Irish heads of government since 1919

Ireland

The head of government, or prime minister, of Ireland is known as the Taoiseach and heads a cabinet called the Government. However, since 1919, heads of government in the Irish state have borne a number of titles. Under the short-lived Irish Republic of 1919–22 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 1922–37 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.

Offices

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	N/A	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	29 December 1937 – present

List of officeholders

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Term			Political party	Election	Government
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Took office	Left office	Duration	Political party	Election	Government
1		Cathal Brugha (1874–1922) MP for Waterford County	21 January 1919	1 April 1919	70 days	Sinn Féin	1918	1st Ministry
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	1921	2nd Ministry (1919–1921) 3rd Ministry (1921–1922)
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) Cumann na nGaedheal	1923 1927 (Jun) 1927 (Sep)	1st Provisional Government (1922) 2nd Provisional Government (1922) 1st Executive Council (1922–1923) 2nd Executive Council (1923–1927) 3rd Executive Council (1927) 4th Executive Council (1927–1930) 5th Executive Council (1930–1932)
(2)		Éamon de Valera (1882–1975) TD for Clare	9 March 1932	18 February 1948	15 years, 346 days	Fianna Fáil^[c]	1932 1933 1937 1938 1943 1944	6th Executive Council (1932–1933) 7th Executive Council (1933–1937) 8th Executive Council (1937) 1st Government (1937–1938) 2nd Government (1938–1943) 3rd Government (1943–1944) 4th Government (1944–1948)
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	1961 1965	9th Government (1959–1961) 10th Government (1961–1965) 11th Government (1965–1966)
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	1969	12th Government (1966–1969) 13th Government (1969–1973)
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 1989	20th Government (1987–1989) 21st Government (1989–1992)
12		Albert Reynolds (1932–2014) TD for Longford–Roscommon	11 February 1992	15 December 1994	2 years, 307 days	Fianna Fáil	1992	22nd Government (1992–1993) 23rd Government (1993–1994)
13		John Bruton (1947–2024) TD for Meath	15 December 1994	26 June 1997	2 years, 193 days	Fine Gael	—	24th Government (1994–1997)
14		Bertie Ahern (born 1951) TD for Dublin Central	26 June 1997	7 May 2008	10 years, 315 days	Fianna Fáil	1997 2002 2007	25th Government (1997–2002) 26th Government (2002–2007) 27th Government (2007–2008)
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 2016	29th Government (2011–2016) 30th Government (2016–2017)
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	Incumbent	263 days	Fine Gael	—	34th Government

Northern Ireland

The most recent devolved cabinet in Northern Ireland is the Northern Ireland Executive, established under the Good Friday Agreement. The Executive has been in operation, intermittently, since 1999; but had existed continuously since 2007, but after elections following a government collapsed on 16 January 2017, no Executive was formed until January 2020, when the parties came to an agreement and an Executive was subsequently established. Since 1921, there have been three different prime ministerial offices in Northern Ireland. The most recent structure, the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, represents a diarchy. As such, there is no longer a singular executive office, but rather a dual office.

Offices

Head	Cabinet	Date
Prime Minister	Government	7 June 1921 – 30 March 1972
Chief Executive	Executive (Sunningdale)	1 January 1974 – 28 May 1974
First Minister and deputy First Minister	Executive	1 July 1998 – present

