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Records of members of the Oireachtas

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This is a list of records relating to the Oireachtas, the national parliament of Ireland, which consists of the President of Ireland, and two Houses, Dáil Éireann, a house of representatives whose members are known as Teachtaí Dála or TDs, and Seanad Éireann, a senate whose members are known as senators.

The First Dáil consisted of the Sinn Féin MPs who were elected in the United Kingdom general election of 14 December 1918. They refused to attend the British House of Commons and instead assembled for the first time on 21 January 1919 in the Mansion House in Dublin as the revolutionary unicameral Dáil Éireann.

1,292 TDs have served in the Dáil between 1919 and 2018. The title Father of the Dáil is usually and unofficially conferred on the longest-serving member.

Longest-serving former TDs

[edit]

This is a list of former TDs who have served at least 30 years in the Dáil. Unless otherwise specified, start and end dates given are those of the relevant general election. Unless stated, the TD listed did not stand in the end-date election.

Name Party Elected
b – by-election
Vacated seat Dáil Service Notes
Paddy Smith Anti-Treaty Sinn Féin/ Fianna Fáil 1923 1977 53y 11m Cabinet minister
Frank Aiken Anti-Treaty Sinn Féin/ Fianna Fáil 1923 1973 49y 6m Longest-serving cabinet minister (1932–1948, 1951–1954, 1957–1969)
Neil Blaney Fianna Fáil/ Independent Fianna Fáil 1948 b Died on 8 November 1995 46y 11m Cabinet minister
Thomas McEllistrim Anti-Treaty Sinn Féin/ Fianna Fáil 1923 1969 45y 10m
Séamus Pattison Labour Party 1961 2007 45y 8m Ceann Comhairle (1997–2002)
Seán MacEntee Sinn Féin/ Fianna Fáil 1918 1969 45y 6m Did not serve between the general elections of 1922 and June 1927
James Ryan Sinn Féin/ Fianna Fáil 1918 1965 45y 2m Long-serving cabinet minister. Did not serve between the general elections of 1922 and 1923 (1y 2m)
Seán Lemass Anti-Treaty Sinn Féin/ Fianna Fáil 1924 b 1969 44y 7m Taoiseach (1959–1966)
James Everett Labour Party/ National Labour Party 1923 Died on 18 December 1967 44y 4m Cabinet minister; leader of the breakaway National Labour Party (1944–1950)
Enda Kenny Fine Gael 1975 b 2020 44y 2m Taoiseach (2011–2017)
Oliver J. Flanagan Fine Gael 1943 1987 43y 8m Cabinet minister
Martin Corry Fianna Fáil June 1927 1969 41y 10m
Patrick McGilligan Cumann na nGaedheal/ Fine Gael 1923 b 1965 41y 5m Attorney General (1954–1957)
Richard Mulcahy Sinn Féin/ Cumann na nGaedheal/ Fine Gael 1918 1961 41y Did not serve between general elections of 1937 and 1938, nor between those of 1943 and 1944
Éamon de Valera Sinn Féin/ Fianna Fáil 1918 Elected President in 1959 40y 6m Taoiseach and President of Ireland; first elected to Westminster at the June 1917 by-election
Cormac Breslin Fianna Fáil 1937 1977 40y Ceann Comhairle (1967–1973)
Patrick Hogan Labour Party 1923 Died on 24 January 1969 39y 8m Did not serve between the general elections of 1938 and 1943, nor between those of 1944 and 1948
Michael Noonan Fine Gael 1981 2020 38y 7m Cabinet minister. Leader of Fine Gael (2001–2002)
Gerald Boland Anti-Treaty Sinn Féin/ Fianna Fáil 1923 1961 38y 2m Long-serving cabinet minister
Liam Cosgrave Fine Gael 1943 1981 38y Taoiseach (1973–1977)
Dan Spring Labour Party/ National Labour Party 1943 1981 38y Member of the breakaway National Labour Party (1944–1950)
Ruairi Quinn Labour Party 1977 2016 38y Senator from 1981 to February 1982
Michael Kennedy Fianna Fáil June 1927 1965 37y 10m
Seán Brady Fianna Fáil September 1927 1965 37y 7m
Bob Briscoe Fianna Fáil September 1927 1965 37y 7m
James Dillon Centre Party/ Fine Gael/ Independent 1932 1969 37y 4m Leader of Fine Gael (1959–1965)
David Andrews Fianna Fáil 1965 2002 37y 1m
Ben Briscoe Fianna Fáil 1965 2002 37y 1m
Bobby Molloy Fianna Fáil/ Progressive Democrats 1965 2002 37y 1m Joined Progressive Democrats in 1986; previously Fianna Fáil
Brendan Corish Labour Party 1945 b February 1982 36y 2m Tánaiste (1973–1977)
Dan Breen Anti-Treaty Sinn Féin/ Fianna Fáil 1923 1965 35y 11m Did not serve between the general elections of June 1927 and 1932
Paddy Harte Fine Gael 1961 1997 35y 8m Father of the Dáil (1997–2007)
Charles Haughey Fianna Fáil 1957 1992 35y 8m Taoiseach (1979–1981, 1982, 1987–1992)
Seán Treacy Labour Party/ Independent 1961 1997 35y 8m Ceann Comhairle (1987–1997)
John A. Costello Fine Gael 1933 1969 35y 7m Did not serve between the general elections of 1943 and 1944. Taoiseach (1948–1951, 1954–1957)
Vivion de Valera Fianna Fáil 1945 b 1981 35y 7m Son of Éamon de Valera
John Bruton Fine Gael 1969 Resigned on 31 October 2004 35y 4m Taoiseach (1994–1997). Resigned as TD to become EU Ambassador to the United States
Erskine H. Childers Fianna Fáil 1938 Elected President in 1973 35y Tánaiste (1969–1973) and President of Ireland (1973–1974)
Frank Fahy Sinn Féin/ Fianna Fáil 1918 Died on 14 July 1953 34y 10m Ceann Comhairle (1932–1951)
Mícheál Ó Móráin Fianna Fáil 1938 1973 34y 8m Cabinet minister
Maurice E. Dockrell Fine Gael 1943 1977 34y 1m
Desmond O'Malley Fianna Fáil/ Progressive Democrats 1968 b 2002 34y Founder of the Progressive Democrats and cabinet minister
Dinny McGinley Fine Gael February 1982 2016 34y
Bertie Ahern Fianna Fáil 1977 2011 33y 8m Taoiseach (1997–2008)
Rory O'Hanlon Fianna Fáil 1977 2011 33y 8m Ceann Comhairle (2002–2007)
Jim O'Keeffe Fine Gael 1977 2011 33y 8m Cabinet minister
Michael Woods Fianna Fáil 1977 2011 33y 8m Cabinet minister
Daniel Morrissey Cumann na nGaedheal/ Fine Gael 1923 1957 33y 7m Cabinet minister
Jack Lynch Fianna Fáil 1948 1981 33y 4m Taoiseach (1966–1973, 1977–1979)
Seán Barrett Fine Gael 1981 2020 33y 4m Did not hold office between 2002 and 2007. Ceann Comhairle (2011–2016) and cabinet minister.
John Browne Fianna Fáil November 1982 2016 33y 3m
Séamus Kirk Fianna Fáil November 1982 2016 33y 3m Ceann Comhairle (2009–2011)
Gerald Bartley Fianna Fáil 1932 1965 33y 2m Cabinet minister
Seán Mac Eoin Cumann na nGaedheal/ Fine Gael 1932 1965 33y 2m Cabinet minister
Michael P. Kitt Fianna Fáil 1975 b 2016 32y 11m Senator from 1977 to 1981, and from 2002 to 2007
Noel Davern Fianna Fáil 1969 2007 32y 4m Did not serve from 11 June 1981 to 17 February 1987 (5y 8m)

