Irish cabinets since 1919
# Irish cabinets since 1919

## Ireland (and predecessor states)

The executive branch of the modern state of Ireland is titled the Government of Ireland. It has had this title since the adoption of the Constitution of Ireland in 1937. The Ministry of Dáil Éireann was the cabinet of the Irish Republic, from operated from 1919 to 1922. This overlapped with the Provisional Government which was put in place after the approval of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in January 1922. Both these cabinets ceased to operate from December 1922, on the coming into being of the Irish Free State. From 1922 to 1937, the cabinet was known as the Executive Council of the Irish Free State.

### Types of government since 1919

| Cabinet | State | Head | Deputy | Constitution | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Ministry | Irish Republic | President of Dáil Éireann | N/A | Dáil Constitution | 21 January 1919 – 6 December 1922 |
| Provisional Government | Southern Ireland | Chairman | N/A | Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922 | 3 May 1921 – 6 December 1922 |
| Executive Council | Irish Free State | President | Vice-President | Constitution of the Irish Free State | 6 December 1922 – 29 December 1937 |
| Government | Ireland | Taoiseach | Tánaiste | Constitution of Ireland | Since 29 December 1937 |

### Cabinets since 1919

| State | Dáil | Election | Formation | Cabinet | Composition | Head | Deputy |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Irish Republic | 1st | 1918 | 22 January 1919 | 1st Ministry | SF | Cathal Brugha | N/A |
| Irish Republic | 1st | 1918 | 1 April 1919 | 2nd Ministry | SF | Éamon de Valera | Arthur Griffith |
| Irish Republic | 2nd | 1921 | 26 August 1921 | 3rd Ministry | SF | Éamon de Valera | N/A |
| Irish Republic | 2nd | 1921 | 10 January 1922 | 4th Ministry | SF (PT) | Arthur Griffith | N/A |
| Southern Ireland | 2nd | 1921 | 16 January 1922 | 1st Provisional Government | SF (PT) | Michael Collins | N/A |
| Southern Ireland | 3rd | 1922 | 30 August 1922 | 2nd Provisional Government | SF (PT) (minority) | W. T. Cosgrave | N/A |
| Irish Free State | 3rd | 1922 | 6 December 1922 | 1st Executive Council | SF (PT) (minority) | W. T. Cosgrave | Kevin O'Higgins |
| Irish Free State | 4th | 1923 | 19 September 1923 | 2nd Executive Council | CnaG (minority) | W. T. Cosgrave | Kevin O'Higgins |
| Irish Free State | 5th | June 1927 | 23 June 1927 | 3rd Executive Council | CnaG (minority) | W. T. Cosgrave | Kevin O'Higgins |
| Irish Free State | 5th | June 1927 | 23 June 1927 | 3rd Executive Council | CnaG (minority) | W. T. Cosgrave | Ernest Blythe |
| Irish Free State | 6th | Sept. 1927 | 11 October 1927 | 4th Executive Council | CnaG (minority) | W. T. Cosgrave | Ernest Blythe |
| Irish Free State | 6th | Sept. 1927 | 2 April 1930 | 5th Executive Council | CnaG (minority) | W. T. Cosgrave | Ernest Blythe |
| Irish Free State | 7th | 1932 | 9 March 1932 | 6th Executive Council | FF (minority) | Éamon de Valera | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Irish Free State | 8th | 1933 | 8 February 1933 | 7th Executive Council | FF (minority) | Éamon de Valera | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Irish Free State | 9th | 1937 | 21 July 1937 | 8th Executive Council | FF (minority) | Éamon de Valera | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Ireland | 9th | 1937 | 29 December 1937 | 1st Government | FF (minority) | Éamon de Valera | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Ireland | 10th | 1938 | 30 June 1938 | 2nd Government | FF | Éamon de Valera | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Ireland | 11th | 1943 | 1 July 1943 | 3rd Government | FF (minority) | Éamon de Valera | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Ireland | 12th | 1944 | 9 June 1944 | 4th Government | FF | Éamon de Valera | Seán T. O'Kelly |