List of officeholders

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Term			Political party	Election	Government
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death) Constituency	Took office	Left office	Duration	Political party	Election	Government
1		Sir James Craig^[e] (1871–1940) MP for Down until 1929 MP for North Down from 1929	7 June 1921	24 November 1940	19 years, 170 days	Ulster Unionist Party	1921 1925 1929 1933 1938	Craigavon ministry
2		John Miller Andrews (1871–1956) MP for Mid Down	25 November 1940	1 May 1943	2 years, 157 days	Ulster Unionist Party	—	Andrews ministry
3		Sir Basil Brooke^[f] (1888–1973) MP for Lisnaskea	1 May 1943	25 March 1963	19 years, 328 days	Ulster Unionist Party	1945 1949 1953 1958 1962	Brookeborough ministry
4		Terence O'Neill (1914–1990) MP for Bannside	25 March 1963	1 May 1969	6 years, 37 days	Ulster Unionist Party	1965 1969	O'Neill ministry
5		James Chichester-Clark (1923–2002) MP for South Londonderry	1 May 1969	23 March 1971	1 year, 326 days	Ulster Unionist Party	—	Chichester-Clark ministry
6		Brian Faulkner (1921–1977) MP for East Down until 1972 MLA for South Down from 1973	23 March 1971	30 March 1972	1 year, 7 days	Ulster Unionist Party	—	Faulkner ministry
6			1 January 1974	28 May 1974	147 days	Ulster Unionist Party	1973	1974 Executive
First Ministers
1		David Trimble (1944–2022) MLA for Upper Bann	1 July 1998	14 October 2002	4 years, 105 days	Ulster Unionist Party	1998	First Executive
2		Ian Paisley (1926–2014) MLA for North Antrim	8 May 2007	5 June 2008	1 year, 28 days	Democratic Unionist Party	2007	Second Executive
3		Peter Robinson (born 1948) MLA for Belfast East	5 June 2008	11 January 2016	7 years, 220 days	Democratic Unionist Party	2011	Second Executive (2008–2011) Third Executive (2011–2016)
4		Arlene Foster (born 1970) MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone	11 January 2016	9 January 2017	364 days	Democratic Unionist Party	2016 2017	Fourth Executive
4			11 January 2020	14 June 2021	1 year, 154 days	Democratic Unionist Party	2016 2017	Fifth Executive
5		Paul Givan (born 1981) MLA for Lagan Valley	17 June 2021	3 February 2022	231 days	Democratic Unionist Party	—	Fifth Executive
6		Michelle O'Neill (born 1977) MLA for Mid Ulster	3 February 2024	Incumbent	329 days	Sinn Féin	2022	Sixth Executive
Deputy First Ministers
1		Seamus Mallon (1936–2020) MLA for Newry and Armagh	1 July 1998	6 November 2001	3 years, 128 days	Social Democratic and Labour Party	1998	First Executive
2		Mark Durkan (born 1960) MLA for Foyle	6 November 2001	14 October 2002	342 days	Social Democratic and Labour Party	—	First Executive
3		Martin McGuinness (1950–2017) MLA for Mid Ulster until 2016 MLA for Foyle from 2016	8 May 2007	9 January 2017	9 years, 246 days	Sinn Féin	2007 2011 2016	Second Executive (2007–2011) Third Executive (2011–2016) Fourth Executive (2016–2017)
4		Michelle O'Neill (born 1977) MLA for Mid Ulster	11 January 2020	3 February 2022	2 years, 23 days	Sinn Féin	2017	Fifth Executive
5		Emma Little-Pengelly (born 1979) MLA for Lagan Valley	3 February 2024	Incumbent	329 days	Democratic Unionist Party	2022	Sixth Executive

Notes

^ 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.
^ ^a ^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.
^ Successor of the Sinn Féin Anti-Treaty faction.
^ Successor of Cumann na nGaedheal and two more parties.
^ Created the Viscount Craigavon in 1927.
^ Created the Viscount Brookeborough in 1952.

References

[1] 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.

[admins-2] 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] Successor of the Sinn Féin Anti-Treaty faction.

[4] Successor of Cumann na nGaedheal and two more parties.

[5] Created the Viscount Craigavon in 1927.

[6] Created the Viscount Brookeborough in 1952.

[a]

[b]

[c]

[d]

[e]

[f]

Irish heads of government since 1919

Contents

Ireland

Offices

List of officeholders

Northern Ireland

Offices

List of officeholders

See also

Notes

References