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The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh ) is the head of government of Ireland . Prior to the enactment of the Constitution of Ireland in 1937, the head of government was referred to as the President of the Executive Council . This office was first held by W. T. Cosgrave from 1922 to 1932, and then by Éamon de Valera from 1932 to 1937. By convention Taoisigh are numbered to include Cosgrave,[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] [ 4] Micheál Martin is considered the 15th Taoiseach.
Cumulative days served [ edit ]
No.
Name
First entered office
Finally left office
Periods
Cumulative days[ h]
2
Éamon de Valera
9 March 1932[ e]
23 June 1959
3
7,735 (21 years, 2 months)[ i] [ j]
11
Bertie Ahern
26 June 1997
7 May 2008
1
3,968 (10 years, 10 months)
1
W. T. Cosgrave
6 December 1922
9 March 1932
1
3,381 (9 years, 3 months)[ k]
5
Jack Lynch
10 November 1966
11 December 1979
2
3,205 (8 years, 9 months)
4
Seán Lemass
23 June 1959
10 November 1966
1
2,697 (7 years, 5 months)
7
Charles Haughey
11 December 1979
11 February 1992
3
2,646 (7 years, 3 months)[ h]
13
Enda Kenny
9 March 2011
14 June 2017
1
2,289 (6 years, 3 months)[ h]
3
John A. Costello
18 February 1948
20 March 1957
2
2,233 (6 years, 1 month)
8
Garret FitzGerald
30 June 1981
10 March 1987
2
1,799 (4 years, 11 months)
14
Leo Varadkar
14 June 2017
9 April 2024
2
1,589 (4 years, 4 months)[ h]
6
Liam Cosgrave
14 March 1973
5 July 1977
1
1,574 (4 years, 4 months)
9
Albert Reynolds
11 February 1992
15 December 1994
1
1,038 (2 years, 10 months)[ h]
12
Brian Cowen
7 May 2008
9 March 2011
1
1,036 (2 years, 10 months)
10
John Bruton
15 December 1994
26 June 1997
1
924 (2 years, 6 months)
15
Micheál Martin
27 June 2020
17 December 2022
1
904 (2 years, 5 months)
16
Simon Harris
9 April 2024
Incumbent
1
227 (7 months and 13 days)
Length of individual periods [ edit ]
No.
Name
Entered office
Left office
Period No.
Period length
Length[ h]
2
Éamon de Valera
9 March 1932[ e]
18 February 1948
1
15 years, 11 months, 16 days
5,824
11
Bertie Ahern
26 June 1997
7 May 2008
1
10 years, 10 months, 11 days
3,968
1
W. T. Cosgrave
6 December 1922
9 March 1932
1
9 years, 3 months, 4 days
3,381[ k]
4
Seán Lemass
23 June 1959
11 November 1966
1
7 years, 4 months, 17 days
2,697
5
Jack Lynch
11 November 1966
14 March 1973
1
6 years, 4 months, 4 days
2,316
13
Enda Kenny
9 March 2011
14 June 2017
1
6 years, 3 months, 5 days
2,289[ h]
7
Charles Haughey
10 March 1987
11 February 1992
3
4 years, 11 months, 1 day
1,799[ h]
6
Liam Cosgrave
14 March 1973
5 July 1977
1
4 years, 3 months, 22 days
1,574
8
Garret FitzGerald
14 December 1982
10 March 1987
2
4 years, 2 months, 27 days
1,547
3
John A. Costello
18 February 1948
13 June 1951
1
3 years, 3 months, 24 days
1,211
14
Leo Varadkar
14 June 2017
27 June 2020
1
3 years and 13 days
1,109[ h]
Éamon de Valera
13 June 1951
2 June 1954
2
2 years, 11 months, 19 days
1,085
9
Albert Reynolds
11 February 1992
15 December 1994
1
2 years, 10 months, 4 days
1,038[ h]
12
Brian Cowen
7 May 2008
9 March 2011
1
2 years, 10 months, 2 days
1,036
John A. Costello
2 June 1954
20 March 1957
2
2 years, 9 months, 18 days
1,022
10
John Bruton
15 December 1994
26 June 1997
1
2 years, 6 months, 11 days
924
15
Micheál Martin
27 June 2020
17 December 2022
1
2 years, 5 months and 21 days
904
Jack Lynch
5 July 1977
11 December 1979
2
2 years, 5 months, 6 days
889
Éamon de Valera
20 March 1957
23 June 1959
3
2 years, 3 months, 3 days
825
Charles Haughey
11 December 1979
30 June 1981
1
1 year, 6 months, 19 days
567
Leo Varadkar
17 December 2022
9 April 2024
2
1 year, 3 months and 23 days
479
Charles Haughey
9 March 1982
14 December 1982
2
9 months, 5 days
280
Garret FitzGerald
30 June 1981
9 March 1982
1
8 months, 9 days
252
16
Simon Harris
9 April 2024
Incumbent
1
7 months and 13 days
227
No.