Shortest-serving former TDs

[edit]

This is a list of former TDs who served for less than 1 year in the Dáil. Unless otherwise specified, start and end dates given are those of the relevant general election.

Name Party Elected
b = by-election
Vacated seat Months Notes
Kieran Doherty Anti H-Block 1981 Died on 2 August 1981 2m Died after 73 days on hunger strike; was a TD for 52 days
Malcolm Byrne Fianna Fáil November 2019 b Lost seat in February 2020 2m 71 days between election and defeat
Pierce McCan Sinn Féin 1918 Died in prison of influenza, 6 March 1919 3m The Westminster election was on 14 December 1918, but the First Dáil did not sit until 21 January 1919
Michael Carter Farmers' Party June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
Arthur Clery Independent June 1927 Did not contest September 1927 3m
Denis Cullen Labour June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
William Duffy National League June 1927 Did not contest September 1927 3m
Thomas Falvey Farmers' Party June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
Hugh Garahan Farmers' Party June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
John Gill Labour June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
Gilbert Hewson Independent June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
John Horgan National League June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
John Jinks National League June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
Gilbert Lynch Labour June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
Eugene Mullen Fianna Fáil June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
David O'Gorman Farmers' Party June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
Timothy Quill Labour June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
James Shannon Labour June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
Thomas Tynan Fianna Fáil June 1927 Lost seat in September 1927 3m
Frank Drohan Sinn Féin 1921 Resigned on 5 January 1922 7m Returned unopposed on 24 May 1921; the Second Dáil convened on 16 August 1921.
George Lee Fine Gael June 2009 b Resigned on 8 February 2010 8m
Carrie Acheson Fianna Fáil 1981 Lost seat in February 1982 9m
Paddy Agnew Anti H-Block 1981 Did not contest February 1982 9m
Carey Joyce Fianna Fáil 1981 Lost seat in February 1982 9m
Seán Dublin Bay Loftus Independent 1981 Lost seat in February 1982 9m
Hugh Kennedy Cumann na nGaedheal October 1923 b Resigned on 25 June 1924 9m Resigned to become Chief Justice of the Irish Free State
Thomas Bellew Fianna Fáil February 1982 Lost seat in November 1982 10m
Gerry Brady Fianna Fáil February 1982 Lost seat in November 1982 10m
Ned Brennan Fianna Fáil February 1982 Lost seat in November 1982 10m
Jim Corr Fine Gael February 1982 Did not contest November 1982 10m
Henry Coyle Cumann na nGaedheal 1923 Disqualified on 9 May 1924 10m Sentenced to three years' imprisonment for bouncing cheques
Alexis FitzGerald Jnr Fine Gael February 1982 Lost seat in November 1982 10m
Patrick Gallagher Sinn Féin The Workers' Party February 1982 Lost seat in November 1982 10m
Thomas O'Mahony Cumann na nGaedheal 1923 Died on 20 July 1924 11m
Richard Stapleton Labour 1943 Lost seat in 1944 11m

The following were eligible for membership of the Dáil, but as Unionists, they did not recognise it. Those elected to Westminster in 1918 were eligible for the First Dáil.[1]

Name Party Elected Vacated Westminster seat Months Notes
Hugh Anderson Irish Unionist 1918 Resignation in 1919 < 3m By-election was held on 4 March 1919
Robert McCalmont Irish Unionist 1918 Appointment as Commander of the Irish Guards in 1919 < 6m By-election was held on 27 May 1919
Arthur Samuels Irish Unionist 1918 Appointment to the King's Bench in 1919 < 8m By-election was held on 28 July 1919

Current office-holders, longest service in the Oireachtas

[edit]

This is a list of current members of the Oireachtas who have served for at least 20 years, with continuous or broken service. Unless otherwise specified, start dates given are those of the relevant election.

Name Party Office First elected/appointed
b = by-election
Years/Months
(as of 10 November 2024)
Notes
Michael D. Higgins Labour
  • Senator
  • TD
  • President
1973 46 years, 3 month(s)
(as of Oct 2024)
Current President of Ireland
Did not hold office between 1977 and 1981, and February and November 2011
Bernard Durkan Fine Gael
  • TD
  • Senator
1981 43 years, 4 months Senator from February 1982 to November 1982
Richard Bruton Fine Gael
  • Senator
  • TD
1981 43 years, 1 month Senator from October 1981 to February 1982. Father of the Dáil.
Willie O'Dea Fianna Fáil TD February 1982 42 years, 8 months Father of the Dáil
Brendan Howlin Labour
  • Senator
  • TD
1983 41 years, 8 months Senator from 1983 to 1987
Michael Lowry Independent TD 1987 37 years, 8 months
Micheál Martin Fianna Fáil TD 1989 35 years, 4 months Leader of Fianna Fáil
Éamon Ó Cuív Fianna Fáil
  • Senator
  • TD
1989 35 years, 1 month Senator from 1989 to 1992
Charles Flanagan Fine Gael TD 1987 32 years, 5 month(s)
(as of Oct 2024)
Did not hold office between 2002 and 2007
Seán Haughey Fianna Fáil
  • Senator
  • TD
1987 32 years, 3 month(s)
(as of Oct 2024)
Senator from 1987 to 1992. Did not hold office between February 2011 and February 2016.
Róisín Shortall Social Democrats TD 1992 31 years, 11 months Overtook Mary Harney in August 2022 as longest-serving female TD.
Brendan Smith Fianna Fáil TD 1992 31 years, 11 months
Paddy Burke Fine Gael Senator 1993 31 years, 8 months Cathaoirleach (2011–2016)
Michael Ring Fine Gael TD 1994 b 30 years, 5 months
Michael Creed Fine Gael TD 1989 30 years, 2 month(s)
(as of Oct 2024)
Did not hold office between May 2002 and May 2007
Denis O'Donovan Fianna Fáil
  • Senator
  • TD
1989 30 years, 0 month(s)
(as of Oct 2024)
Did not hold office between December 1992 and September 1997
Denis Naughten Independent
  • Senator
  • TD
1997 27 years, 9 months Senator from January to June 1997
John McGuinness Fianna Fáil TD 1997 27 years, 5 months
David Stanton Fine Gael TD 1997 27 years, 5 months
Michael Moynihan Fianna Fáil TD 1997 27 years, 5 months
Seán Fleming Fianna Fáil TD 1997 27 years, 5 months
Fergus O'Dowd Fine Gael
  • Senator
  • TD
1997 27 years, 1 month Senator from 1997 to 2002
Simon Coveney Fine Gael TD 1998 b 26 years
Seán Ó Fearghaíl Fianna Fáil
  • Senator
  • TD
2000 b 24 years, 4 months Senator from 2000 to 2002
Damien English Fine Gael TD 2002 22 years, 5 months
Noel Grealish Independent TD 2002 22 years, 5 months
Paul Kehoe Fine Gael TD 2002 22 years, 5 months
Aengus Ó Snodaigh Sinn Féin TD 2002 22 years, 5 months
John Paul Phelan Fine Gael
  • Senator
  • TD
2002 22 years, 1 month Senator from 2002 to 2011
Marc MacSharry Fianna Fáil
  • Senator
  • TD
2002 22 years, 1 month Senator from 2002 to 2016
Timmy Dooley Fianna Fáil
  • TD
  • Senator
2002 21 years, 8 months
(as of Oct 2024)
Senator from 2002 to 2007, and since 2020. TD from 2007 to 2020

