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, for example Micheál Martin is considered the 15th Taoiseach.
Electoral history
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!No.
!Name
!Born
!First elected
!class="unsortable"| <!-- party colours -->
!Party
!Constituency
!Left Dáil
|-
|1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|7
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|8
|
|
|
|
|Dublin South-East
|
|-
|9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|10
|
|
|
|
|Meath
|
|-
|11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|12
|
|
|
|
|Laois–Offaly
|
|-
|13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|14
|
|
|
|
|Dublin West
|
|- bgcolor="99FF99"
|15
|
|
|
|
|Cork South-Central
|
|-
|16
|
|
|
|
|Wicklow
|
|}
Periods in office
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!class="unsortable"|No.
!Name
!Entered office
!Left office
!class="unsortable"|Dáil(s)
!class="unsortable"|Period
!class="unsortable"| <!-- party colours -->
!Party
|-
|1
|
|
|
|3rd, 4th, 5th,<br/>6th
|–
|
|-
|2
|
|
|
|7th, 8th, 9th<br/>10th, 11th, 12th
|1st time
|
|-
|3
|
|
|
|13th
|1st time
|
|-
| (2)
|
|
|
|14th
|2nd time
|
|-
|(3)
|
|
|
|15th
|2nd time
|
|-
|(2)
|
|
|
|16th
|3rd time
|
|-
|4
|
|
|
|16th, 17th, 18th
|–
|
|-
|5
|
|
|
|18th, 19th
|1st time
|
|-
|6
|
|
|
|20th
|–
|
|-
|(5)
|
|
|
|21st
|2nd time
|
|-
|7
|
|
|
|21st
|1st time
|
|-
|8
|
|
|
|22nd
|1st time
|
|-
|(7)
|
|
|
|23rd
|2nd time
|
|-
|(8)
|
|
|
|24th
|2nd time
|
|-
|(7)
|
|
|
|25th, 26th
|3rd time
|
|-
|9
|
|
|
|26th, 27th
|–
|
|-
|10
|
|
|
|27th
|–
|
|-
|11
|
|
|
|28th, 29th, 30th
|–
|
|-
|12
|
|
|
|30th
|–
|
|-
|13
|
|
|
|31st, 32nd
|–
|
|-
|14
|
|
|
|32nd
|1st time
|
|-
|15
|
|
|
|33rd
|1st time
|
|-
|(14)
|
|
|
|33rd
|2nd time
|
|-
|16
|
|
|
|33rd
|–
|
|- bgcolor="99FF99"
|(15)
|
|
|Incumbent
|34th
|2nd time
|
|}
Cumulative days served
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|No.
!Name
!First entered office
!Finally left office
!Periods
!Cumulative days
|-
|
|2
|Éamon de Valera
|9 March 1932
|23 June 1959
|3
|7,735 (21 years, 2 months)
|-
|
|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)
|-
|
|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)
|-
|
|13
|Enda Kenny
|9 March 2011
|14 June 2017
|1
|2,289 (6 years, 3 months)
|-
|
|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
<!-- Date adjusted to account for number of days between terms as Taoiseach -->
|1,589 (4 years, 4 months)
|-
|
|6
|Liam Cosgrave
|14 March 1973
|5 July 1977
|1
|1,574 (4 years, 4 months)
|- bgcolor="99FF99
|
|15
|Micheál Martin
|27 June 2020
|Incumbent
|2
<!-- Date adjusted to account for number of days between terms as Taoiseach -->
| ()
|-
|
|9
|Albert Reynolds
|11 February 1992
|15 December 1994
|1
|1,038 (2 years, 10 months)
|-
|
|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)
|-
|
|16
|Simon Harris
|9 April 2024
|23 January 2025
|1
|289 (9 months, 14 days)
|}
Length of individual periods
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|No.
!Name
!Entered office
!Left office
!Period No.
!Period length
!Length<br />in days
|-
|
|2
|Éamon de Valera
|9 March 1932
|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
|-
|
|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
|-
|
|7
|Charles Haughey
|10 March 1987
|11 February 1992
|3
|4 years, 11 months, 1 day
|1,799
|-
|
|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
|-
|
|
|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
|-
|
|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
|- bgcolor="99FF99"
|
|
|Micheál Martin
|23 January 2025
|Incumbent
|2
|
|
|-
|
|16
|Simon Harris
|9 April 2024
|23 January 2025
|1
|9 months, 14 days
|289
|-
|
|
|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
|}
Longevity
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|No.