| Ireland | 12th | 1944 | 9 June 1944 | 4th Government | FF | Éamon de Valera | Seán Lemass |
| Ireland | 13th | 1948 | 18 February 1948 | 5th Government | FG–Lab–CnaP–CnaT–NL–Ind | John A. Costello | William Norton |
| Ireland | 14th | 1951 | 13 June 1951 | 6th Government | FF (minority) | Éamon de Valera | Seán Lemass |
| Ireland | 15th | 1954 | 2 June 1954 | 7th Government | FG–Lab–CnaT | John A. Costello | William Norton |
| Ireland | 16th | 1957 | 20 March 1957 | 8th Government | FF | Éamon de Valera | Seán Lemass |
| Ireland | 16th | 1957 | 23 June 1959 | 9th Government | FF | Seán Lemass | Seán MacEntee |
| Ireland | 17th | 1961 | 11 October 1961 | 10th Government | FF (minority) | Seán Lemass | Seán MacEntee |
| Ireland | 18th | 1965 | 21 April 1965 | 11th Government | FF | Seán Lemass | Frank Aiken |
| Ireland | 18th | 1965 | 10 November 1966 | 12th Government | FF | Jack Lynch | Frank Aiken |
| Ireland | 19th | 1969 | 2 July 1969 | 13th Government | FF | Jack Lynch | Erskine H. Childers |
| Ireland | 20th | 1973 | 14 March 1973 | 14th Government | FG–Lab | Liam Cosgrave | Brendan Corish |
| Ireland | 21st | 1977 | 5 July 1977 | 15th Government | FF | Jack Lynch | George Colley |
| Ireland | 21st | 1977 | 11 December 1979 | 16th Government | FF | Charles Haughey | George Colley |
| Ireland | 22nd | 1981 | 30 June 1981 | 17th Government | FG–Lab (minority) | Garret FitzGerald | Michael O'Leary |
| Ireland | 23rd | Feb. 1982 | 9 March 1982 | 18th Government | FF (minority) | Charles Haughey | Ray MacSharry |
| Ireland | 24th | Nov. 1982 | 14 December 1982 | 19th Government | FG–Lab FG (minority) from Jan. 1987 | Garret FitzGerald | Dick Spring |
| Ireland | 24th | Nov. 1982 | 14 December 1982 | 19th Government | FG–Lab FG (minority) from Jan. 1987 | Garret FitzGerald | Peter Barry |
| Ireland | 25th | 1987 | 10 March 1987 | 20th Government | FF (minority) | Charles Haughey | Brian Lenihan |
| Ireland | 26th | 1989 | 12 July 1989 | 21st Government | FF–PD | Charles Haughey | Brian Lenihan |
| Ireland | 26th | 1989 | 12 July 1989 | 21st Government | FF–PD | Charles Haughey | John Wilson |
| Ireland | 26th | 1989 | 11 February 1992 | 22nd Government | FF–PD | Albert Reynolds | John Wilson |
| Ireland | 27th | 1992 | 12 January 1993 | 23rd Government | FF–Lab FF (minority) from Nov. 1994 | Albert Reynolds | Dick Spring |
| Ireland | 27th | 1992 | 12 January 1993 | 23rd Government | FF–Lab FF (minority) from Nov. 1994 | Albert Reynolds | Bertie Ahern |
| Ireland | 27th | 1992 | 15 December 1994 | 24th Government | FG–Lab–DL | John Bruton | Dick Spring |
| Ireland | 28th | 1997 | 26 June 1997 | 25th Government | FF–PD (minority) | Bertie Ahern | Mary Harney |
| Ireland | 29th | 2002 | 6 June 2002 | 26th Government | FF–PD | Bertie Ahern | Mary Harney |
| Ireland | 29th | 2002 | 6 June 2002 | 26th Government | FF–PD | Bertie Ahern | Michael McDowell |
| Ireland | 30th | 2007 | 14 June 2007 | 27th Government | FF–Gr–PD | Bertie Ahern | Brian Cowen |
| Ireland | 30th | 2007 | 7 May 2008 | 28th Government | FF–Gr–PD FF–Gr–Ind from Nov. 2009 FF (minority) from Jan. 2011 | Brian Cowen | Mary Coughlan |
| Ireland | 31st | 2011 | 9 March 2011 | 29th Government | FG–Lab | Enda Kenny | Eamon Gilmore |
| Ireland | 31st | 2011 | 9 March 2011 | 29th Government | FG–Lab | Enda Kenny | Joan Burton |
| Ireland | 32nd | 2016 | 6 May 2016 | 30th Government | FG–Ind (minority) | Enda Kenny | Frances Fitzgerald |
| Ireland | 32nd | 2016 | 14 June 2017 | 31st Government | FG–Ind (minority) | Leo Varadkar | Frances Fitzgerald |
| Ireland | 32nd | 2016 | 14 June 2017 | 31st Government | FG–Ind (minority) | Leo Varadkar | Simon Coveney |
| Ireland | 33rd | 2020 | 26 June 2020 | 32nd Government | FF–FG–Gr | Micheál Martin | Leo Varadkar |
| Ireland | 33rd | 2020 | 17 December 2022 | 33rd Government | FG–FF–Gr | Leo Varadkar | Micheál Martin |