Name
Born
Died
Age as of
6
Liam Cosgrave
13 April 1920
4 October 2017
97 years, 174 days
2
Éamon de Valera
14 October 1882
29 August 1975
92 years, 319 days
1
W. T. Cosgrave
6 June 1880
16 November 1965
85 years, 163 days
8
Garret FitzGerald
9 February 1926
19 May 2011
85 years, 99 days
3
John A. Costello
20 June 1891
5 January 1976
84 years, 199 days
5
Jack Lynch
15 August 1917
20 October 1999
82 years, 66 days
9
Albert Reynolds
3 November 1932
21 August 2014
81 years, 291 days
7
Charles Haughey
16 September 1925
13 June 2006
80 years, 270 days
10
John Bruton
18 May 1947
6 February 2024
76 years, 264 days
13
Enda Kenny 24 April 1951
73 years, 212 days
11
Bertie Ahern 12 September 1951
73 years, 71 days
4
Seán Lemass
12 July 1899
11 May 1971
71 years, 303 days
12
Brian Cowen 10 January 1960
64 years, 317 days
15
Micheál Martin 1 August 1960
64 years, 113 days
14
Leo Varadkar 18 January 1979
45 years, 309 days
16
Simon Harris 17 October 1986
38 years, 36 days
[ edit ]
No.
Name
Born
Entered office
Age
Left office
Age
16
Simon Harris
17 October 1986
9 April 2024
37 years, 7 months[ l]
Incumbent
–
14
Leo Varadkar
18 January 1979
14 June 2017
38 years, 4 months
9 April 2024
45 years, 2 months
1
W. T. Cosgrave
6 June 1880
6 December 1922[ m]
42 years, 6 months[ m]
9 March 1932
51 years, 9 months
11
Bertie Ahern
12 September 1951
26 June 1997
45 years, 9 months
7 May 2008
56 years, 7 months
10
John Bruton
18 May 1947
15 December 1994
47 years, 6 months
26 June 1997
50 years, 1 month
12
Brian Cowen
10 January 1960
7 May 2008
48 years, 3 months
9 March 2011
51 years, 1 month
5
Jack Lynch
15 August 1917
10 November 1966
49 years, 2 months
11 December 1979
62 years, 3 months
2
Éamon de Valera
14 October 1882
9 March 1932[ e]
49 years, 4 months[ n]
23 June 1959
76 years, 8 months
6
Liam Cosgrave
13 April 1920
14 March 1973
52 years, 11 months
5 July 1977
57 years, 2 months
7
Charles Haughey
16 September 1925
11 December 1979
54 years, 2 months
11 February 1992
66 years, 4 months
8
Garret FitzGerald
9 February 1926
30 June 1981
55 years, 4 months
10 March 1987
61 years, 1 month
3
John A. Costello
20 June 1891
18 February 1948
56 years, 7 months
20 March 1957
65 years, 9 months
9
Albert Reynolds
3 November 1932
11 February 1992
59 years, 3 months
15 December 1994
62 years, 1 month
13
Enda Kenny
24 April 1951
9 March 2011
59 years, 10 months
14 June 2017
66 years, 1 month
15
Micheál Martin
1 August 1960
27 June 2020
59 years, 10 months
17 December 2022
62 years, 4 months
4
Seán Lemass
12 July 1899
23 June 1959
59 years, 11 months
10 November 1966
67 years, 3 months
Listed here are cabinet positions held either before or during holding the office of Taoiseach or President of the Executive Council.
No.
