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List of Irish heads of government

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The head of government of the Republic of Ireland has gone by several different titles since the formation of the country in 1919. Under the short-lived Irish Republic of 1919–1922, the head of government was known first as the President of Dáil Éireann and later as the President of the Republic. Under the Irish Free State of 1922–1937, the head of government was the President of the Executive Council. There also briefly existed, immediately before the creation of the Irish Free State, an interim office of Chairman of the Provisional Government. For a brief period in 1921, the offices of President of the Republic and Chairman of the Provisional Government existed simultaneously. Since 1937, the Taoiseach heads a cabinet called the Government.

Offices

More information Head, Deputy ...
Head Deputy Cabinet State Constitution Date
President of Dáil Éireann /
President of the Irish Republic[a]		 N/a Ministry Irish Republic Dáil Constitution 21 January 1919 – 6 December 1922 /
26 August 1921 – 6 December 1922
Chairman of the Provisional Government Provisional Government Southern Ireland Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922 3 May 1921 – 6 December 1922
President of the Executive Council Vice-President Executive Council Irish Free State Constitution of the Irish Free State 6 December 1922 – 29 December 1937
Taoiseach Tánaiste Government Ireland Constitution of Ireland Since 29 December 1937
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List of officeholders

More information No., Portrait ...
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency		 Term of office Political party Election Government Ref.
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Cathal Brugha
(1874–1922)
MP for Waterford County		 21 January 1919 1 April 1919 70 days Sinn Féin 1918 1st Ministry [1]
2 Éamon de Valera
(1882–1975)
MP for Clare East and
Mayo East until 1921
TD for Clare from 1921		 1 April 1919 9 January 1922 2 years, 283 days Sinn Féin — 2nd Ministry
1921 3rd Ministry
3 Arthur Griffith[b]
(1872–1922)
TD for Cavan		 10 January 1922 12 August 1922 214 days Sinn Féin
(Pro-Treaty faction)		 — 4th Ministry
4 Michael Collins[b]
(1890–1922)
TD for Cork Mid, North, South,
South East and West		 16 January 1922 22 August 1922 218 days Sinn Féin
(Pro-Treaty faction)		 1922 1st Provisional Government
5 W. T. Cosgrave
(1880–1965)
TD for Carlow–Kilkenny until 1927
TD for Cork Borough from 1927		 22 August 1922 9 March 1932 9 years, 200 days Sinn Féin
(Pro-Treaty faction)		 — 1st Provisional Government
— 2nd Provisional Government
— 1st Executive Council
Cumann na nGaedheal 1923 2nd Executive Council
1927 (Jun) 3rd Executive Council
1927 (Sep) 4th Executive Council
— 5th Executive Council
(2) Éamon de Valera
(1882–1975)
TD for Clare		 9 March 1932 18 February 1948 15 years, 346 days Fianna Fáil[c] 1932 6th Executive Council
1933 7th Executive Council
1937 8th Executive Council
— 1st Government
1938 2nd Government
1943 3rd Government
1944 4th Government
6 John A. Costello
(1891–1976)
TD for Dublin South-East		 18 February 1948 13 June 1951 3 years, 115 days Fine Gael[d] 1948 5th Government
(2) Éamon de Valera
(1882–1975)
TD for Clare		 13 June 1951 2 June 1954 2 years, 354 days Fianna Fáil 1951 6th Government
(6) John A. Costello
(1891–1976)
TD for Dublin South-East		 2 June 1954 20 March 1957 2 years, 291 days Fine Gael 1954 7th Government
(2) Éamon de Valera
(1882–1975)
TD for Clare		 20 March 1957 23 June 1959 2 years, 95 days Fianna Fáil 1957 8th Government
7 Seán Lemass
(1899–1971)
TD for Dublin South-Central		 23 June 1959 10 November 1966 7 years, 140 days Fianna Fáil — 9th Government
1961 10th Government
1965 11th Government
8 Jack Lynch
(1917–1999)
TD for Cork Borough until 1969
TD for Cork City North-West from 1969		 10 November 1966 14 March 1973 6 years, 124 days Fianna Fáil — 12th Government
1969 13th Government
9 Liam Cosgrave
(1920–2017)
TD for Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown		 14 March 1973 5 July 1977 4 years, 113 days Fine Gael 1973 14th Government
(8) Jack Lynch
(1917–1999)
TD for Cork City		 5 July 1977 11 December 1979 2 years, 159 days Fianna Fáil 1977 15th Government
10 Charles Haughey
(1925–2006)
TD for Dublin Artane		 11 December 1979 30 June 1981 1 year, 201 days Fianna Fáil — 16th Government
11 Garret FitzGerald
(1926–2011)
TD for Dublin South-East		 30 June 1981 9 March 1982 252 days Fine Gael 1981 17th Government
(10) Charles Haughey
(1925–2006)
TD for Dublin North-Central		 9 March 1982 14 December 1982 280 days Fianna Fáil 1982 (Feb) 18th Government
(11) Garret FitzGerald
(1926–2011)
TD for Dublin South-East		 14 December 1982 10 March 1987 4 years, 86 days Fine Gael 1982 (Nov) 19th Government
(10) Charles Haughey
(1925–2006)
TD for Dublin North-Central		 10 March 1987 11 February 1992 4 years, 338 days Fianna Fáil 1987 20th Government
1989 21st Government
12 Albert Reynolds
(1932–2014)
TD for Longford–Roscommon		 11 February 1992 15 December 1994 2 years, 307 days Fianna Fáil — 22nd Government
1992 23rd Government
13 John Bruton
(1947–2024)
TD for Meath		 15 December 1994 26 June 1997 2 years, 193 days Fine Gael — 24th Government
14 Bertie Ahern
(born 1951)
TD for Dublin Central		 26 June 1997 7 May 2008 10 years, 315 days Fianna Fáil 1997 25th Government
2002 26th Government
2007 27th Government
15 Brian Cowen
(born 1960)
TD for Laois–Offaly		 7 May 2008 9 March 2011 2 years, 306 days Fianna Fáil — 28th Government
16 Enda Kenny
(born 1951)
TD for Mayo		 9 March 2011 14 June 2017 6 years, 97 days Fine Gael 2011 29th Government
2016 30th Government
17 Leo Varadkar
(born 1979)
TD for Dublin West		 14 June 2017 27 June 2020 3 years, 13 days Fine Gael — 31st Government
18 Micheál Martin
(born 1960)
TD for Cork South-Central		 27 June 2020 17 December 2022 2 years, 173 days Fianna Fáil 2020 32nd Government
(17) Leo Varadkar
(born 1979)
TD for Dublin West		 17 December 2022 9 April 2024 1 year, 114 days Fine Gael — 33rd Government
19 Simon Harris
(born 1986)
TD for Wicklow		 9 April 2024 23 January 2025 289 days Fine Gael — 34th Government
(18) Micheál Martin
(born 1960)
TD for Cork South-Central		 23 January 2025 Incumbent 1 year, 264 days Fianna Fáil 2024 35th Government
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Timeline

