21st Dáil

21st Dáil
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Overview
Legislative bodyDáil Éireann
JurisdictionIreland
Meeting placeLeinster House
Term5 July 1977 – 21 May 1981
Election1977 general election
Government
Members148
Ceann ComhairlePádraig Faulkner
— Joseph Brennan
until 13 July 1980
TaoiseachCharles Haughey
— Jack Lynch
until 11 December 1979
TánaisteGeorge Colley
Chief WhipSeán Moore
— Michael Woods
until 11 December 1979
— Patrick Lalor
until 1 July 1979
Leader of the OppositionGarret FitzGerald
Sessions
1st5 July 1977 – 6 July 1977
2nd12 October 1977 – 29 June 1978
3rd11 October 1978 – 18 July 1979
4th17 October 1979 – 26 June 1980
5th15 October 1980 – 21 May 1981

The 21st Dáil was elected at the 1977 general election on 16 June 1977 and met on 5 July 1977. The members of Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Ireland, are known as TDs. It sat with the 14th Seanad as the two Houses of the Oireachtas.

The 21st Dáil saw a change of Taoiseach from Jack Lynch to Charles Haughey. On 21 May 1981, President Patrick Hillery dissolved the Dáil on the request of Taoiseach Charles Haughey. The 21st Dáil lasted 1,417 days.

Composition of the 21st Dáil

Party July 1977 May 1981 Change
● Fianna Fáil 84 81 Decrease 3
Fine Gael 43 45 Increase 2
Labour 17 16 Decrease 1
Independent 4 4 Steady
Ceann Comhairle — 1 Increase 1
Vacant — 1 Increase 1
Total 166

In July 1977, Fianna Fáil, denoted with a bullet (●), formed the 15th government of Ireland, a majority government, led by Jack Lynch as Taoiseach. In December 1979, Charles Haughey succeeded as Fianna Fáil leader and Taoiseach, forming the 16th government of Ireland.

Graphical representation

This is a graphical comparison of party strengths in the 21st Dáil from July 1977. This was not the official seating plan.


Ceann Comhairle

On the meeting of the Dáil, Joseph Brennan (FF) was proposed by Jack Lynch (FF) and seconded by George Colley (FF) for the position of Ceann Comhairle. Seán Treacy (Lab) was proposed by Garret FitzGerald (FG) and seconded by Joseph Bermingham (Lab) for the position. Brennan was elected by a vote of 84 to 60.[1]

Brennan died on 13 July 1980.[2] On 15 October 1980, Pádraig Faulkner (FF) was appointed Ceann Comhairle on a temporary basis.[3] On 16 October 1980, Faulkner was proposed by Jack Lynch for the position on a permanent basis, and was elected without a vote.[4]

TDs by constituency

The list of the 148 TDs elected is given in alphabetical order by Dáil constituency.[5]

