomination of Dáil Éireann. On the nomination of the Taoiseach, and following the Dáil's approval the 25th Government of Ireland... |
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... with PDs Progressive Democrats The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on... ; Green Green Party (Ireland) The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English... from 2007 |
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| 2002 Irish general election, 2002 The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern... (29th Members of the 29th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 29th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 2002 general election on 17 May 2002 and met on 6 June 2002. The 29th Dáil was dissolved by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach... ) |
26th Government of the 29th Dáil The 29th Dáil was elected at the 2002 general election on 17 May 2002 and first met on 6 June when President Mary McAleese appointed Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach, on the nomination of Dáil Éireann... |
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| 2007 (30th Members of the 30th Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 30th Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 2007 general election on 24 May 2007 and met on 14 June 2007. The 30th Dáil was dissolved by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the... ) |
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| 12. | Brian Cowen Brian Cowen Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May... (1960– ) TD for Laois–Offaly |
7 May 2008 | 9 March 2011 | 28th | Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... with: PDs Progressive Democrats The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on... until Nov. 2009; Greens Green Party (Ireland) The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English... until Jan. 2011 |
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| 13. | Enda Kenny Enda Kenny Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since... (1951– ) TD for Mayo Mayo (Dáil Éireann constituency) Mayo is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects five deputies... |
9 March 2011 | Incumbent | 2011 (31st Members of the 31st Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 31st Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 2011 general election on 25 February 2011 and met at midday on 9 March 2011... ) |
29th Government of the 31st Dáil The Government of the 31st Dáil is the present Government of Ireland, formed after the 2011 general election to Dáil Éireann on 25 February 2011. Fine Gael entered into discussions with the Labour Party which culminated in a joint programme for government. The 31st Dáil first met on 9 March 2011... |
Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000... with Labour Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... |
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See also
- Department of the TaoiseachDepartment of the TaoiseachThe Department of the Taoiseach is the government department of the Taoiseach of Ireland. It is based in Government Buildings, the headquarters of the Government of Ireland, on Merrion Street in Dublin....
- Politics of the Republic of IrelandPolitics of the Republic of IrelandIreland is a parliamentary, representative democratic republic and a member state of the European Union. While the head of state is the popularly elected President of Ireland, this is a largely ceremonial position with real political power being vested in the indirectly elected Taoiseach who is...
- So You Want To Be TaoiseachSo You Want To Be TaoiseachSo You Want To Be Taoiseach is a three-part series on RTÉ One hosted by Ardal O'Hanlon in 2007....
- Records of Irish heads of government since 1922
Further reading
The book Chairman or Chief: The Role of the Taoiseach in Irish Government (1971) by Brian FarrellBrian Farrell
Brian Farrell is an Irish author, journalist, academic & broadcaster.-Early life:Although born in Manchester, England, Farrell moved to Dublin, Ireland during the Second World War. He was educated in Ireland at , Dublin, University College Dublin and Harvard University in the United States...
provides a good overview of the conflicting roles for the Taoiseach. Though long out of print, it may still be available in libraries or from AbeBooks. Biographies are also available of de Valera, Lemass, Lynch, Cosgrave, FitzGerald, Haughey, Reynolds and Ahern. FitzGerald wrote an autobiography, while an authorised biography was produced of de Valera.
Some biographies of former Taoisigh and Presidents of the Executive Council
- Tim Pat Coogan, Éamon de Valera
- John Horgan, Seán Lemass
- Brian Farrell, Seán Lemass
- T.P. O'Mahony, Jack Lynch: A Biography
- T. Ryle Dwyer, Nice Fellow: A Biography of Jack Lynch
- Stephen Collins, The Cosgrave legacy
- Garret FitzGerald, All in a Life
- Garret FitzGerald, "Just Garret: Tales from the Political Frontline"
- Raymond Smith, Garret: The Enigma
- T.Ryle Dwyer, Short Fellow: A Biography of Charles Haughey
- Martin Mansergh, Spirit of the Nation: The Collected Speeches of Haughey
- Joe Joyce & Peter Murtagh The Boss: Charles Haughey in Government
- Tim Ryan, Albert Reynolds: The Longford Leader
- Albert Reynolds, "My Autobiography"
- Bertie Ahern,"My Autobiography"