Longest-serving Senators

[edit]

This is a list of current and former senators who have served for at least 20 years in the Seanad, including both the Free State Seanad and the Seanad established under the 1937 Constitution. There was a 22-month gap between the abolition of the Free State Seanad in 1936 and the inauguration in 1938 of the 2nd Seanad, the first incarnation of the new body.

  •   denotes serving senator
Name Party First elected Vacated seat Years/Months Notes
David Norris Independent 25 April 1987 22 January 2024 36 years, 8 months Resigned seat
Henry Barniville Fine Gael 6 December 1922 23 September 1960 35 years, 11 months Service interrupted by the abolition of the Free State Seanad
Paddy Burke Fine Gael 17 February 1993 Incumbent 31 years, 8 months
Margaret Mary Pearse Fianna Fáil 27 April 1938 7 November 1968 30 years, 6 months
Denis O'Donovan Fianna Fáil 1 November 1989 Incumbent 30 years, 0 months
(as of Oct 2024)
Did not serve in 20th or 22nd Seanad
Eoin Ryan Snr Fianna Fáil 22 May 1957 3 April 1987 29 years, 10 months
Liam Ó Buachalla Fianna Fáil 7 October 1939 24 July 1969 29 years, 9 months
Shane Ross Independent 8 October 1981 26 February 2011 29 years, 4 months
James G. Douglas Independent 6 December 1922 16 September 1954 28 years, 9 months Service interrupted by the abolition of the Free State Seanad;
Did not serve in 4th Seanad
Rory Kiely Fianna Fáil 27 October 1977 22 July 2007 28 years, 9 months Did not serve in 16th Seanad
Patrick McGowan Fianna Fáil 23 June 1965 3 October 1999 28 years, 5 months Did not serve in 15th, 16th and 17th Seanad
Des Hanafin Fianna Fáil 5 November 1969 26 June 2002 27 years, 10 months Did not serve in 20th Seanad
William Ryan Fianna Fáil 14 December 1961 5 July 1989 27 years, 6 months
Michael Hayes Fine Gael 27 April 1938 28 April 1965 27 years
Charles McDonald Fine Gael 14 December 1961 17 December 1992 26 years, 4 months Did not serve in 13th Seanad
Paschal Mooney Fianna Fáil 25 April 1987 April 2016 26 years, 4 months Did not serve 2y, 6m from July 2007 to January 2010
John Counihan Independent 6 December 1922 25 July 1951 26 years, 3 months Did not serve in 2nd Seanad
Thomas Ruane Fianna Fáil 6 December 1934 28 April 1965 25 years, 9 months Service interrupted by the abolition of the Free State Seanad;
Did not serve in 4th and 6th Seanad
Patrick O'Reilly Fianna Fáil 18 August 1944 24 July 1969 24 years, 11 months
Seán O'Donovan Fianna Fáil 27 April 1938 24 July 1969 24 years, 10 months Did not serve in 6th and 8th Seanad
Mick Lanigan Fianna Fáil 27 October 1977 26 June 2002 24 years, 7 months
Joe O'Toole Independent 25 April 1987 29 April 2011 24 years
Donie Cassidy Fianna Fáil 13 May 1982 29 April 2011 24 years Did not serve in 22nd Seanad from 2002 to 2007
Feargal Quinn Independent 17 February 1993 April 2016 23 years, 2 months
James Parkinson Fine Gael 6 December 1922 31 July 1947 22 years, 9 months Service interrupted by the abolition of the Free State Seanad
Paul Coghlan Fine Gael 20 September 1997 27 March 2020 22 years, 6 months
Patrick Baxter Clann na Talmhan 6 December 1934 3 April 1959 22 years, 5 months Service interrupted by the abolition of the Free State Seanad
John Butler Labour 27 April 1938 28 April 1965 22 years, 3 months Did not serve in 9th Seanad
Diarmuid Wilson Fianna Fáil 12 September 2002 Incumbent 22 years, 1 month
Seán Hayes Fianna Fáil 27 April 1938 28 April 1965 22 years, 2 months Did not serve in 4th and 6th Seanad
William O'Callaghan Independent 27 April 1938 1 September 1961 22 years, 2 months Did not serve in 4th Seanad
James Tunney Labour 27 April 1938 1 September 1961 22 years, 2 months Did not serve in 4th Seanad
Thomas Foran Labour 28 November 1923 12 March 1948 22 years Did not serve in 2nd Seanad
Patrick Fitzsimons Independent 21 April 1948 30 March 1973 22 years Did not serve in 8th Seanad
Peter Lynch Independent 7 September 1938 1 September 1961 22 years
Sir John Keane Independent 6 December 1922 12 March 1948 21 years, 10 months Did not serve in 1934–1936 Seanad
Francis O'Brien Fianna Fáil 1 October 1989 29 April 2011 21 years, 7 months
William Quirke Independent 6 December 1931 5 March 1955 21 years, 4 months Service interrupted by the abolition of the Free State Seanad
William Bedell Stanford Independent 21 April 1948 24 July 1969 21 years, 3 months
Michael Yeats Fianna Fáil 14 August 1951 12 March 1980 21 years Did not serve in 8th and 9th Seanad
James Dooge Fine Gael 14 December 1961 3 April 1987 20 years, 10 months Did not serve in 14th Seanad
Micheál Prendergast Fine Gael 22 July 1954 26 May 1977 20 years, 9 months Did not serve from March 1973 to April 1975
Brian Mullooly Fianna Fáil 8 October 1981 26 June 2002 20 years, 8 months
Brendan Ryan Independent 13 May 1982 22 July 2007 20 years, 5 months Did not serve in 20th Seanad
Eddie Bohan Fianna Fáil 25 April 1987 22 July 2007 20 years, 2 months
Don Lydon Fianna Fáil 25 April 1987 22 July 2007 20 years, 2 months
Bernard McGlinchey Fianna Fáil 14 December 1961 21 December 1982 20 years, 2 months Did not serve in 15th Seanad
Patrick Quinlan Independent 22 May 1957 26 May 1977 20 years