!Name
!Born
!Died
!Age as of<br/>
|-
|
|6
|Liam Cosgrave
|13 April 1920
|4 October 2017
|
|-
|
|2
|Éamon de Valera
|14 October 1882
|29 August 1975
|
|-
|
|1
|W. T. Cosgrave
|6 June 1880
|16 November 1965
|
|-
|
|8
|Garret FitzGerald
|9 February 1926
|19 May 2011
|
|-
|
|3
|John A. Costello
|20 June 1891
|5 January 1976
|
|-
|
|5
|Jack Lynch
|15 August 1917
|20 October 1999
|
|-
|
|9
|Albert Reynolds
|3 November 1932
|21 August 2014
|
|-
|
|7
|Charles Haughey
|16 September 1925
|13 June 2006
|
|-
|
|10
|John Bruton
|18 May 1947
| 6 February 2024
|
|- bgcolor="99FF99"
|
|13
|Enda Kenny
|24 April 1951
|
|
|- bgcolor="99FF99"
|
|11
|Bertie Ahern
|12 September 1951
|
|
|-
|
|4
|Seán Lemass
|12 July 1899
|11 May 1971
|
|- bgcolor="99FF99"
|
|12
|Brian Cowen
|10 January 1960
|
|
|- bgcolor="99FF99"
|
|15
|Micheál Martin
|1 August 1960
|
|
|- bgcolor="99FF99"
|
|14
|Leo Varadkar
|18 January 1979
|
|
|- bgcolor="99FF99"
|
|16
|Simon Harris
|17 October 1986
|
|
|}
==Age on entering/leaving office== <!-- This section is linked from John Bruton -->
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|No.
!Name
!Born
!Entered office
!Age
!Left office
!Age
|-
|
|16
|Simon Harris
|17 October 1986
|9 April 2024
|
|23 January 2025
|
|-
|
|14
|Leo Varadkar
|18 January 1979
|14 June 2017
|
|9 April 2024
|
|-
|
|1
|W. T. Cosgrave
|6 June 1880
|6 December 1922
|
|9 March 1932
|
|-
|
|11
|Bertie Ahern
|12 September 1951
|26 June 1997
|
|7 May 2008
|
|-
|
|10
|John Bruton
|18 May 1947
|15 December 1994
|
|26 June 1997
|
|-
|
|12
|Brian Cowen
|10 January 1960
|7 May 2008
|
|9 March 2011
|
|-
|
|5
|Jack Lynch
|15 August 1917
|10 November 1966
|
|11 December 1979
|
|-
|
|2
|Éamon de Valera
|14 October 1882
|9 March 1932
|
|23 June 1959
|
|-
|
|6
|Liam Cosgrave
|13 April 1920
|14 March 1973
|
|5 July 1977
|
|-
|
|7
|Charles Haughey
|16 September 1925
|11 December 1979
|
|11 February 1992
|
|-
|
|8
|Garret FitzGerald
|9 February 1926
|30 June 1981
|
|10 March 1987
|
|-
|
|3
|John A. Costello
|20 June 1891
|18 February 1948
|
|20 March 1957
|
|-
|
|9
|Albert Reynolds
|3 November 1932
|11 February 1992
|
|15 December 1994
|
|-
|
|13
|Enda Kenny
|24 April 1951
|9 March 2011
|
|14 June 2017
|
|- bgcolor="99FF99"
|
|15
|Micheál Martin
|1 August 1960
|27 June 2020
|
|Incumbent
|–
|-
|
|4
|Seán Lemass
|12 July 1899
|23 June 1959
|
|10 November 1966
|
|}
Cabinet positions
Listed here are cabinet positions held either before or during holding the office of Taoiseach or President of the Executive Council.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|No.
!Name
!Before or after position of Taoiseach
!While Taoiseach
|-
|
|1
|W. T. Cosgrave
|Minister for Local Government <br/>Minister for Finance <br/>Chairman of the Provisional Government <br/>President of Dáil Éireann
|Minister for Finance <br/>Minister for Defence <br/>Minister for External Affairs
|-
|
|2
|Éamon de Valera
|President of Dáil Éireann
|Minister for External Affairs <br/>Minister for Education <br/>Minister for Local Government and Public Health
|-
|
|3
|John A. Costello
|Attorney General
|Minister for Health
|-
|
|4
|Seán Lemass
|Minister for Industry and Commerce<br/><br/>Minister for Supplies <br/>Tánaiste
|Minister for Justice
|-
|
|5
|Jack Lynch
|Minister for the Gaeltacht <br/>Minister for Education <br/>Minister for Industry and Commerce <br/>Minister for Finance
|Minister for Education
|-
|
|6
|Liam Cosgrave
|Minister for External Affairs
|Minister for Defence
|-
|
|7
|Charles Haughey
|Minister for Justice <br/>Minister for Agriculture <br/>Minister for Finance <br/>Minister for Health <br/>Minister for Social Welfare
|Minister for Education <br/>Minister for the Gaeltacht <br/>Minister for Defence
|-
|
|8
|Garret FitzGerald
|Minister for Foreign Affairs
|Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism
|-
|
|9.