Members of the 21st Dáil
Constituency Name Party
Carlow–Kilkenny Liam Aylward Fianna Fáil
Kieran Crotty Fine Gael
Jim Gibbons Fianna Fáil
Tom Nolan Fianna Fáil
Séamus Pattison Labour
Cavan–Monaghan John Conlan Fine Gael
Tom Fitzpatrick Fine Gael
Jimmy Leonard Fianna Fáil
Rory O'Hanlon Fianna Fáil
John Wilson Fianna Fáil
Clare Sylvester Barrett Fianna Fáil
Brendan Daly Fianna Fáil
Frank Taylor Fine Gael
Cork City Peter Barry Fine Gael
Seán French Fianna Fáil
Patrick Kerrigan Labour
Jack Lynch Fianna Fáil
Pearse Wyse Fianna Fáil
Cork Mid Barry Cogan Fianna Fáil
Donal Creed Fine Gael
Eileen Desmond Labour
Gene Fitzgerald Fianna Fáil
Thomas Meaney Fianna Fáil
Cork North-East Richard Barry Fine Gael
Seán Brosnan Fianna Fáil
Jerry Cronin Fianna Fáil
Patrick Hegarty Fine Gael
Cork South-West Michael Murphy Labour
Jim O'Keeffe Fine Gael
Joe Walsh Fianna Fáil
Donegal Neil Blaney[a] Independent
Joseph Brennan Fianna Fáil
Hugh Conaghan Fianna Fáil
Paddy Harte Fine Gael
James White Fine Gael
Dublin Artane Noël Browne Independent
Charles Haughey Fianna Fáil
Timothy Killeen Fianna Fáil
Dublin Ballyfermot Eileen Lemass Fianna Fáil
Jim Mitchell Fine Gael
John O'Connell Labour
Dublin Cabra Hugh Byrne Fine Gael
Vivion de Valera Fianna Fáil
Tom Leonard Fianna Fáil
Dublin Clontarf George Colley Fianna Fáil
Michael Joe Cosgrave Fine Gael
Michael Woods Fianna Fáil
Dublin County Mid Síle de Valera Fianna Fáil
Larry McMahon Fine Gael
Seán Walsh Fianna Fáil
Dublin County North John Boland Fine Gael
Ray Burke Fianna Fáil
Joe Fox Fianna Fáil
Dublin County South Niall Andrews Fianna Fáil
John Horgan Labour
John Kelly Fine Gael
Dublin County West Mark Clinton Fine Gael
Liam Lawlor Fianna Fáil
Brian Lenihan Fianna Fáil
Dublin Finglas Bertie Ahern Fianna Fáil
Luke Belton Fine Gael
Jim Tunney Fianna Fáil
Dublin North-Central Vincent Brady Fianna Fáil
Michael Keating Fine Gael
Michael O'Leary Labour
Dublin Rathmines West Gerard Brady Fianna Fáil
Ben Briscoe Fianna Fáil
Richie Ryan Fine Gael
Dublin South-Central Frank Cluskey Labour
Tom Fitzpatrick Fianna Fáil
Fergus O'Brien Fine Gael
Dublin South-East Garret FitzGerald Fine Gael
Seán Moore Fianna Fáil
Ruairi Quinn Labour
Dún Laoghaire David Andrews Fianna Fáil
Barry Desmond Labour
Liam Cosgrave Fine Gael
Martin O'Donoghue Fianna Fáil
Galway East Johnny Callanan Fianna Fáil
John Donnellan Fine Gael
Thomas Hussey Fianna Fáil
Mark Killilea Jnr Fianna Fáil
Galway West Máire Geoghegan-Quinn Fianna Fáil
Bill Loughnane Fianna Fáil
John Mannion Jnr Fine Gael
Bobby Molloy Fianna Fáil
Kerry North Kit Ahern Fianna Fáil
Tom McEllistrim Fianna Fáil
Dan Spring Labour
Kerry South Michael Begley Fine Gael
Timothy O'Connor Fianna Fáil
John O'Leary Fianna Fáil
Kildare Joseph Bermingham Labour
Charlie McCreevy Fianna Fáil
Paddy Power Fianna Fáil
Laois–Offaly Ger Connolly Fianna Fáil
Bernard Cowen Fianna Fáil
Tom Enright Fine Gael
Oliver J. Flanagan Fine Gael
Patrick Lalor Fianna Fáil
Limerick East Michael Herbert Fianna Fáil
Michael Lipper Independent
Tom O'Donnell Fine Gael
Desmond O'Malley Fianna Fáil
Limerick West Gerry Collins Fianna Fáil
Michael J. Noonan Fianna Fáil
William O'Brien Fine Gael
Longford–Westmeath Seán Keegan Fianna Fáil
Gerry L'Estrange Fine Gael
Albert Reynolds Fianna Fáil
Joe Sheridan Independent
Louth Paddy Donegan Fine Gael
Joseph Farrell Fianna Fáil
Pádraig Faulkner Fianna Fáil
Eddie Filgate Fianna Fáil
Mayo East Seán Calleary Fianna Fáil
P. J. Morley Fianna Fáil
Paddy O'Toole Fine Gael
Mayo West Pádraig Flynn Fianna Fáil
Denis Gallagher Fianna Fáil
Enda Kenny Fine Gael
Meath John Bruton Fine Gael
Brendan Crinion Fianna Fáil
Jim Fitzsimons Fianna Fáil
James Tully Labour
Roscommon–Leitrim Joan Burke Fine Gael
Seán Doherty Fianna Fáil
Terry Leyden Fianna Fáil
Sligo–Leitrim James Gallagher Fianna Fáil
Eugene Gilhawley Fine Gael
Ray MacSharry Fianna Fáil
Tipperary North Michael O'Kennedy Fianna Fáil
John Ryan Labour
Michael Smith Fianna Fáil
Tipperary South Noel Davern Fianna Fáil
Brendan Griffin Fine Gael
Seán Treacy Labour
Waterford Edward Collins Fine Gael
Austin Deasy Fine Gael
Jackie Fahey Fianna Fáil
Billy Kenneally Fianna Fáil
Wexford Lorcan Allen Fianna Fáil
Seán Browne Fianna Fáil
Brendan Corish Labour
Michael D'Arcy Fine Gael
Wicklow Liam Kavanagh Labour
Ciarán Murphy Fianna Fáil
Godfrey Timmins Fine Gael
  1. ^ Blaney was a member of Independent Fianna Fáil.

Changes

Date Constituency Loss Gain Note
5 July 1977 Donegal Fianna Fáil Ceann Comhairle Joseph Brennan takes office as Ceann Comhairle[1]
18 April 1979 Cork North-East Fianna Fáil   Death of Seán Brosnan
4 July 1979 Cork City Labour   Death of Patrick Kerrigan
7 November 1979 Cork North-East   Fine Gael Myra Barry wins seat vacated by the death of Brosnan
7 November 1979 Cork City   Fine Gael Liam Burke wins seat vacated by the death of Kerrigan
13 July 1980 Donegal Ceann Comhairle   Death of Joseph Brennan
16 October 1980 Louth Fianna Fáil Ceann Comhairle Pádraig Faulkner takes office as Ceann Comhairle[4]
6 November 1980 Donegal   Fianna Fáil Clement Coughlan holds seat vacated by the death of Brennan
27 January 1981 Tipperary North Fianna Fáil   Resignation of Michael O'Kennedy on appointment as EC Commissioner[6]

On 11 February 1981, a motion to move the writ for the vacancy in Tipperary North was rejected on a vote of 40 to 66.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b "Election of Ceann Comhairle – Dáil Éireann (21st Dáil) – Vol. 300 No. 1". Houses of the Oireachtas. 5 July 1977. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Death of Ceann Comhairle: Expression of Sympathy – Dáil Éireann (21st Dáil) – Vol. 323 No. 1". Houses of the Oireachtas. 15 October 1980. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Office of Ceann Comhairle – Dáil Éireann (21st Dáil) – Vol. 323 No. 1". Houses of the Oireachtas. 15 October 1980. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Office of Ceann Comhairle – Dáil Éireann (21st Dáil) – Vol. 323 No. 2". Houses of the Oireachtas. 16 October 1980. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  5. ^ "TDs & Senators (21st Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Resignation of Member – Dáil Éireann (21st Dáil) – Vol. 326 No. 1". Houses of the Oireachtas. 27 January 1981. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Issue of Writ: Motion – Dáil Éireann (21st Dáil) – Vol. 326 No. 8". Houses of the Oireachtas. 11 February 1981. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2022.