Political Leaders: Ireland

Leaders of Ireland
(Republic of Ireland / Eire)

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Look for biographies of the leaders (in Spanish) at the CIDOB website. Visit a detailed page on Irish Governments since 1990 to know more about the ruling parties. You also may browse the special page on the political leadership in Northern Ireland.

Presidents of the Republic

Douglas Hyde                  25 Jun 1938 - 24 Jun 1945 (+1949)  Fianna Fáil
Seán Thomas O'Kelly           25 Jun 1945 - 24 Jun 1959 (+1966)  Fianna Fáil
Eamon de Valera               25 Jun 1959 - 24 Jun 1973 (+1975)  Fianna Fáil
Erskine Hamilton Childers     25 Jun 1973 - 17 Nov 1974 (+)      Fianna Fáil
Cearbhall O'Dalaigh           19 Dec 1974 - 22 Oct 1976 (+1978)  Fianna Fáil
Patrick John Hillery           3 Dec 1976 -  2 Dec 1990 (+2008)  Fianna Fáil
Mary Terese Robinson           3 Dec 1990 - 12 Sep 1997          n/p
Mary Patricia McAleese        11 Nov 1997 - 11 Nov 2011          Fianna Fáil 
Michael D. Higgins            11 Nov 2011 -                      Labour Party

Note: The Presidental Commission is a three-man body constitued to fill with interim tenure the vacancies in the Presidency and is made by the Chief Justice, the Chief of the Dáil Éireann and the Chief of the Seanad Éireann. Since 1945 it has ruled three times: 17 Nov-18 Dec 1974 (Thomas Francis O'Higgins (+2003), Seán Treacy and James Clement Ignatius Dooge); 22 Oct-2 Dec 1976 (same members than 1974); and 12 Sep-10 Nov 1997 (Liam Hamilton, Séamus Pattison and Liam Cosgrave, who was replaced on 17 Sep by Brian Mullooly).

Prime Ministers

Eamon de Valera                9 Mar 1932 - 18 Feb 1948 (+1975)  Fianna Fáil
John Aloysius Costello        18 Feb 1948 - 13 Jun 1951 (+1976)  Fine Gael
Eamon de Valera               13 Jun 1951 -  2 Jun 1954 (+1975)  Fianna Fáil
John Aloysius Costello         2 Jun 1954 - 20 Mar 1957 (+1976)  Fine Gael
Eamon de Valera               20 Mar 1957 - 23 Jun 1959 (+1975)  Fianna Fáil
Seán Francis Lemass           23 Jun 1959 - 10 Nov 1966 (+1971)  Fianna Fáil
John (Jack) Mary Lynch        10 Nov 1966 - 14 Mar 1973 (+1999)  Fianna Fáil
Liam Thomas Cosgrave          14 Mar 1973 -  5 Jul 1977          Fine Gael
John (Jack) Mary Lynch         5 Jul 1977 - 11 Dec 1979 (+1999)  Fianna Fáil
Charles James Haughey         11 Dec 1979 - 30 Jun 1981 (+2006)  Fianna Fáil
Garret Michael FitzGerald     30 Jun 1981 -  9 Mar 1982 (+2011)  Fine Gael
Charles James Haughey          9 Mar 1982 - 14 Dec 1982 (+2006)  Fianna Fáil
Garret Michael FitzGerald     14 Dec 1982 - 10 Mar 1987 (+2011)  Fine Gael
Charles James Haughey         10 Mar 1987 - 11 Feb 1992 (+2006)  Fianna Fáil
Albert Reynolds               11 Feb 1992 - 15 Dec 1994          Fianna Fáil
John Gerard Bruton            15 Dec 1994 - 26 Jun 1997          Fine Gael
Bartholomew (Bertie) P. Ahern 26 Jun 1997 -  7 May 2008          Fianna Fáil
Brian Cowen                    7 May 2008 -  9 Mar 2011          Fianna Fáil
Enda Kenny                     9 Mar 2011 -                      Fine Gael

Chairmen of the Dáil Éireann

Francis Patrick Fahy          1932-1951 (+1953) Fianna Fáil  
Patrick Hogan                 1951-1967 (+1969) Labour Party
Cormac Breslin                1967-1973 (+1978) Fianna Fáil 
Seán Treacy                   1973-1977         Labour Party
Joseph Brennan                1977-1980 (+)     Fianna Fáil 
Pádraig Faulkner              1980-1981         Fianna Fáil
John O'Connell                1981-1982         n/p
Thomas (Tom) J. Fitzpatrick   1982-1987 (+2006) Fine Gael
Seán Treacy                   1987-1997         n/p
Séamus Pattison               1997-2002         Labour Party
Rory O'Hanlon                 2002-2007         Fianna Fáil  
John O'Donoghue               2007-2009         Fianna Fáil
Séamus Kirk                   2009-2011         Fianna Fáil
Seán Barrett                  2011-             Fine Gael