Simon HarrisMicheál MartinLeo VaradkarEnda KennyBrian CowenBertie AhernJohn BrutonAlbert ReynoldsGarret FitzGeraldCharles HaugheyLiam CosgraveJack LynchSeán LemassJohn A. CostelloW. T. CosgraveMichael Collins (Irish leader)Arthur GriffithÉamon de ValeraCathal Brugha

Notes

  1. [a]
    The President of Dáil Éireann, also known as the Príomh Aire, was upgraded to a head of state-level President of the Irish Republic in August 1921.
  2. [b]
    From January to August 1922 there were two administrations operating in parallel, the Ministry of the self-declared independent Irish Republic and the Provisional Government accepted by the United Kingdom, and each cabinet had an overlapping membership. De Valera had filled both posts, but after his resignation there were two heads of government, Arthur Griffith, as President of the Republic, and Michael Collins as Chairman of the Provisional Government of Southern Ireland. This anomalous situation came about because the British Government would only recognise the parliament that it had established through the Government of Ireland Act, so Sinn Féin participated in the charade to move matters along. To add to the confusion, Collins was Griffith's Minister of Finance, while Griffith was Collins's Minister for Foreign Affairs. The dual leadership came to an end when W. T. Cosgrave assumed both offices on the deaths of Griffith, on 12 August 1922, and Collins, on 22 August, and merged the two parallel administrations.
  3. [c]
    Successor of the Sinn Féin Anti-Treaty faction.
  4. [d]
    Successor of Cumann na nGaedheal and two more parties.

See also

References

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