Records of members of the Oireachtas
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.
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.
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.
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]
Current office-holders, longest service in the Oireachtas
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/appointedb = by-election
Years/Months (as of 30 July 2024)
Notes
Michael D. Higgins
Labour
1973
45 years, 9 month(s) (as of Apr 2024)
Current President of Ireland Did not hold office between 1977 and 1981, and February and November 2011
Bernard Durkan
Fine Gael
1981
43 years, 1 month
Senator from February 1982 to November 1982
Richard Bruton
Fine Gael
1981
42 years, 9 months
Senator from October 1981 to February 1982 . Father of the Dáil .
Willie O'Dea
Fianna Fáil
TD
February 1982
42 years, 5 months
Father of the Dáil
Brendan Howlin
Labour
1983
41 years, 5 months
Senator from 1983 to 1987
Michael Lowry
Independent
TD
1987
37 years, 5 months
Micheál Martin
Fianna Fáil
TD
1989
35 years, 1 month
Leader of Fianna Fáil
Éamon Ó Cuív
Fianna Fáil
1989
34 years, 9 months
Senator from 1989 to 1992
Charles Flanagan
Fine Gael
TD
1987
31 years, 11 month(s) (as of Apr 2024)
Did not hold office between 2002 and 2007
Seán Haughey
Fianna Fáil
1987
31 years, 9 month(s) (as of Apr 2024)
Senator from 1987 to 1992. Did not hold office between February 2011 and February 2016.
Róisín Shortall
Social Democrats
TD
1992
31 years, 8 months
Overtook Mary Harney in August 2022 as longest-serving female TD.
Brendan Smith
Fianna Fáil
TD
1992
31 years, 8 months
Paddy Burke
Fine Gael
Senator
1993
31 years, 5 months
Cathaoirleach (2011–2016)
Michael Ring
Fine Gael
TD
1994 b
30 years, 1 month
Michael Creed
Fine Gael
TD
1989
29 years, 8 month(s) (as of Apr 2024)
Did not hold office between May 2002 and May 2007
Denis O'Donovan
Fianna Fáil
1989
29 years, 6 month(s) (as of Apr 2024)
Did not hold office between December 1992 and September 1997
Denis Naughten
Independent
1997
27 years, 6 months
Senator from January to June 1997
John McGuinness
Fianna Fáil
TD
1997
27 years, 1 month
David Stanton
Fine Gael
TD
1997
27 years, 1 month
Michael Moynihan
Fianna Fáil
TD
1997
27 years, 1 month
Seán Fleming
Fianna Fáil
TD
1997
27 years, 1 month
Fergus O'Dowd
Fine Gael
1997
26 years, 10 months
Senator from 1997 to 2002
Simon Coveney
Fine Gael
TD
1998 b
25 years, 9 months
Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Fianna Fáil
2000 b
24 years, 1 month
Senator from 2000 to 2002
Damien English
Fine Gael
TD
2002
22 years, 2 months
Noel Grealish
Independent
TD
2002
22 years, 2 months
Paul Kehoe
Fine Gael
TD
2002
22 years, 2 months
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Sinn Féin
TD
2002
22 years, 2 months
John Paul Phelan
Fine Gael
2002
21 years, 10 months
Senator from 2002 to 2011
Marc MacSharry
Fianna Fáil
2002
21 years, 10 months
Senator from 2002 to 2016
Timmy Dooley
Fianna Fáil
2002
21 years, 2 months (as of Apr 2024)
Senator from 2002 to 2007, and since 2020. TD from 2007 to 2020
Longest-serving Senators
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.