**Footnotes**

* ↑ Éamon de Valera used the title President of the Republic from August 1921 to January 1922.
* ↑ On 17 June 1919 Griffith was appointed Deputy President.
* 1 2 The 4th Ministry and 1st Provisional Government held office simultaneously.
* ↑ Collins was killed on 22 August 1922. Cosgrave was appointed as Chairman of the Provisional Government on 25 August 1922.
* ↑ The 5th Dáil Ministry was formed on 9 September 1922 with the same composition as the Second Provisional Government
* ↑ The 8th Executive Council became the 1st Government of Ireland on the coming into operation of the Constitution of Ireland.
* ↑ On 19 June 1945 Lemass was appointed as Tánaiste after the election of O'Kelly as President of Ireland.
* ↑ On 20 January 1987 Spring and the other Labour ministers resigned from government and Barry was appointed as Tánaiste.
* ↑ On 31 October 1990 Lenihan was dismissed as Tánaiste and on 13 November 1990 Wilson was appointed.
* ↑ On 18 November 1994 Spring and the other Labour ministers resigned from government and Ahern was appointed as Tánaiste.
* ↑ On 13 September 2006 Harney resigned as Tánaiste and McDowell was appointed in her place.
* ↑ On 11 July 2014 Gilmore resigned as Tánaiste and Burton was appointed in his place.
* ↑ On 30 November 2017 Fitzgerald resigned as Tánaiste and Coveney was appointed in her place.

## Northern Ireland

The current devolved branch of Northern Ireland is known as the Northern Ireland Executive, established under the Good Friday Agreement. The Executive has been in operation, intermittently, since 1999, and is current operational. Since 1921, Northern Ireland has been governed by two other devolved cabinets: Executive Committee of the Privy Council from 1921 to 1972 and the Northern Ireland Executive of 1974. Northern Ireland has also been governed by direct rule from 1972 to 1974, 1974–98 and 2002–07.

### Types of government since 1921

| Cabinet | Head | Deputy | Act | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Executive Committee of the Privy Council | Prime Minister of Northern Ireland | Minister of Finance | Government of Ireland Act 1920 | 7 June 1921 – 30 March 1972 |
| Executive (1974) | Chief Executive | Deputy Chief Executive | Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 | 1 January 1974 – 28 May 1974 |
| Executive | First Minister | Deputy First Minister | Northern Ireland Act 1998 | 1 July 1998 – 14 October 2002 8 May 2007 – present |

### Direct rule

* The Northern Ireland Office under the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, established initially by the Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972 and later Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973.