|Albert Reynolds
|Minister for Posts and Telegraphs <br/>Minister for Transport <br/>Minister for Industry and Energy <br/>Minister for Industry and Commerce <br/>Minister for Finance
|Minister for Energy
|-
|
|10
|John Bruton
|Minister for Finance <br/>Minister for Industry and Energy <br/>Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism <br/>Minister for the Public Service
|Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications
|-
|
|11
|Bertie Ahern
|Minister for Labour <br/>Minister for Finance <br/>Minister for Industry and Commerce <br/>Tánaiste <br/>Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht
|
|-
|
|12
|Brian Cowen
|Minister for Labour <br/>Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications <br/>Minister for Health and Children <br/>Minister for Foreign Affairs <br/>Minister for Finance <br/>Tánaiste
|Minister for Foreign Affairs
|-
|
|13
|Enda Kenny
|Minister for Tourism and Trade
|Minister for Defence <br/>Minister for Defence
|-
|
|14
|Leo Varadkar
|Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport <br/>Minister for Health <br/>Minister for Social Protection <br/>Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment <br/>Tánaiste
|Minister for Defence
|- bgcolor="99FF99"
|
|15
|Micheál Martin
|Minister for Education and Science <br/>Minister for Health and Children <br/>Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment <br/>Minister for Foreign Affairs <br/>Minister for Foreign Affairs <br/>Minister for Defence <br/>Tánaiste
|Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine <small>(July 2020 and Aug. 2020)</small>
|-
|
|16
|Simon Harris
|Minister for Health <br/>Minister for Justice <br/>Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science <br/>Tánaiste <br/>Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade <br/>Minister for Defence <br/>Minister for Finance
|
|}
Education
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|No.
!Name
!Second level
!Third level
|-
|
|1
|W. T. Cosgrave
|St. Joseph's Secondary, Fairview
|None
|-
|
|2
|Éamon de Valera
|
|
|-
|
|3
|John A. Costello
|
|University College Dublin
|-
|
|4
|Seán Lemass
|O'Connell School
|University College Cork
|-
|
|5
|Jack Lynch
|North Monastery
|
|-
|
|6
|Liam Cosgrave
|
|King's Inns
|-
|
|7
|Charles Haughey
|St. Joseph's Secondary, Fairview
|University College Dublin
|-
|
|8
|Garret FitzGerald
|Belvedere College
|University College Dublin
|-
|
|9
|Albert Reynolds
|Summerhill College
|None
|-
|
|10
|John Bruton
|Clongowes Wood College
|
|-
|
|11
|Bertie Ahern
|St Aidan's C.B.S.
|College of Commerce, Rathmines
|-
|
|12
|Brian Cowen
|Cistercian College, Roscrea
|
|-
|
|13
|Enda Kenny
|St Gerald's College, Castlebar
|
|-
|
|14
|Leo Varadkar
|The King's Hospital
|Trinity College Dublin
|- bgcolor="99FF99"
|
|15
|Micheál Martin
|Coláiste Chríost Rí
|University College Cork
|-
|
|16
|Simon Harris
|St David's Holy Faith, Greystones
|Dublin Institute of Technology (did not graduate)
|}
Living officeholders
There are currently five living former Taoisigh:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Taoiseach
!Term of office
!Date of birth
|-
|Bertie Ahern
| 1997–2008
|
|-
|Brian Cowen
| 2008–2011
|
|-
|Simon Harris
|2024–2025
|
|-
|Enda Kenny
|2011–2017
|
|-
|Leo Varadkar
|
|
|}
Timeline of living/deceased officeholders
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!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
|}
See also
- History of the Republic of Ireland
- List of Irish heads of government
- Politics of the Republic of Ireland
- Records of members of the Oireachtas
Notes
References
External links
- Official website of the Taoiseach