Name
Before or after position of Taoiseach
While Taoiseach
1
W. T. Cosgrave
Minister for Local Government (1919–1922) Minister for Finance (1922–1923) Chairman of the Provisional Government (1922) President of Dáil Éireann (1922)
Minister for Finance (1922–1923) Minister for Defence (1924) [ o] Minister for External Affairs (1927) [ o]
2
Éamon de Valera
President of Dáil Éireann (1919–1922)
Minister for External Affairs (1932–1948) Minister for Education (1939–1940) [ o] Minister for Local Government and Public Health (1941) [ o]
3
John A. Costello
Attorney General (1926–1932)
Minister for Health (1951) [ o]
4
Seán Lemass
Minister for Industry and Commerce (1932–1939, 1941–1948, 1951–1954, 1957–1959) Minister for Supplies (1939–1945) Tánaiste (1945–1948, 1951–1954, 1957–1959)
Minister for Justice (1964) [ o]
5
Jack Lynch
Minister for the Gaeltacht (1957) Minister for Education (1957–1959) Minister for Industry and Commerce (1959–1965) Minister for Finance 1965–1966)
Minister for Education (1968)
6
Liam Cosgrave
Minister for External Affairs (1954–1957)
Minister for Defence (1976) [ o]
7
Charles Haughey
Minister for Justice (1961–1964) Minister for Agriculture (1964–1966) Minister for Finance (1966–1970) Minister for Health (1977–1979) Minister for Social Welfare (1977–1979)
Minister for Education (1982) [ o] Minister for the Gaeltacht (1987–1992) Minister for Defence (1990–1991) [ o]
8
Garret FitzGerald
Minister for Foreign Affairs (1973–1977)
Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism (1983) [ o]
9.
Albert Reynolds
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (1979–1981) Minister for Transport 1980–1981) Minister for Industry and Energy (1982) Minister for Industry and Commerce (1987–1988) Minister for Finance (1988–1991)
Minister for Energy (1992–1993) [ o]
10
John Bruton
Minister for Finance (1981–1982, 1986–1987) Minister for Industry and Energy (1982–1983) Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism (1983–1986) Minister for the Public Service (1987)
Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications (1996) [ o]
11
Bertie Ahern
Minister for Labour (1987–1991) Minister for Finance (1991–1994) Minister for Industry and Commerce (1993) [ o] Tánaiste (1994) Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht (1994)
12
Brian Cowen
Minister for Labour (1992–1993) Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications (1993–1994) Minister for Health and Children (1997–2000) Minister for Foreign Affairs (2000–2004) Minister for Finance (2004–2008) Tánaiste (2007–2008)
Minister for Foreign Affairs (2011) [ o]
13
Enda Kenny
Minister for Tourism and Trade (1994–1997)
Minister for Defence (2014) [ o] Minister for Defence (2016–2017)
14
Leo Varadkar
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (2011–2014) Minister for Health (2014–2016) Minister for Social Protection (2016–2017) Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (2020–2022) Tánaiste (2020–2022)
Minister for Defence (2017–2020)
15
Micheál Martin
Minister for Education and Science (1997–2000) Minister for Health and Children (2000–2004) Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (2004–2008) Minister for Foreign Affairs (2008–2011) Minister for Foreign Affairs (2022–present) Minister for Defence (2022–present) Tánaiste (2022–present)
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (July 2020 and Aug. 2020)[ o]
16
Simon Harris
Minister for Health (2016–2020) Minister for Justice (2022–2023) Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (2020–2024)
Living officeholders [ edit ] There are currently five living former Taoisigh :
Taoiseach
Term of office
Date of birth
Bertie Ahern
1997–2008
(1951-09-12 ) 12 September 1951 (age 73)
Brian Cowen
2008–2011
(1960-01-10 ) 10 January 1960 (age 64)
Enda Kenny
2011–2017
(1951-04-24 ) 24 April 1951 (age 73)
Micheál Martin
2020–2022
(1960-08-01 ) 1 August 1960 (age 64)
Leo Varadkar
(1979-01-18 ) 18 January 1979 (age 45)
[ edit ]
Date
Living
Deceased
Notes
9 April 2024
6
10
Simon Harris accedes
6 February 2024
5
10
John Bruton dies
27 June 2020
6
9
Micheál Martin accedes
4 October 2017
5
9
Liam Cosgrave dies
14 June 2017
6
8
Leo Varadkar accedes
21 August 2014
5
8
Albert Reynolds dies
19 May 2011
6
7
Garret FitzGerald dies
9 March 2011
7
6
Enda Kenny accedes
7 May 2008
6
6
Brian Cowen accedes
13 June 2006
5
6
Charles Haughey dies
20 October 1999
6
5
Jack Lynch dies
26 June 1997
7
4
Bertie Ahern accedes
15 December 1994
6
4
John Bruton accedes
11 February 1992
5
4
Albert Reynolds accedes
30 June 1981
4
4
Garret FitzGerald accedes
11 December 1979
3
4
Charles Haughey accedes
6 January 1976
2
4
John A. Costello dies
29 August 1975
3
3
Éamon de Valera dies
14 March 1973
4
2
Liam Cosgrave accedes
16 May 1971
3
2
Seán Lemass dies
10 November 1966
4
1
Jack Lynch accedes
11 May 1965
3
1
W. T. Cosgrave dies
23 June 1959
4
0
Seán Lemass accedes
18 February 1948
3
0
John A. Costello accedes
9 March 1932
2
0
Éamon de Valera accedes
6 December 1922
1
0
W. T. Cosgrave accedes
^ a b First elected to the British House of Commons in 1917 but did not take his seat.