### Cabinets since 1921

| Body | Election/Formed | Cabinet | Head | Deputy | Deputy | Parties |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1st House of Commons | 1921 election | Craigavon ministry | James Craig | | Hugh MacDowell Pollock | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 2nd House of Commons | 1925 election | Craigavon ministry | James Craig | | Hugh MacDowell Pollock | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 3rd House of Commons | 1929 election | Craigavon ministry | James Craig | | Hugh MacDowell Pollock | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 4th House of Commons | 1933 election | Craigavon ministry | James Craig | | Hugh MacDowell Pollock | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 4th House of Commons | 1933 election | Craigavon ministry | James Craig | | John Miller Andrews | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 5th House of Commons | 1938 election | Craigavon ministry | James Craig | | John Miller Andrews | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 5th House of Commons | 1940 | Andrews ministry | John Miller Andrews | None | None | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 5th House of Commons | 1940 | Andrews ministry | John Miller Andrews | | John Milne Barbour | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 5th House of Commons | 1943 | Brookeborough ministry | Basil Brooke | | John Maynard Sinclair | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 6th House of Commons | 1945 election | Brookeborough ministry | Basil Brooke | | John Maynard Sinclair | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 7th House of Commons | 1949 election | Brookeborough ministry | Basil Brooke | | John Maynard Sinclair | Ulster Unionist Party |
| Ulster Unionist Party ||
| 7th House of Commons | 1949 election | Brookeborough ministry | Basil Brooke | | Brian Maginess | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 8th House of Commons | 1953 election | Brookeborough ministry | Basil Brooke | | Brian Maginess | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 8th House of Commons | 1953 election | Brookeborough ministry | Basil Brooke | | George Boyle Hanna | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 8th House of Commons | 1953 election | Brookeborough ministry | Basil Brooke | | Terence O'Neill | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 9th House of Commons | 1958 election | Brookeborough ministry | Basil Brooke | | Terence O'Neill | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 10th House of Commons | 1962 election | Brookeborough ministry | Basil Brooke | | Terence O'Neill | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 10th House of Commons | 1963 | O'Neill ministry | Terence O'Neill | | Jack Andrews | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 10th House of Commons | 1963 | O'Neill ministry | Terence O'Neill | | Ivan Neill | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 10th House of Commons | 1963 | O'Neill ministry | Terence O'Neill | | Herbert Kirk | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 11th House of Commons | 1965 election | O'Neill ministry | Terence O'Neill | | Herbert Kirk | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 12th House of Commons | 1969 election | O'Neill ministry | Terence O'Neill | | Herbert Kirk | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 12th House of Commons | 1969 (May) | Chichester-Clark ministry | James Chichester-Clark | | Jack Andrews | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 12th House of Commons | 1971 | Faulkner ministry | Brian Faulkner | | Jack Andrews | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 12th House of Commons | 1972 | Direct rule | Secretary of State William Whitelaw | Secretary of State William Whitelaw | Secretary of State William Whitelaw | Conservative Party |
| 1973 Assembly | 1973 election | Direct rule | Secretary of State William Whitelaw | Secretary of State William Whitelaw | Secretary of State William Whitelaw | Conservative Party |
| 1973 Assembly | 1973 (Dec) | Direct rule | Secretary of State Francis Pym | Secretary of State Francis Pym | Secretary of State Francis Pym | Conservative Party |
| 1973 Assembly | 1974 (Jan) | Executive (1974) | Brian Faulkner | | Gerry Fitt | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 1973 Assembly | 1974 (Jan) | Executive (1974) | Brian Faulkner | | Gerry Fitt | Social Democratic and Labour Party |
| 1973 Assembly | 1974 (Jan) | Executive (1974) | Brian Faulkner | | Gerry Fitt | Alliance Party of Northern Ireland |
| 1973 Assembly | 1974 (May) | Direct rule | Secretary of State Merlyn Rees | Secretary of State Merlyn Rees | Secretary of State Merlyn Rees | Labour Party |
| Constitutional Convention | 1975 election | Direct rule | Secretary of State Merlyn Rees | Secretary of State Merlyn Rees | Secretary of State Merlyn Rees | Labour Party |