Oldest living former office-holders

[edit]

Aged 85 or older:

Name Office(s) held Date of birth Age Year retired
Tom Fitzpatrick TD 29 July 1926 98 years, 3 months 1982
Patrick Norton TD / Senator 1928 95 years, 10 months+ 1973
Patrick Cooney TD / Senator / MEP 2 March 1931 93 years, 8 months 1994
Gerard Lynch TD / Senator 15 June 1931 93 years, 4 months 1981
Eileen Lemass TD / MEP 7 July 1932 92 years, 4 months 1989
Roger Garland TD February 1933 91 years, 8 months+ 1992
Liam Hyland TD / Senator / MEP 23 April 1933 91 years, 6 months 2004
Tom Raftery Senator / MEP 15 August 1933 91 years, 2 months 1993
Jim Corr TD 25 January 1934 90 years, 9 months 1982
Rory O'Hanlon TD 7 February 1934 90 years, 9 months 2011
Robert Fausset Senator 8 August 1934 90 years, 3 months 1982
Catherine McGuinness Senator 14 November 1934 89 years, 11 months 1987
Ann Ormonde Senator 20 January 1935 89 years, 9 months 2011
Bríd Rodgers Senator 20 February 1935 89 years, 8 months 2002
Brian Mullooly Senator 21 February 1935 89 years, 8 months 2002
David Andrews TD 15 March 1935 89 years, 7 months 2002
Barry Desmond TD 15 May 1935 89 years, 5 months 1994
Charles McDonald TD / Senator / MEP 11 June 1935 89 years, 4 months 1993
Brendan Griffin TD 28 August 1935 89 years, 2 months 1989
Michael Woods TD 8 December 1935 88 years, 11 months 2011
Camilla Hannon Senator 21 July 1936 88 years, 3 months 1982
Máirín Quill TD / Senator 15 September 1936 88 years, 1 month 2002
Barry Cogan TD / Senator 27 September 1936 88 years, 1 month 1982
Matt Brennan TD 16 October 1936 88 years 2002
Jim Fitzsimons TD / MEP 16 December 1936 87 years, 10 months 2004
John Donnellan TD 27 March 1937 87 years, 7 months 1989
Donal Carey TD 15 October 1937 87 years 2002
Paddy O'Toole TD / Senator 15 January 1938 86 years, 9 months 1987
Mick Lanigan Senator 30 January 1938 86 years, 9 months 2002
Ray MacSharry TD 29 April 1938 86 years, 6 months 1988
Gerry Collins TD / MEP 16 October 1938 86 years 2004
Gemma Hussey TD / Senator 11 November 1938 85 years, 11 months 1989

Oldest ever office-holders

[edit]

Office holders aged 75 or older:

Name Office Age Year retired
Éamon de Valera President Retired aged 90 1973
Gerald Boland Senator Retired aged 84 1969
Michael D. Higgins President In office aged 83 years, 6 months
Seán MacEntee TD Retired aged 80 1969
Maurice Hayes Senator Retired aged 80 2007
Charles Fagan TD Retired aged 80 1961
David Norris Senator Retired aged 79 2024
Jackie Healy-Rae TD Retired aged 79 2011
Feargal Quinn Senator Retired aged 79 2016
Bernard Durkan TD In office aged 79 years, 7 months
James Ryan Senator Retired aged 77 1969
Seán T. O'Kelly President Retired aged 77 1959
P. J. Sheehan TD Retired aged 77 2011
Rory O'Hanlon TD Retired aged 77 2011
Paddy Smith TD Retired aged 76 1977
Ann Ormonde Senator Lost seat aged 76 2011
Labhrás Ó Murchú Senator Retired aged 76 2016
Michael Noonan TD Retired aged 76 2020
Fergus O'Dowd TD In office aged 76 years, 2 months
Paul Coghlan Senator Retired aged 75 2020
Seán Barrett TD Retired aged 75 2020

Youngest ever office-holders

[edit]
Name Office Age on election Year elected
William J. Murphy TD 21y 1m 1949
Joseph Sweeney TD 21y 6m 1918
Lorcan Allen TD 21y 6m 1961
Kathleen O'Connor TD 21y 7m 1956
Ivan Yates TD 21y 8m 1981
Mary Coughlan TD 21y 9m 1987
John Bruton TD 22y 1m 1969
Paddy Smith TD 22y 2m 1923
Miriam Kearney Senator 22y 3m 1981
Myra Barry TD 22y 4m 1979
Síle de Valera TD 22y 6m 1977
Kathryn Reilly Senator 22y 7m 2011
James O'Connor TD 22y 7m 2020
Oliver J. Flanagan TD 23y 1m 1943
Liam Cosgrave TD 23y 2m 1943

Longest surviving cabinet members

[edit]
Government Members
Brugha (1919) Richard Mulcahy (died 1971)
De Valera (1919–1921) Éamon de Valera (died 1975)
De Valera (1921–1922)
Griffith (1922) Michael Hayes (died 1976)
Collins (1922)
Cosgrave (1922) Ernest Blythe (died 1975)
Cosgrave (1922–1923)
Cosgrave (1923–1927) Patrick McGilligan (died 1979)
Cosgrave (1927)
Cosgrave (1927–1930)
Cosgrave (1930–1932)
De Valera (1932–1933) Seán MacEntee (died 1984)
De Valera (1933–1937)
De Valera (1937)
De Valera (1937–1938)
De Valera (1938–1943)
De Valera (1943–1944)
De Valera (1944–1948)
Costello (1948–1951) Noël Browne (died 1997)
De Valera (1951–1954) Seán MacEntee (died 1984)
Costello (1954–1957) Liam Cosgrave (died 2017)
De Valera (1957–1959) Kevin Boland (died 2001)
Lemass (1959–1961) Patrick Hillery (died 2008)
Lemass (1961–1965)
Lemass (1965–1966)
Lynch (1966–1969) Pádraig Faulkner (died 2012)
Lynch (1969–1973) Gerry Collins
Cosgrave (1973–1977) Patrick Cooney
Lynch (1977–1979) Gerry Collins
Haughey (1979–1981) Ray Burke, Gerry Collins, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Ray MacSharry, Michael Woods
FitzGerald (1981–1982) Patrick Cooney, Alan Dukes, Paddy O'Toole
Haughey (1982) Ray Burke, Gerry Collins, Pádraig Flynn, Ray MacSharry, Michael Woods

