Republic of Ireland (and predecessor states)
The executive branch of the modern Republic of Ireland is known as the 'Government'. However, since 1919, cabinets have functioned in the southern twenty-six counties of Ireland under two other names: the 'Aireacht' (or Ministry) of the 1919-1922 Irish Republic, and the 'Executive Council' of the 1922-1937 Irish Free State. There also briefly existed, immediately before the creation of the Irish Free State, an interim cabinet called the 'Provisional Government'. The Ministry and the Provisional Government functioned in parallel for a number of months in 1922.
| Dáil |
Election/Formed |
Cabinet |
Members |
PM |
Deputy PM |
Parties |
| 1st |
1918 election |
1st Ministry |
TDs |
Cathal Brugha |
n/a |
Sinn Féin |
|
1919 |
2nd Ministry |
" |
Eamon de Valera |
n/a |
Sinn Féin |
| 2nd |
1921 election |
3rd Ministry |
TDs |
" |
n/a |
Sinn Féin |
|
1922 (Jan) |
4th Ministry2 |
" |
Arthur Griffith |
n/a |
Sinn Féin (pro-Treaty wing) |
|
1922 election |
1st Provisional Government2 |
" |
Michael Collins |
n/a |
Sinn Féin (pro-Treaty wing) |
| 3rd |
1922 (Aug) |
2nd Provisional Government |
TDs |
W.T. Cosgrave |
n/a |
Sinn Féin (pro-Treaty wing) |
|
1922 (Dec) |
1st Executive Council |
" |
" |
Kevin O'Higgins |
Sinn Féin (pro-Treaty wing) |
| 4th |
1923 election |
2nd Executive Council |
TDs |
" |
" |
Cumann na nGaedheal |
| 5th |
1927 (Jun) election |
3rd Executive Council |
TDs |
" |
" |
Cumann na nGaedheal |
| 6th |
1927 (Sept) election |
4th Executive Council |
TDs |
" |
Ernest Blythe |
Cumann na nGaedheal |
|
1932 |
5th Executive Council |
" |
" |
" |
Cumann na nGaedheal |
| 7th |
1932 election |
6th Executive Council |
TDs |
Eamon de Valera |
Seán T. O'Kelly |
Fianna Fáil |
| 8th |
1933 election |
7th Executive Council |
TDs |
" |
" |
Fianna Fáil |
| 9th |
1937 election |
1st Government |
TDs |
" |
" |
Fianna Fáil |
| 10th |
1938 election |
2nd Government |
TDs |
" |
" |
Fianna Fáil |
| 11th |
1943 election |
3nd Government |
TDs |
" |
" |
Fianna Fáil |
| 12th |
1944 election |
4th Government |
TDs |
" |
" |
Fianna Fáil |
| 13th |
1948 election |
5th Government |
TDs |
John A. Costello |
William Norton |
Fine Gael, Labour,
Clann na Poblachta |
| 14th |
1951 election |
6th Government |
TDs |
Eamon de Valera |
Sean Lemass |
Fianna Fáil |
| 15th |
1954 election |
7th Government |
TDs |
John A. Costello |
William Norton |
Fine Gael, Labour |
| 16th |
1957 election |
8th Government |
TDs |
Eamon de Valera |
Sean Lemass |
Fianna Fáil |
|
1959 |
9th Government |
" |
Sean Lemass |
Seán MacEntee |
Fianna Fáil |
| 17th |
1961 election |
10th Government |
TDs |
" |
" |
Fianna Fáil |
| 18th |
1965 election |
11th Government |
TDs |
" |
Frank Aiken |
Fianna Fáil |
|
1966 |
12th Government |
" |
Jack Lynch |
" |
Fianna Fáil |
| 19th |
1969 election |
13th Government |
TDs |
" |
Erskine H. Childers |
Fianna Fáil |
| 20th |
1973 election |
14th Government |
TDs |
Liam Cosgrave |
Brendan Corish |
Fine Gael, Labour |
| 21st |
1977 election |
15th Government |
TDs |
Jack Lynch |
George Colley |
Fianna Fáil |
|
1979 |
16th Government |
" |
Charles J. Haughey |
" |
Fianna Fáil |
| 22nd |
1981 election |
17th Government |
TDs |
Garret FitzGerald |
Michael O'Leary |
Fine Gael, Labour |
| 23rd |
1982 (Feb) election |
18th Government |
TDs |
Charles J. Haughey |
Ray MacSharry |
Fianna Fáil |
| 24th |
1982 (Nov) election |
19th Government |
TDs |
Garret FitzGerald |
Dick Spring |
Fine Gael, Labour |
| 25th |
1987 election |
20th Government |
TDs |
Charles J. Haughey |
Brian Lenihan |
Fianna Fáil |
| 26th |
1989 election |
21st Government |
TDs |
" |
" |
Fianna Fáil, Progressive Democrats |
|
1992 |
22nd Government |
" |
Albert Reynolds |
John P. Wilson |
Fianna Fáil, Progressive Democrats |
| 27th |
1992 election |
23rd Government |
TDs |
" |
Dick Spring |
Fianna Fáil, Labour |
|
1994 |
24th Government |
" |
John Bruton |
" |
Fine Gael, Labour |
| 28th |
1997 election |
25th Government |
TDs |
Bertie Ahern |
Mary Harney |
Fianna Fáil, Progressive Democrats |
| 29th |
2002 election |
26th Government |
TDs |
" |
" |
Fianna Fáil, Progressive Democrats |
Northern Ireland
The most recent devolved cabinet in Northern Ireland is the Northern Ireland Executive, established under the Belfast Agreement. The Executive has been in operation, intermittently, since 1999, but is currently in suspension. Since 1921, Northern Ireland has been governed by the following devolved cabinets:
Footnotes
- The titles Priomh Áire, President of Dáil Éireann and President of the Irish Republic were all at some point used.
- The Second Ministry and First Provisional Government held office simultaneously for many months. The membership of both was merged when the Second Provisional Government came to office in August.
Related topics
