Cathaoirleach

Cathaoirleach (/kəˈhɪərləx/ (listen);[2] Irish for chairperson; plural: Cathaoirligh) is the title of the chair (or presiding officer) of Seanad Éireann, the sixty-member upper house of the Oireachtas, the legislature of Ireland. The current Cathaoirleach, who has held the office since 8 June 2016, is Fianna Fáil Senator Denis O'Donovan.

This article is about the Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann. For other uses, see Cathaoirleach (disambiguation).

Cathaoirleach of
Seanad Éireann
Incumbent
Denis O'Donovan
since 8 June 2016
AppointerElected by the members of Seanad Éireann at start of a new term after a general election.
Term lengthNo term limits are imposed on the office.
Inaugural holderLord Glenavy
Formation6 December 1922
Salary€114,130 annually[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

Powers and functions

The Cathaoirleach is the sole judge of order, and has a range of powers and functions, namely:[3]

  • Calls on members to speak and all speeches must be addressed to the Chair.
  • Puts such questions to the House as are required, supervises Divisions and declares the results.
  • Has authority to suppress disorder, to enforce prompt obedience to Rulings and may order members to withdraw from the House or name them for suspension by the House itself for a period.
  • In the case of great disorder can suspend or adjourn the House.

The Cathaoirleach is also an ex officio member of the Council of State, which advises the president of Ireland in the exercise of their disretionary powers, and of the Presidential Commission, which performs the powers and functions of the office of president in their absence.

List of office-holders

Cathaoirleach

This list includes the panel (since 1938) and political affiliation of each Cathaoirleach, as well as the number of their Seanad Éireann and time they spent in the position.

No. Name[4]
(Birth–Death)		 Portrait Term of office Party Panel Seanad
1. Lord Glenavy
(1851–1931)		 6 December 1922 6 December 1928 Independent N/A 1922
1925
2. Thomas Westropp Bennett
(1867–1962)		 6 December 1928 19 May 1936[5] Cumann na nGaedheal N/A 1928
1931
1934
3. Seán Gibbons
(1883–1952)		 27 April 1938[5] 8 September 1943 Fianna Fáil Agricultural Panel 2nd
3rd
4. Seán Goulding
(1877–1959)		 8 September 1943 21 April 1948 Fianna Fáil Industrial and Commercial Panel
(1943–1944)		 4th
Administrative Panel
(1944–1948)		 5th
5. Timothy O'Donovan
(1881–1951)		 21 April 1948 14 August 1951 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel 6th
6. Liam Ó Buachalla
(1899–1970)		 14 August 1951 22 July 1954 Fianna Fáil Cultural and Educational Panel 7th
7 Patrick Baxter
(1891–1959)		 22 July 1954 22 May 1957 Clann na Talmhan Agricultural Panel 8th
(6) Liam Ó Buachalla
(1899–1970)		 22 May 1957 5 November 1969 Fianna Fáil Cultural and Educational Panel 9th
10th
11th
8. Michael Yeats
(1921–2007)		 5 November 1969 3 January 1973 Fianna Fáil Cultural and Educational Panel 12th
9. Micheál Cranitch
(1912–1999)		 3 January 1973 1 June 1973 Fianna Fáil Nominated by the Taoiseach
10. James Dooge
(1922–2010)		 1 June 1973 27 October 1977 Fine Gael Industrial and Commercial Panel 13th
11. Séamus Dolan
(1914–2010)		 27 October 1977 8 October 1981 Fianna Fáil Labour Panel 14th
12. Charles McDonald
(born 1935)		 8 October 1981 13 May 1982 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel 15th
13. Tras Honan
(born 1930)		 13 May 1982 23 February 1983 Fianna Fáil Administrative Panel 16th
14. Patrick J. Reynolds
(1920–2003)		 23 February 1983 25 April 1987 Fine Gael Industrial and Commercial Panel 17th
(13) Tras Honan
(born 1930)		 25 April 1987 1 November 1989 Fianna Fáil Administrative Panel 18th
15. Seán Doherty
(1944–2005)		 1 November 1989 23 January 1992 Fianna Fáil Administrative Panel 19th
16. Seán Fallon
(1937–1995)		 23 January 1992 12 July 1995 Fianna Fáil Industrial and Commercial Panel
20th
17. Liam Naughten
(1944–1996)		 12 July 1995 16 November 1996 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel
18. Brian Mullooly
(born 1935)		 16 November 1996 27 November 1996 Fianna Fáil Labour Panel
19. Liam T. Cosgrave
(born 1956)		 27 November 1996 17 September 1997 Fine Gael Industrial and Commercial Panel
(18) Brian Mullooly
(born 1935)		 17 September 1997 12 September 2002 Fianna Fáil Labour Panel 21st
20. Rory Kiely
(1934–2018)		 12 September 2002 13 September 2007 Fianna Fáil Agricultural Panel 22nd
21. Pat Moylan
(born 1946)		 13 September 2007 25 May 2011 Fianna Fáil Agricultural Panel 23rd
22. Paddy Burke
(born 1955)		 25 May 2011 8 June 2016 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel 24th
23. Denis O'Donovan
(born 1955)		 8 June 2016 Incumbent Fianna Fáil Agricultural Panel 25th

Leas-Chathaoirleach

The Cathaoirleach's deputy is the Leas-Chathaoirleach.

No. Name(Birth–Death) Portrait Term of office Party Panel Seanad
1. Michael F. O'Hanlon
(1890–1967)		 6 December 1931 12 December 1934 Cumann na nGaedheal N/A 1931
2. Michael Comyn
(1871–1952)		 12 December 1934 27 April 1938 Fianna Fáil N/A 1934
3. 2nd
4. 3rd
5. 4th
6. Timothy O'Donovan
(1881–1957)		 18 August 1944 21 April 1948 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel 5th
7. Seán Goulding
(1877–1959)		 21 April 1948 14 August 1951 Fianna Fáil Administrative Panel 6th
8. 7th
9. 8th
10. 9th
11. 10th
12. 11th
13. 12th
14. 13th
15. Joe McCartin
(born 1939)		 2 November 1977 9 October 1981 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel 14th
16. Séamus Dolan
(1914–2010)		 9 October 1981 19 May 1982 Fianna Fáil Labour Panel 15th
17. Charles McDonald
(born 1935)		 19 May 1982 9 March 1983 Fianna Fáil Labour Panel 16th
18. Tras Honan
(born 1930)		 9 March 1983 25 April 1987 Fianna Fáil Administrative Panel 17th
19. 18th
20. 19th
21. 20th
22. 21st
23. 22nd
24. Paddy Burke
(born 1955)		 13 September 2007 25 May 2011 Fine Gael Agricultural Panel 23rd
25. Denis O'Donovan
(born 1955)		 25 May 2011 8 June 2016 Fianna Fáil Industrial and Commercial Panel 24th
26. Paul Coghlan
(born 1944)		 15 June 2016 27 March 2020 Fine Gael Industrial and Commercial Panel 25th
27. 26th

See also

References
  1. "TDs and Senators salaries". Houses of the Oireachtas. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  2. For the pronunciation in Irish, see here.
  3. "Cathaoirleach". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  4. "Former Cinn Comhairle and Cathaoirligh". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  5. The final sitting of Seanad Éireann of the Irish Free State was held on 19 May 1936. The Seanad was abolished on 29 May 1936. The election for the new Seanad, set up in accordance with the 1937 Constitution of Ireland, was held on 28 March 1938, and the first sitting was held on 27 April 1938.

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