Longest surviving Dáil members

[edit]
Dáil Election Members
1st Dáil 1918 Seán MacEntee (died 1984)
2nd Dáil 1921 Tom Maguire (died 1993)
3rd Dáil 1922
4th Dáil 1923
5th Dáil 1927 (June) Seán MacEntee (died 1984)
6th Dáil 1927 (Sept)
7th Dáil 1932 James Dillon (died 1986)
8th Dáil 1933 James McGuire (died 1989)
9th Dáil 1937 James Dillon (died 1986)
10th Dáil 1938
11th Dáil 1943 Liam Cosgrave (died 2017)
12th Dáil 1944
13th Dáil 1948 William J. Murphy (died 2018)
14th Dáil 1951 Liam Cosgrave (died 2017)
15th Dáil 1954 Patrick Byrne (died 2021)
16th Dáil 1957 Brigid Hogan (died 2022)
17th Dáil 1961 Lorcan Allen, John Donnellan
18th Dáil 1965 Lorcan Allen, David Andrews, John Donnellan,
Thomas J. Fitzpatrick, Patrick Norton

Longest lived former office-holders

[edit]

Aged 90 or more at time of death:

Name Date of birth Date of death Age
Philip Brady 10 June 1893 6 January 1995 101 years, 6 months
Eddie Filgate 16 September 1915 19 January 2017 101 years, 4 months
Tom Maguire 28 March 1892 5 July 1993 101 years, 3 months
T. K. Whitaker 8 December 1916 9 January 2017 100 years, 1 month
Edward MacLysaght 6 November 1887 4 March 1986 98 years, 3 months
Tom Fitzpatrick 29 July 1926 98 years, 3 months
Seán Ó Ceallaigh 17 April 1896 15 June 1994 98 years, 1 month
Domhnall Ua Buachalla 5 February 1866 30 October 1963 97 years, 8 months
Liam Cosgrave 13 April 1920 4 October 2017 97 years, 5 months
Matthew Stafford 1852 12 June 1950 97 years, 5 months+
Patrick Byrne 2 April 1925 19 October 2021 96 years, 6 months
George Noble Plunkett 3 December 1851 12 March 1948 96 years, 3 months
Patrick Norton 1928 95 years, 10 months
Séamus Dolan 10 December 1914 10 August 2010 95 years, 8 months
Thomas Finlay 17 September 1922 3 December 2017 95 years, 2 months
John A. Murphy 17 January 1927 28 February 2022 95 years, 1 month
Thomas Westropp Bennett 30 January 1867 1 February 1962 95 years
Jimmy Leonard 5 June 1927 13 April 2022 94 years, 10 months
Seán Treacy 23 September 1923 23 March 2018 94 years, 6 months
Kathleen Clarke 11 April 1878 29 September 1972 94 years, 5 months
Robert Barton 4 March 1881 10 August 1975 94 years, 5 months
Joseph Farrell 1 July 1905 24 November 1999 94 years, 4 months
Seán MacEntee 22 August 1889 10 January 1984 94 years, 4 months
William McMullen 22 July 1888 12 December 1982 94 years, 4 months
Pádraig Faulkner 12 March 1918 1 June 2012 94 years, 2 months
Jack Harte 10 December 1920 9 March 2015 94 years, 2 months
Tom O'Donnell 30 August 1926 8 October 2020 94 years, 1 month
Hugh Conaghan 6 May 1926 25 March 2020 93 years, 10 months
Tras Honan 4 January 1930 25 November 2023 93 years, 10 months
Richard Barry 4 September 1919 28 April 2013 93 years, 7 months
Patrick Cooney 2 March 1931 93 years, 8 months
Tony Herbert 9 August 1920 6 March 2014 93 years, 6 months
Patrick Finucane 5 December 1890 10 April 1984 93 years, 4 months
Gerard Lynch 15 June 1931 93 years, 4 months
Denis Cullen 23 September 1878 26 November 1971 93 years, 2 months
Peadar O'Donnell 22 February 1893 13 May 1986 93 years, 2 months
Donal Creed 7 September 1924 23 November 2017 93 years, 2 months
Sam McAughtry 24 March 1921 28 March 2014 93 years
Kit Ahern 13 January 1915 27 December 2007 92 years, 11 months
Éamon de Valera 14 October 1882 29 August 1975 92 years, 10 months
William Sheldon 18 January 1907 1 November 1999 92 years, 9 months
Charles Fagan 1 October 1881 8 May 1974 92 years, 7 months
Ted Russell 1 April 1912 28 November 2004 92 years, 7 months
Joseph Dowling 2 February 1922 31 May 2014 92 years, 3 months
Eileen Lemass 7 July 1932 92 years, 4 months
Patrick O'Reilly 1911 March 2003 92 years+
Patrick Shanahan 10 March 1908 1 February 2000 91 years, 10 months
Andy O'Brien 21 January 1915 4 December 2006 91 years, 10 months
Kieran Crotty 30 August 1930 22 July 2022 91 years, 10 months
Roger Garland February 1933 91 years, 9 months
Eileen Costello 27 June 1870 4 March 1962 91 years, 8 months
John N. Ross 17 May 1920 24 December 2011 91 years, 7 months
Robert Malachy Burke 1 March 1907 20 September 1998 91 years, 6 months
Liam Hyland 23 April 1933 91 years, 6 months
Peter Sands 1 May 1924 17 October 2015 91 years, 5 months
Séamus de Brún 1 October 1911 5 March 2003 91 years, 5 months
Hugh Gibbons 6 July 1916 13 November 2007 91 years, 4 months
Thomas Meaney 11 August 1931 26 December 2022 91 years, 4 months
Tom Raftery 15 August 1933 91 years, 2 months
Jackie Fahey 23 January 1928 18 March 2019 91 years, 1 month
Conor Cruise O'Brien 3 November 1917 18 December 2008 91 years, 1 month
Edward McGuire 28 August 1901 27 October 1992 91 years, 1 month
Richard Conroy 12 September 1933 14 October 2024 91 years, 1 month
Bryan Cusack 2 August 1882 24 May 1973 90 years, 9 months
Jim Corr 25 January 1934 90 years, 9 months
Thomas Johnson 17 May 1872 17 January 1963 90 years, 8 months
Rory O'Hanlon 7 February 1934 90 years, 9 months
Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins 10 March 1932 2 November 2022 90 years, 7 months
Patrick McGilligan 12 April 1889 15 November 1979 90 years, 7 months
Dominick Murphy 1918 1 June 2009 90 years, 5 months+
Maurice Hayes 8 July 1927 23 December 2017 90 years, 5 months
William J. Murphy 17 May 1928 18 September 2018 90 years, 4 months
Margaret Mary Pearse 24 August 1878 7 November 1968 90 years, 2 months
Michael D'Arcy 7 March 1934 1 May 2024 90 years, 1 month
Richie Ryan 27 February 1929 17 March 2019 90 years
John Griffith 5 October 1848 21 October 1938 90 years
Patrick Lalor 21 July 1926 29 July 2016 90 years

