Leader of Fine Gael

Leader of Fine Gael
Incumbent Enda Kenny, TD since 5 June 2002
Inaugural holder	Eoin O'Duffy
Formation	8 September 1933
Deputy	Senator James Reilly[1]
Website	Enda Kenny, TD

The Leader of Fine Gael is the most senior politician within the Fine Gael political party in Ireland. Since 5 June 2002, the office has been held by Enda Kenny following the resignation of Michael Noonan as leader of the party.^[2]

The Deputy Leader of Fine Gael is Senator James Reilly.^[3]

Background

In September 1933, Cumann na nGaedheal, the National Centre Party and the National Guard (previously called the Army Comrades Association better known as The Blueshirts) merged to form Fine Gael – the United Ireland party. Eoin O'Duffy, leader of the National Guard, though not a member of the Oireachtas, became the first party leader, with former President of the Executive Council W. T. Cosgrave serving as parliamentary leader. The merger brought together two strands of Irish nationalism namely the pro-treaty wing of revolutionary Sinn Féin and the old Home Rule party represented by James Dillon and the National Centre Party. In reality, the new party was a larger version of Cumann na nGaedheal, the party created in 1923 by the pro-Treaty leaders of the Irish Free State under W. T. Cosgrave.

W. T . Cosgrave retired as leader before the 1944 general election, and he was succeeded by Richard Mulcahy. Mulcahy was then member of the Seanad, so Tom O'Higgins acted as parliamentary party leader. After the 1948 general election, the First Inter-Party Government was formed, but Clann na Poblachta (under former anti-Treaty IRA Chief of Staff Seán MacBride) were opposed to Mulcahy because of his role as Chief of Staff of the Irish Army in the execution of republicans during the Irish Civil War. Mulcahy stepped aside and former Attorney General John A. Costello became Taoiseach, and Mulcahy serving as Minister for Education instead. Between 1948 and 1959, John A. Costello served as parliamentary party leader. Mulcahy retired as leader in 1959 and was replaced by James Dillon. After defeat in the 1965 general election, Dillon resigned and was replaced by Liam Cosgrave, son of W. T. Cosgrave. Liam Cosgrave served as Taoiseach from 1973–77. Cosgrave resigned after the Fine Gael–Labour Party government lost power at the 1977 general election.

Garret FitzGerald succeeded him as leader and served as Taoiseach from June 1981 to March 1982 and December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald resigned in 1987 after losing the 1987 general election and was replaced by Alan Dukes. After defeats at the 1989 general election and the 1990 presidential election, Dukes was replaced by John Bruton in 1990. Following the collapse of the Fianna Fáil–Labour Party government in 1994, Bruton become Taoiseach serving from 1994–97 in a Rainbow coalition with the Labour Party and Democratic Left. Bruton was deposed from leadership in 2001 in favour of Michael Noonan, due in part to fears Fine Gael would suffer severe losses at the 2002 general election. However, Noonan failed to live up to expectations and the party suffered an even greater collapse than had been expected under Bruton. Having gone into the election expecting to increase its seat count from 54 to 60, it only won 31 seats. On the night of the election Michael Noonan resigned as leader after just over a year in office, triggering the third leadership contest in the history of the party. Four candidates put their names forward for the leadership with Enda Kenny emerging as the victor after a secret ballot.

Like other Irish political parties, most notably Fianna Fáil, the Leader of Fine Gael has the power to dismiss or appoint their Deputy and to dismiss or appoint parliamentary party members to front bench positions. When Fine Gael is in opposition the leader usually acts as the Leader of the Opposition, and chairs the opposition front bench. Concordantly, when the party is in government, the leader would usually become Taoiseach, as well as appointing the cabinet.

Leaders

No.		Name	Portrait	Constituency	Term of Office		Taoiseach[nb 1]
	1	Eoin O'Duffy		None[nb 2]	1933	1934		Éamon de Valera (1932–48)
	2	W. T. Cosgrave		Carlow–Kilkenny (until 1927) Cork Borough (from 1927)	1934	1944
	3	Richard Mulcahy [nb 3][nb 4]		Tipperary	1944	1959
								John A. Costello (1948–51)[nb 5]
								Éamon de Valera (1951–54)
								John A. Costello (1954–57)
								Éamon de Valera (1957–59)
	4	James Dillon		Monaghan	1959	1965		Seán Lemass (1959–65)
	5	Liam Cosgrave		Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown	1965	1977		Jack Lynch (1965–73)
								Liam Cosgrave (1973–77)
	6	Garret FitzGerald		Dublin South-East	1977	1987		Jack Lynch (1977–79)
								Charles Haughey (1979–81)
								Garret FitzGerald (1981–82)
								Charles Haughey (1982)
								Garret FitzGerald (1982–87)
	7	Alan Dukes		Kildare	1987	1990		Charles Haughey (1987–92)
	8	John Bruton		Meath	1990	2001
								Albert Reynolds (1992–94)
								John Bruton (1994–97)
								Bertie Ahern (1997–2008)
	9	Michael Noonan		Limerick East	2001	2002
	10	Enda Kenny		Mayo	2002	Incumbent
								Brian Cowen (2008–11)
								Enda Kenny (2011–present)

Deputy leaders

The Deputy leader of Fine Gael is a senior politician within the Fine Gael political party in Ireland. The post is currently held by James Reilly, who was appointed deputy on 1 July 2010.

Like other political party leaders, the leader of Fine Gael has the power to appoint or dismiss their deputy. The position is not an elected one and is largely honorific.

Name	Portrait	Constituency	Term of Office		Office(s)
Tom O'Higgins		Dublin County South	20 April 1972	?
Peter Barry		Cork South-Central	14 September 1977	26 March 1987	Spokesperson on Economic Affairs and Public Services Minister for the Environment Minister for Foreign Affairs Tánaiste
John Bruton		Meath	26 March 1987	20 November 1990	Spokesperson on Industry and Commerce Spokesperson on Education
Peter Barry		Cork South-Central	14 January 1991	5 February 1993	Spokesperson on Industry and Commerce
Nora Owen		Dublin North	3 March 1993	9 February 2001	Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs Minister for Justice Spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Jim Mitchell		Dublin Central	9 February 2001	17 May 2002	Spokesperson on Finance
Richard Bruton		Dublin North-Central	12 June 2002	14 June 2010	Spokesperson on Finance
James Reilly		Dublin North	1 July 2010	11 June 2016	Spokesperson on Health Minister for Health Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Senator

See also

• History of Fine Gael
• Leader of Fianna Fáil
• Leader of the Labour Party (Ireland)
• Leader of Sinn Féin

Notes

1. ↑ The office of head of government was the President of the Executive Council from 1922 to 1937.
2. ↑ O'Duffy did not hold a seat in the Oireachtas while he was party leader.
3. ↑ While Mulcahy was a member of the Seanad in 1944, Tom O'Higgins acted as parliamentary party leader.
4. ↑ Between 1948 and 1959, John A. Costello served as parliamentary party leader.
5. ↑ Clann na Poblachta (under former anti-Treaty IRA Chief of Staff Seán MacBride) were opposed to Mulcahy because of his role as Chief of Staff of the Irish Army in the execution of republicans during the Irish Civil War. Mulcahy stepped aside and former Attorney General John A. Costello was chosen to head the government.

References