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, 5 months
Margaret Mary Pearse
Fianna Fáil
27 April 1938
7 November 1968
30 years, 6 months
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
Denis O'Donovan
Fianna Fáil
1 November 1989
Incumbent
29 years, 6 months (as of Apr 2024)
Did not serve in 20th or 22nd Seanad
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
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
Diarmuid Wilson
Fianna Fáil
12 September 2002
Incumbent
21 years, 10 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
Aged 85 or older:
Name
Office(s) held
Date of birth
Age
Year retired
Tom Fitzpatrick
TD
29 July 1926
98 years
1982
Patrick Norton
TD / Senator
1928
95 years, 6 months+
1973
Patrick Cooney
TD / Senator / MEP
2 March 1931
93 years, 4 months
1994
Gerard Lynch
TD / Senator
15 June 1931
93 years, 1 month
1981
Eileen Lemass
TD / MEP
7 July 1932
92 years
1989
Roger Garland
TD
February 1933
91 years, 5 months+
1992
Liam Hyland
TD / Senator / MEP
23 April 1933
91 years, 3 months
2004
Tom Raftery
Senator / MEP
15 August 1933
90 years, 11 months
1993
Richard Conroy
Senator
12 September 1933
90 years, 10 months
Jim Corr
TD
25 January 1934
90 years, 6 months
1982
Rory O'Hanlon
TD
7 February 1934
90 years, 5 months
2011
Robert Fausset
Senator
8 August 1934
89 years, 11 months
1982
Catherine McGuinness
Senator
14 November 1934
89 years, 8 months
1987
Ann Ormonde
Senator
20 January 1935
89 years, 6 months
2011
Bríd Rodgers
Senator
20 February 1935
89 years, 5 months
2002
Brian Mullooly
Senator
21 February 1935
89 years, 5 months
2002
David Andrews
TD
15 March 1935
89 years, 4 months
2002
Barry Desmond
TD
15 May 1935
89 years, 2 months
1994
Charles McDonald
TD / Senator / MEP
11 June 1935
89 years, 1 month
1993
Brendan Griffin
TD
28 August 1935
88 years, 11 months
1989
Michael Woods
TD
8 December 1935
88 years, 7 months
2011
Camilla Hannon
Senator
21 July 1936
88 years
1982
Máirín Quill
TD / Senator
15 September 1936
87 years, 10 months
2002
Barry Cogan
TD / Senator
27 September 1936
87 years, 10 months
1982
Matt Brennan
TD
16 October 1936
87 years, 9 months
2002
Jim Fitzsimons
TD / MEP
16 December 1936
87 years, 7 months
2004
John Donnellan
TD
27 March 1937
87 years, 4 months
1989
Mary O'Rourke
TD / Senator
31 May 1937
87 years, 1 month
2011
Donal Carey
TD
15 October 1937
86 years, 9 months
2002
Paddy O'Toole
TD / Senator
15 January 1938
86 years, 6 months
1987
Mick Lanigan
Senator
30 January 1938
86 years, 6 months
2002
Ray MacSharry
TD
29 April 1938
86 years, 3 months
1988
Gerry Collins
TD / MEP
16 October 1938
85 years, 9 months
2004
Gemma Hussey
TD / Senator
11 November 1938
85 years, 8 months
1989
Oldest ever office-holders
Office holders aged 75 or older:
Youngest ever office-holders
Longest surviving cabinet members
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
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
Seán Ó Ceallaigh
17 April 1896
15 June 1994
98 years, 1 month
Tom Fitzpatrick
29 July 1926
98 years
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
Séamus Dolan
10 December 1914
10 August 2010
95 years, 8 months
Patrick Norton
1928
95 years, 6 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
Tony Herbert
9 August 1920
6 March 2014
93 years, 6 months
Patrick Finucane
5 December 1890
10 April 1984
93 years, 4 months
Patrick Cooney
2 March 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
Gerard Lynch
15 June 1931
93 years, 1 month
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
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
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
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
Roger Garland
February 1933
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
Liam Hyland
23 April 1933
91 years, 3 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
Patrick O'Reilly
1911
2003
91 years+
Tom Raftery
15 August 1933
90 years, 11 months
Richard Conroy
12 September 1933
90 years, 10 months
Bryan Cusack
2 August 1882
24 May 1973
90 years, 9 months
Thomas Johnson
17 May 1872
17 January 1963
90 years, 8 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
Jim Corr
25 January 1934
90 years, 6 months
Rory O'Hanlon
7 February 1934
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
Aged 40 or younger at time of death:
Members who died in office
Longest-serving cabinet ministers (in same office)
Shortest-serving cabinet ministers
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]