Shortest lived office-holders

[edit]

Aged 40 or younger at time of death:

Name Date of birth Date of death Age Cause of death
Kieran Doherty 16 October 1955 2 August 1981 25y Hunger strike
Liam Mellows 25 May 1895 8 December 1922 27y 6m Execution during the Irish Civil War
Michael Collins 16 October 1890 22 August 1922 31y 10m Shot during the Irish Civil War
Don Davern 4 March 1935 2 November 1968 33y 7m Sudden illness
Michael Derham 1889 20 November 1923 34y 10m- Sudden illness
Kevin O'Higgins 7 June 1892 10 July 1927 35y 1m Assassinated by former Civil War opponents
Séamus Dwyer 15 November 1886 20 December 1922 36y 1m Assassinated during the Irish Civil War
Billy Fox 3 January 1939 12 March 1974 35y 2m Assassinated during the Troubles
Harry Boland 27 April 1887 31 July 1922 35y 3m Shot during the Irish Civil War
Frank Carney 25 April 1896 19 October 1932 36y 5m Ill-health
Pierce McCan 2 August 1882 6 March 1919 36y 7m Influenza epidemic
Séamus Ryan 6 December 1895 30 June 1933 37y 6m Sudden illness
Thomas A. Finlay 11 October 1893 22 November 1932 39y 1m Typhoid fever
A. P. Byrne 12 June 1913 26 July 1952 39y 1m
Sir Osmond Esmonde 4 April 1896 22 July 1936 40y 3m Sudden illness
Clement Coughlan 14 August 1942 1 February 1983 40y 5m Traffic accident

Members who died in office

[edit]

Longest-serving cabinet ministers (in same office)

[edit]
Name Office Years
Seán Lemass Minister for Industry and Commerce 19 years, 2 months
Éamon de Valera Minister for External Affairs 15 years, 11 months
Frank Aiken Minister for External Affairs 15 years, 3 months
James Ryan Minister for Agriculture 14 years, 10 months
Thomas Derrig Minister for Education 14 years, 1 month
Gerald Boland Minister for Justice 11 years, 4 months
Oscar Traynor Minister for Defence 11 years, 4 months
Seán MacEntee Minister for Finance 10 years, 5 months

Shortest-serving cabinet ministers

[edit]

This table lists the shortest periods that a member of government held a particular ministerial office. In some of these cases, the minister held it as well as another ministerial office, being appointed after the resignation of another member of government. Acting Ministers are not listed. Jim McDaid, who was proposed as Minister for Defence on 13 November 1991, but whose name was withdrawn later that day, is not included.[2][3]

Name Office Length Term of Office Notes
Bertie Ahern Minister for Industry and Commerce 8 days 4 January 1993 12 January 1993 Following nomination of Pádraig Flynn as European Commissioner
Brian Cowen Minister for Energy 11 days 12 January 1993 20 January 1993 Prior to reconfiguration of government departments
Frank Aiken Minister for Agriculture 11 days 16 November 1957 27 November 1957 Following death of Seán Moylan
Barry Cowen Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 17 days 27 June 2020 14 July 2020 Sacked as minister
Kevin O'Higgins Minister for Foreign Affairs 17 days 23 June 1927 10 July 1927 Died in office
Arthur Griffith Minister for Foreign Affairs 17 days 26 July 1922 12 August 1922 Died in office
Thomas Derrig Minister for Posts and Telegraphs 19 days 8 September 1939 27 September 1939
Seán T. O'Kelly Minister for Education 19 days 8 September 1939 27 September 1939
Paddy Power Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism 20 days 7 October 1982 27 October 1982 Following resignation of Desmond O'Malley
Erskine Childers Director of Propaganda 20 days 12 February 1921 8 March 1921
John Wilson Minister for Communications 27 days 10 March 1987 31 March 1987 Prior to reconfiguration of government departments
Bertie Ahern Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht 27 days 18 November 1994 15 December 1994 Following resignation of Michael D. Higgins
Charlie McCreevy Minister for Enterprise and Employment 27 days 18 November 1994 15 December 1994 Following resignation of Ruairi Quinn
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn Minister for Equality and Law Reform 27 days 18 November 1994 15 December 1994 Following resignation of Mervyn Taylor
Michael Smith Minister for Education 27 days 18 November 1994 15 December 1994 Following resignation of Niamh Bhreathnach
Michael Woods Minister for Health 27 days 18 November 1994 15 December 1994 Following resignation of Brendan Howlin
Dara Calleary Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 38 days 15 July 2020 21 August 2020 Resignation

People appointed to cabinet at the start of their first term as TD

[edit]
Name Office Date
Noël Browne Minister for Health February 1948
Kevin Boland Minister for Defence March 1957
Martin O'Donoghue Minister for Economic Planning and Development July 1977
Alan Dukes Minister for Agriculture June 1981
Niamh Bhreathnach Minister for Education January 1993
Katherine Zappone Minister for Children and Youth Affairs May 2016
Norma Foley Minister for Education June 2020
Roderic O'Gorman Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth June 2020

People appointed as Minister of State at the start of their first term as TD

[edit]
Name Office[a] Date
John O'Donovan Parliamentary Secretary to the Government June 1954
John M. Kelly Government Chief Whip
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence
March 1973
Mary Flaherty Minister of State for Poverty and the Family June 1981
Dick Spring Minister of State for Law Reform June 1981
Ted Nealon Minister of State for Western Development June 1981
Joan Burton Minister of State for Poverty January 1993
Eithne FitzGerald Minister of State for the National Development Plan January 1993
Tim O'Malley Minister of State for Mental Health Services and Food Safety June 2002
Ciarán Cannon Minister of State for Training and Skills March 2011
Alan Kelly Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport March 2011
Seán Canney Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief May 2016
Ossian Smyth Minister of State for Public Procurement and eGovernment July 2020
Malcolm Noonan Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform July 2020

Senators appointed to cabinet

[edit]
Name Office Date Government
Joseph Connolly Minister for Posts and Telegraphs March 1932 6th Exec. Council
Minister for Lands and Fisheries February 1933 7th Exec. Council
Seán Moylan Minister for Agriculture May 1957 8th government
James Dooge Minister for Foreign Affairs October 1981 17th government