^ a b c First elected as member of Sinn Féin .
^ First elected as a Cumann na nGaedheal Teachta Dála .
^ Cosgrave also headed the Irish Government from 22 August 1922, during the transitional period before the state became officially independent on 6 December 1922 (See Irish heads of government since 1919 ).
^ a b c d De Valera became Taoiseach on 29 December 1937 under the Constitution of Ireland .
^ De Valera also headed the pre-independence revolutionary Irish Government from 1 April 1919 to 9 January 1922 (See Irish heads of government since 1919 ).
^ De Valera also served 3 terms as President of the Executive Council.
^ a b c d e f g h i j Days shown include five periods when a Taoiseach resigned but continued as Acting Taoiseach, as required by the Article 28.11.1 of the Constitution. These periods are 13 days for Charles Haughey (from 29 June to 12 July 1989), 57 days for Albert Reynolds (29 days from 14 December 1992 to 12 January 1993, and 28 days from 17 November to 15 December 1994), 57 days for Enda Kenny (from 10 March to 6 May 2016), and 128 days for Leo Varadkar from 20 February to 27 June 2020.[ 5]
^ De Valera served as Taoiseach for 5,613 days (15 years, 4 months).
^ De Valera also led the pre-independence revolutionary Ministry of Dáil Éireann from 1 April 1919 to 9 January 1922 (See Irish heads of government since 1919 ). Including these 1,015 extra days would raise his cumulative days served to 8,750 days (23 years, 11 months, 16 days).
^ a b Cosgrave also led the Provisional Government from 22 August 1922, during the transitional period before the state became independent on 6 December 1922 (See Irish heads of government since 1919 ). Including these 106 extra days would raise his cumulative days served to 3,487 days (9 years, 6 months, 19 days).
^ Three leaders entered office when younger than Harris, during or after the 1916 Easter Rising , but before British rule officially ended, and the Irish Free State came into existence on 6 December 1922. The youngest was Michael Collins , aged 31 years, 3 months when he became Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State on 16 January 1922. Éamon de Valera was aged 36 years, 5 months when he became President of Dáil Éireann on 1 April 1919. Patrick Pearse was also aged 36 years, 5 months when he became President of the Irish Republic proclaimed on Easter Monday , 24 April 1916. (See Irish heads of government since 1919 and Easter Rising ).
^ a b Cosgrave entered office as Chairman of the Provisional Government on 22 August 1922, when aged 42 years, 2 months. The age given in the table is his age when the Irish Free State was established on 6 December 1922 and he was appointed as President of the Executive Council. (See Irish heads of government since 1919 ).
^ De Valera also headed the pre-independence revolutionary Irish Government from 1 April 1919 to 9 January 1922, thus entering the office of President of Dáil Éireann when aged 36 years, 5 months (he was aged 38 years, 10 months when the office was renamed President of the Irish Republic on 26 August 1921). The table shows his age when he became President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State on 9 March 1932. Under the new 1937 Constitution , his title changed to Taoiseach on 29 December 1937, when he was aged 55 years, 2 months. (See also Irish heads of government since 1919 and Éamon de Valera ).
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Held between the resignation or death of a member of the cabinet and the appointment of another member to the position.