| Constitutional Convention | 1976 | Direct rule | Secretary of State Roy Mason | Secretary of State Roy Mason | Secretary of State Roy Mason | Labour Party |
| Constitutional Convention | 1979 | Direct rule | Secretary of State Humphrey Atkins | Secretary of State Humphrey Atkins | Secretary of State Humphrey Atkins | Conservative Party |
| Constitutional Convention | 1981 | Direct rule | Secretary of State James Prior | Secretary of State James Prior | Secretary of State James Prior | Conservative Party |
| 1982 Assembly | 1982 election | Direct rule | Secretary of State James Prior | Secretary of State James Prior | Secretary of State James Prior | Conservative Party |
| 1982 Assembly | 1984 | Direct rule | Secretary of State Douglas Hurd | Secretary of State Douglas Hurd | Secretary of State Douglas Hurd | Conservative Party |
| 1982 Assembly | 1985 | Direct rule | Secretary of State Tom King | Secretary of State Tom King | Secretary of State Tom King | Conservative Party |
| 1982 Assembly | 1989 | Direct rule | Secretary of State Peter Brooke | Secretary of State Peter Brooke | Secretary of State Peter Brooke | Conservative Party |
| 1982 Assembly | 1992 | Direct rule | Secretary of State Patrick Mayhew | Secretary of State Patrick Mayhew | Secretary of State Patrick Mayhew | Conservative Party |
| Forum | 1996 election | Direct rule | Secretary of State Patrick Mayhew | Secretary of State Patrick Mayhew | Secretary of State Patrick Mayhew | Conservative Party |
| Forum | 1997 | Direct rule | Secretary of State Mo Mowlam | Secretary of State Mo Mowlam | Secretary of State Mo Mowlam | Labour Party |
| 1st Assembly | 1998 election | 1st Executive | David Trimble | | Seamus Mallon | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 1st Assembly | 1998 election | 1st Executive | David Trimble | | Seamus Mallon | Social Democratic and Labour Party |
| 1st Assembly | 1998 election | 1st Executive | David Trimble | | Mark Durkan | Democratic Unionist Party |
| 1st Assembly | 1998 election | 1st Executive | David Trimble | | Mark Durkan | Sinn Féin |
| 2nd Assembly | 2003 election | Direct rule | Secretary of State John Reid | Secretary of State John Reid | Secretary of State John Reid | Labour Party |
| 2nd Assembly | 2002 | Direct rule | Secretary of State Paul Murphy | Secretary of State Paul Murphy | Secretary of State Paul Murphy | Labour Party |
| 2nd Assembly | 2005 | Direct rule | Secretary of State Peter Hain | Secretary of State Peter Hain | Secretary of State Peter Hain | Labour Party |
| 3rd Assembly | 2007 election | 2nd Executive | Ian Paisley | | Martin McGuinness | Democratic Unionist Party |
| 3rd Assembly | 2007 election | 2nd Executive | Ian Paisley | | Martin McGuinness | Sinn Féin |
| 3rd Assembly | 2007 election | 2nd Executive | Peter Robinson | | Martin McGuinness | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 3rd Assembly | 2007 election | 2nd Executive | Peter Robinson | | Martin McGuinness | Social Democratic and Labour Party |
| 3rd Assembly | 2007 election | 2nd Executive | Peter Robinson | | Martin McGuinness | Alliance Party of Northern Ireland |
| 4th Assembly | 2011 election | 3rd Executive | Peter Robinson | | Martin McGuinness | Democratic Unionist Party |
| 4th Assembly | 2011 election | 3rd Executive | Peter Robinson | | Martin McGuinness | Sinn Féin |
| 4th Assembly | 2011 election | 3rd Executive | Peter Robinson | | Martin McGuinness | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 4th Assembly | 2011 election | 3rd Executive | Peter Robinson | | Martin McGuinness | Social Democratic and Labour Party |
| 4th Assembly | 2011 election | 3rd Executive | Peter Robinson | | Martin McGuinness | Alliance Party of Northern Ireland |
| 5th Assembly | 2016 election | 4th Executive | Arlene Foster | | Martin McGuinness | Democratic Unionist Party |
| 5th Assembly | 2016 election | 4th Executive | Arlene Foster | | Martin McGuinness | Sinn Féin |
| 6th Assembly | 2017 election | 5th Executive | Arlene Foster | | Michelle O'Neill | Democratic Unionist Party |
| 6th Assembly | 2017 election | 5th Executive | Arlene Foster | | Michelle O'Neill | Sinn Féin |
| 6th Assembly | 2017 election | 5th Executive | Arlene Foster | | Michelle O'Neill | Social Democratic and Labour Party |
| 6th Assembly | 2017 election | 5th Executive | Arlene Foster | | Michelle O'Neill | Ulster Unionist Party |
| 6th Assembly | 2017 election | 5th Executive | Arlene Foster | | Michelle O'Neill | Alliance Party of Northern Ireland |

**Footnotes**

* ↑ From 3 May 1969, a separate and distinct office of Deputy Prime Minister was created.
* ↑ Although the 6th Assembly was elected in 2017, the Executive itself was not appointed until 2020, with no Executive existing between 16 January 2017 and 11 January 2020.