Oldest person currently in office

[edit]

Politicians born before 1954:

Name Office Date of birth Age as of 10 November 2024
Michael D. Higgins President 18 April 1941 83 years, 6 months
Bernard Durkan TD 26 March 1945 79 years, 7 months
Fergus O'Dowd TD 1 September 1948 76 years, 2 months
Éamon Ó Cuív TD 23 June 1950 74 years, 4 months
Ned O'Sullivan Senator 25 November 1950 73 years, 11 months
Michael McDowell Senator 1 May 1951 73 years, 6 months
Willie O'Dea TD 1 November 1952 72 years

Youngest person currently in office

[edit]

Politicians born since 1984:

Name Office Date of birth Age as of 10 November 2024
James O'Connor TD 20 June 1997 27 years, 4 months
Claire Kerrane TD 24 April 1992 32 years, 6 months
Fintan Warfield Senator 16 March 1992 32 years, 7 months
Jack Chambers TD 21 November 1990 33 years, 11 months
John McGahon Senator 20 November 1990 33 years, 11 months
Mairéad Farrell TD 6 January 1990 34 years, 10 months
Eileen Flynn Senator 1990 34 years, 10 months
Holly Cairns TD 4 November 1989 35 years
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD 8 February 1989 35 years, 9 months
Annie Hoey Senator 3 October 1988 36 years, 1 month
John Cummins Senator 29 June 1988 36 years, 4 months
Violet-Anne Wynne TD 30 March 1987 37 years, 7 months
Gary Gannon TD 18 February 1987 37 years, 8 months
Simon Harris TD 17 October 1986 38 years
Lisa Chambers Senator 24 August 1986 38 years, 2 months
Helen McEntee TD 8 June 1986 38 years, 5 months
Lynn Ruane Senator 20 October 1984 40 years
Pádraig O'Sullivan TD 11 May 1984 40 years, 5 months

Members of the current government by age

[edit]
Name Date of birth Age as of 10 November 2024
Micheál Martin 1 August 1960 64 years, 3 months
Heather Humphreys 1960 64 years, 1 month
Eamon Ryan 28 July 1963 61 years, 3 months
Norma Foley 1970 54 years, 10 months
Catherine Martin 7 December 1972 51 years, 11 months
Darragh O'Brien 8 July 1974 50 years, 4 months
Paschal Donohoe 19 September 1974 50 years, 1 month
Stephen Donnelly 14 December 1975 48 years, 10 months
Patrick O'Donovan 21 March 1977 47 years, 7 months
Charlie McConalogue 4 October 1977 47 years, 1 month
Roderic O'Gorman 12 December 1981 42 years, 10 months
Peter Burke 22 October 1982 42 years
Helen McEntee 8 June 1986 38 years, 5 months
Simon Harris 17 October 1986 38 years
Jack Chambers 21 November 1990 33 years, 11 months

Longest service (cumulative)

[edit]
Name Office(s) Years
Éamon de Valera TD / President 55
Paddy Smith TD 54
Frank Aiken TD 50
James Ryan TD / Senator 50
Neil Blaney TD / MEP 47
Gerald Boland TD / Senator 46

Married couples/Domestic partners in the same Oireachtas

[edit]
Couple Oireachtas Notes[b]
Michael O'Higgins Brigid Hogan-O'Higgins 16th, 17th and 18th Dáil Married in 1958 when both were members of the 16th Dáil
Alexis FitzGerald Jnr Mary Flaherty 23rd Dáil and 15th Seanad; 24th Dáil and 17th Seanad Married couple
Joe McHugh Olwyn Enright 29th Dáil and 22nd Seanad; 30th Dáil Married in 2005 when they were a Senator and TD respectively
Paul Bradford Lucinda Creighton 24th Seanad and 31st Dáil Married in 2013 when they were a Senator and TD respectively
Martin McAleese Mary McAleese 24th Seanad and President of Ireland Married couple
Francis Noel Duffy Catherine Martin 33rd Dáil Married couple
Eoin Ó Broin Lynn Boylan 33rd Dáil and 26th Seanad Domestic partners

Members of both the British Parliament and of the Oireachtas

[edit]

This lists those with a separate mandate to the Oireachtas and the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and therefore does not include members of the 1st Dáil.

Name Parliament of the United Kingdom Oireachtas
Gerry Adams MP 1983–1992 TD 2011–2020
MP 1997–2011
Dermot Bourke, 7th Earl of Mayo Peer 1890–1927R Senator 19221927
P. J. Brady MP 1910–1918 Senator 19271928
Alfie Byrne MP 1915–1918 TD 1922–1928
TD 1932–1956
Senator 19281931
James Campbell, later Lord Glenavy MP 1898–1900 Senator 19221928 (Cathaoirleach)
MP 1903–1917
Peer 1921–1931H
Bryan Cooper MP 1910 TD 1923–1930
James Cosgrave MP 1914–1918 TD 1923–1927
William Duffy MP 1900–1918 TD 1927
Sir John Esmonde MP 1915–1918 TD 1937–1944
Sir Thomas Esmonde MP 1885–1918 Senator 19221934
Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard Peer 1889–1948H Senator 19221934
Laurence Ginnell MP 1906–1918 TD 1918–1923
Benjamin Guinness, 3rd Earl of Iveagh Peer 1967–1992H Senator 19731977 (Nominated by the Taoiseach)
Edward Haughey, later Lord Ballyedmond Peer 2004–2014L Senator 19942002 (Nominated by the Taoiseach)
Ralph Howard, 7th Earl of Wicklow Peer 1905–1946R Senator 19221928
Hugh Law MP 1902–1918 TD 1927–1932
Elisha McCallion MP 2017–2019 Senator 2020 (Industrial and Commercial Panel)
Seamus Mallon MP 1986–2005 Senator 19821983 (Nominated by the Taoiseach)
James O'Mara MP 1900–1907 TD 1918–1921
TD 1924–1927
Stephen O'Mara MP 1886 Senator 19251926
Earl of Kerry, later Marquess of Lansdowne MP 1908–1918 Senator 19221929
Peer 1927–1936H
Horace Plunkett MP 1892–1900 Senator 19221923
William Redmond MP 1910–1922 TD 1923–1932
Geoffrey Taylour, 4th Marquess of Headfort Peer 1894–1943H Senator 19221928
Windham Wyndham-Quin,
4th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl
Peer 1871–1926H Senator 19221926

Notes:

R Sat as an Irish representative peer under the Act of Union 1800
H Sat as an Hereditary peer
L Sat as a Life peer

Diversity records

[edit]

Women

[edit]