Chairmen of Seanad Éireann

Seán Goulding                 1943-1948 (+1959) Fianna Fáil 
Timothy Joseph O'Donovan      1948-1951 (+1951) Fine Gael
Liam Ó Buachalla              1951-1954 (+1970) Fianna Fáil 
Patrick Francis Baxter        1954-1957 (+1959) n/p
Liam Ó Buachalla              1957-1969 (+1970) Fianna Fáil
William Michael Yeats         1969-1973 (+2007) Fianna Fáil
Michéal C. Cranitch           1973      (+1999) Fianna Fáil
James Clement Dooge           1973-1977 (+2010) Fine Gael
Séamus Dolan                  1977-1981         Fianna Fáil
Charles (Charlie) McDonald    1981-1982         Fine Gael 
Tras Honan                    1982-1983         Fianna Fáil
Patrick Joseph Reynolds       1983-1987 (+2003) Fine Gael 
Tras Honan                    1987-1989         Fianna Fáil
Seán Doherty                  1989-1992 (+2005) Fianna Fáil
Seán Fallon                   1992-1995 (+)     Fianna Fáil
Liam Naughten                 1995-1996 (+)k    Fine Gael
Liam Thomas Cosgrave          1996-1997         Fine Gael
Brian Mullooly                1997-2002         Fianna Fáil
Rory Kiely                    2002-2007         Fianna Fáil
Pat Moylan                    2007-             Fianna Fáil

Ministers of Foreign Affairs

Eamon de Valera               1933-1948 (+1975) Fianna Fáil
Seán MacBride                 1948-1951 (+1988) Clann na Poblachta
Frank Aiken                   1951-1954 (+1983) Fianna Fáil
Liam Thomas Cosgrave          1954-1957         Fine Gael
Frank Aiken                   1957-1969 (+1983) Fianna Fáil
Patrick John Hillery          1969-1972 (+2008) Fianna Fáil
Brian Joseph Lenihan          1972-1973 (+1995) Fianna Fáil
Garret Michael FitzGerald     1973-1977 (+2011) Fine Gael 
Michael O'Kennedy             1977-1979         Fianna Fáil
Brian Joseph Lenihan          1979-1981 (+1995) Fianna Fáil
John Maurice Kelly            1981      (+1991) Fine Gael (acting)
James Clement Dooge           1981-1982 (+2010) Fine Gael
James Gerard (Gerry) Collins  1982              Fianna Fáil
Peter Barry                   1982-1987         Fine Gael
Brian Joseph Lenihan          1987-1989 (+1995) Fianna Fáil
James Gerard (Gerry) Collins  1989-1992         Fianna Fáil
David Andrews                 1992-1993         Fianna Fáil
Richard (Dick) Spring         1993-1997         Labour Party
Raphael (Ray) Patrick Burke   1997              Fianna Fáil
David Andrews                 1997-2000         Fianna Fáil
Brian Cowen                   2000-2004         Fianna Fáil
Dermot Christopher Ahern      2004-2008         Fianna Fáil
Micheál Martin                2008-2011         Fianna Fáil
Brian Cowen                   2011              Fianna Fáil
Eamon Gilmore                 2011-             Labour Party

(Source of list: Rulers)

Leaders of Fianna Fáil

Eamon de Valera               1926-1959 (+1975)
Seán Francis Lemass           1959-1966 (+1971)
John (Jack) Mary Lynch        1966-1979 (+1999)
Charles James Haughey         1979-1992 (+2006)
Albert Reynolds               1992-1994
Bartholomew (Bertie) P. Ahern 1994-2008
Brian Cowen                   2008-2011
Micheál Martin                2011-

Leaders of Fine Gael

Richard James Mulcahy         1944-1959 (+1971)
James Matthew Dillon          1959-1965 (+1986)
Liam Thomas Cosgrave          1965-1977
Garret Michael FitzGerald     1977-1987 (+2011)
Alan M. Dukes                 1987-1990
John Gerard Bruton            1990-2001
Michael Noonan                2001-2002
Enda Kenny                    2002-

Leaders of Labour Party

William Norton                1932-1960 (+1963)
Brendan Corish                1960-1977 (+1990)
Frank Cluskey                 1977-1981 (+1989)
Michael O'Leary               1981-1982 (+2006)
Richard (Dick) Spring         1982-1997
Ruairi Quinn                  1997-2002
Patrick (Pat) Rabitte         2002-2007       
Eamon Gilmore                 2007-

Leaders of Progressive Democrats

Desmond (Des) O'Malley        1985-1993
Mary Harney                   1993-2006
Michael McDowell              2006-2007
Mary Harney                   2007-2008
Ciarán Cannon                 2008-2009
Noel Grealish                 2009

The Progressive Democrats self-dissolved on 20 Nov 2009.

Presidents of Sinn Féin

Margaret Buckley              1937-1950 (+1962)
Pádraig Mac Lógáin            1950-1953 (+1964)
Tomás Ó Dubhghaill            1953-1954
Pádraig Mac Lógáin            1954-1962 (+1964)
Tomás Mac Giolla              1962-1970         
Ruairí Ó Brádaigh             1970-1983        
Gerard (Gerry) Adams          1983-

Sinn Féin, mirroring the developments occurred in the Irish Republican Army (IRA) some days before, split on 11 Jan 1970 in two parties, the Provisional Sinn Féin and an OFianna Fáilicial Sinn Féin. Subsequently, the Provisional Sinn Féin became the dominant party. The OFianna Fáilicial Sinn Féin under the leadership of Tomás MacGiolla changed its name to Sinn Féin-The Workers’ Party in 1977 and simply to Workers’ Party in 1982.

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