People appointed to cabinet at the start of their first term as TD
People appointed as Minister of State at the start of their first term as TD
Senators appointed to cabinet
Oldest person currently in office
Politicians born before 1954:
Youngest person currently in office
Politicians born since 1984:
Name
Office
Date of birth
Age as of 30 July 2024
James O'Connor
TD
20 June 1997
27 years, 1 month
Claire Kerrane
TD
24 April 1992
32 years, 3 months
Fintan Warfield
Senator
16 March 1992
32 years, 4 months
Jack Chambers
TD
21 November 1990
33 years, 8 months
John McGahon
Senator
20 November 1990
33 years, 8 months
Mairéad Farrell
TD
6 January 1990
34 years, 6 months
Eileen Flynn
Senator
1990
34 years, 6 months
Holly Cairns
TD
4 November 1989
34 years, 8 months
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
TD
8 February 1989
35 years, 5 months
Annie Hoey
Senator
3 October 1988
35 years, 9 months
John Cummins
Senator
29 June 1988
36 years, 1 month
Violet-Anne Wynne
TD
30 March 1987
37 years, 4 months
Gary Gannon
TD
18 February 1987
37 years, 5 months
Simon Harris
TD
17 October 1986
37 years, 9 months
Lisa Chambers
Senator
24 August 1986
37 years, 11 months
Helen McEntee
TD
8 June 1986
38 years, 1 month
Niall Ó Donnghaile
Senator
28 May 1985
39 years, 2 months
Lynn Ruane
Senator
20 October 1984
39 years, 9 months
Pádraig O'Sullivan
TD
11 May 1984
40 years, 2 months
Members of the current government by age
Name
Date of birth
Age as of 30 July 2024
Micheál Martin
1 August 1960
63 years, 11 months
Heather Humphreys
14 May 1963
61 years, 2 months
Eamon Ryan
28 July 1963
61 years
Norma Foley
1970
54 years, 6 months
Catherine Martin
7 December 1972
51 years, 7 months
Darragh O'Brien
8 July 1974
50 years
Paschal Donohoe
19 September 1974
49 years, 10 months
Stephen Donnelly
14 December 1975
48 years, 7 months
Patrick O'Donovan
21 March 1977
47 years, 4 months
Charlie McConalogue
4 October 1977
46 years, 9 months
Roderic O'Gorman
12 December 1981
42 years, 7 months
Peter Burke
22 October 1982
41 years, 9 months
Helen McEntee
8 June 1986
38 years, 1 month
Simon Harris
17 October 1986
37 years, 9 months
Jack Chambers
21 November 1990
33 years, 8 months
Longest service (cumulative)
Married couples/Domestic partners in the same Oireachtas
Members of both the British Parliament and of the Oireachtas
This lists those with a separate mandate to the Oireachtas and the British parliament, and therefore does not include members of the 1st Dáil .
Name
British Parliament
Oireachtas
Gerry Adams
MP 1983–1992, 1997–2011
TD 2011–2020
Dermot Bourke, 7th Earl of Mayo
Peer 1890–1927R
Senator 1922–1927
P. J. Brady
MP 1910–1918
Senator 1927–1928
Alfie Byrne
MP 1915–1918
TD 1922–1928, 1932–1956, Senator 1928–1931
James Campbell, later Lord Glenavy
MP 1898–1900, 1903–1917, Peer 1921–1931H
Senator (Cathaoirleach ) 1922–1928
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 1922–1934
Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard
Peer 1889–1948H
Senator 1922–1934
Laurence Ginnell
MP 1906–1918
TD 1918–1923
Benjamin Guinness, 3rd Earl of Iveagh
Peer 1967–1992H
Senator 1973–1977
Edward Haughey, later Lord Ballyedmond
Peer 2004–2014L
Senator 1994–2002
Ralph Howard, 7th Earl of Wicklow
Peer 1905–1946R
Senator 1922–1928
Hugh Law
MP 1902–1918
TD 1927–1932
Elisha McCallion
MP 2017–2019
Senator 2020
Seamus Mallon
MP 1986–2005
Senator 1982
James O'Mara
MP 1900–1907
TD 1918–1921, 1924–1927
Stephen O'Mara
MP 1886
Senator 1925–1926
Earl of Kerry, later Marquess of Lansdowne
MP 1908–1918, Peer 1927–1936H
Senator 1922–1929
Horace Plunkett
MP 1892–1900
Senator 1922–1925
William Redmond
MP 1910–1922
TD 1923–1932
Geoffrey Taylour, 4th Marquess of Headfort
Peer 1894–1943H
Senator 1922–1928
Windham Wyndham-Quin, 4th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl
Peer 1871–1926H
Senator 1922–1926
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
Women
Religion
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
Seanad
Dáil
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
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
Party leaders
Party leaders serving 10 years or more:
See also
^ The office was called Parliamentary Secretary until 1978.
^ David Cullinane and Kathleen Funchion were both elected to the Dáil in 2016. They had been married from 2007 to 2013.
^ While Mulcahy was a member of the Seanad in 1944, Tom O'Higgins acted as parliamentary party leader.
^ Between 1948 and 1959, John A. Costello served as parliamentary leader.
References
External links