Religion

[edit]
  • First Jewish Senator – Ellen Cuffe, appointed to the Irish Free State Seanad Éireann as an independent member (1922–1931)
  • First Jewish TD – Robert Briscoe, Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin South (1932–1948) and Dublin South-West (1948–1961)
  • First openly atheist TD – Jim Kemmy, Democratic Socialist Party/Labour Party TD for Limerick East 1981–1982 and 1987–1997
  • First Muslim TD – Moosajee Bhamjee, Labour Party TD for Clare from 1992 to 1997
  • First Quaker Senator – James G. Douglas, Independent Senator from 1922 to 1936 and 1938 to 1954

LGBT people

[edit]

Seanad

[edit]

Dáil

[edit]
  • First openly gay TDs – John Lyons (Labour Party TD) and Dominic Hannigan (Labour Party TD), both elected in 2011.
  • First serving member of the Oireachtas to come out – Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael), Senator 2007–2011 and since 2016, TD 2011–2016, came out in April 2012.
  • First openly lesbian TD – Katherine Zappone, Independent TD from 2016 to 2020.
  • First openly gay TD elected in a by-election, and first openly gay Fianna Fáil TD – Malcolm Byrne, elected in November 2019, served until February 2020.
  • First openly gay Social Democrats TD – Cian O'Callaghan, TD since February 2020. Previously first openly gay mayor of a city or county council in Ireland. Mayor of Fingal County Council in 2012.
  • First openly gay Green Party TD – Roderic O'Gorman, TD since February 2020.
  • First openly gay TD to be elected the leader of a political party in Dáil Eireann, Leo Varadkar (leader of Fine Gael from June 2017 to March 2024[4][5]). (Roderic O'Gorman becomes the second openly gay TD to be elected leader of a political party in the Dáil when he was elected leader of the Green Party in July 2024).[6]
  • First openly gay deputy leader of Fianna Fail, Jack Chambers, since June 2024.[7]
  • First Dáil constituency to elect two openly gay TDs in the same election – Dublin West since February 2020, with Roderic O'Gorman and Leo Varadkar. A third TD for Dublin West, Jack Chambers, came out as gay in January 2024.[8] This makes the four-seater Dublin West constituency the first constituency to be represented by a majority of openly gay TDs in the same Dáil.[9]
  • First serving TD to enter into a same-sex marriage – Roderic O'Gorman (Green Party TD) in August 2023.

Government

[edit]
  • First serving cabinet minister to come out – Leo Varadkar (Fine Gael TD), first elected in 2007, became a Minister in 2011, came out in 2015. Pat Carey (Fianna Fáil) who was a TD from 1997 to 2011, and served as a Minister from 2010 to 2011, came out in 2015 after his retirement.
  • First openly lesbian serving cabinet minister – Katherine Zappone, Minister from 2016 to 2020.
  • First openly gay Taoiseach – Leo Varadkar (Fine Gael TD), Taoiseach from June 2017 to June 2020.
  • First openly gay Tánaiste – Leo Varadkar (Fine Gael TD), Tánaiste from June 2020 to December 2022.
  • First constituency to have two openly gay cabinet Ministers – Dublin West since June 2020; Leo Varadkar and Roderic O'Gorman, and again from 26 June 2024, Jack Chambers and Roderic O'Gorman.
  • First serving cabinet minister to enter into a same-sex marriage – Roderic O'Gorman (Green Party TD) in August 2023.

Ethnic minorities

[edit]

Party leaders

[edit]

Party leaders serving 10 years or more:

Leader Tenure Party Period Constituency
Éamon de Valera 42y Sinn Féin 1917–1926
Fianna Fáil 1926–1959
Ruairí Ó Brádaigh 39y Sinn Féin 1970–1983 Longford–Westmeath
Republican Sinn Féin 1986–2009
Gerry Adams 35y Sinn Féin 1983–2018
William Norton 28y Labour 1932–1960 Kildare
Tomás Mac Giolla 26y Sinn Féin 1962–1970 Dublin West
Sinn Féin (Official) 1970–1977
Sinn Féin The Workers' Party 1977–1982
Workers' Party 1982–1988
Joseph Blowick 21y Clann na Talmhan 1944–1965 Mayo South
W. T. Cosgrave 20y Cumann na nGaedheal 1923–1933
Fine Gael 1934–1944
Seán MacBride 19y Clann na Poblachta 1946–1965 Dublin County
John Redmond 18y Irish Parliamentary 1900–1918 Waterford City
Brendan Corish 17y Labour 1960–1977 Wexford
Richard Mulcahy 15y Fine Gael 1944–1959[c][d] Tipperary
Dick Spring 15y Labour 1982–1997 Kerry North
Enda Kenny 15y Fine Gael 2002–2017
Bertie Ahern 14y Fianna Fáil 1994–2008
Mary Harney 14y Progressive Democrats
  • 1993–2006
  • 2007–2008
Jack Lynch 13y Fianna Fáil 1966–1979 Cork City
Charles Haughey 13y Fianna Fáil 1979–1992 Dublin North-Central
Margaret Buckley 13y Sinn Féin 1937–1950 None
Micheál Martin 13y Fianna Fáil 2011–present Cork South-Central
Eamon Ryan 13y Green 2011–2024 Dublin Bay South
Liam Cosgrave 12y Fine Gael 1965–1977 Dún Laoghaire
John Bruton 11y Fine Gael 1990–2001 Meath
Garret FitzGerald 10y Fine Gael 1977–1987 Dublin South-East

See also

[edit]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ The office was called Parliamentary Secretary until 1978.
  2. ^ David Cullinane and Kathleen Funchion were both elected to the Dáil in 2016. They had been married from 2007 to 2013.
  3. ^ While Mulcahy was a member of the Seanad in 1944, Tom O'Higgins acted as parliamentary party leader.
  4. ^ Between 1948 and 1959, John A. Costello served as parliamentary leader.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "3. AN ROLLA. – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Tuesday, 21 January 1919". Houses of the Oireachtas (in Irish). Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Nomination of Members of Government: Motion – Dáil Éireann (26th Dáil) – Wednesday, 13 November 1991". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Nomination of Members of Government: Motion (Resumed) – Dáil Éireann (26th Dáil) – Wednesday, 13 November 1991". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 24 August 2020. I wish to request leave of the House to withdraw the motion concerning nomination of Members of the Government which I moved today.
  4. ^ "Varadkar outlines his priorities after winning election". 2 June 2017.
  5. ^ "Simon Harris rules out early election after taking over as Fine Gael leader". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Roderic O'Gorman 'deeply humbled' after being elected new leader of the Green Party". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  7. ^ Irish Times (19 June 2024). ""Micheál Martin names Jack Chambers as Fianna Fáil's deputy leader"". Irish Times. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Minister of State Jack Chambers announces he is gay". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  9. ^ Linehan, Alice (15 January 2024). "Irish Cabinet minister Jack Chambers comes out as gay". GCN. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
[edit]