Members of the 1st Dáil

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The members of the First Dáil, known as Teachtaí Dála (TDs), were the 101[a] Members of Parliament (MPs) returned from constituencies in Ireland at the 1918 United Kingdom general election. In its first general election, Sinn Féin won 73[a] seats and viewed the result as a mandate for independence; in accordance with its declared policy of abstentionism, its 69[a] MPs refused to attend the British House of Commons in Westminster, and established a revolutionary parliament known as Dáil Éireann. The other Irish MPs — 26 unionists and six[b] from the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) — sat at Westminster and for the most part ignored the invitation to attend the Dáil. Thomas Harbison, IPP MP for North East Tyrone, did acknowledge the invitation, but "stated he should decline for obvious reasons".[1] The Dáil met for the first time on 21 January 1919 in Mansion House in Dublin. Only 27 members attended; most of the other Sinn Féin TDs were imprisoned by the British authorities, or in hiding under threat of arrest. All 101 MPs were considered TDs, and their names were called out on the roll of membership, though there was some laughter when Irish Unionist Alliance leader Edward Carson was described as as láthair ("absent").[2] The database of members of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) includes for the First Dáil only those elected for Sinn Féin.[3]

1st Dáil
2nd Dáil
24 of the 27 TDs present at the first Dáil meeting on 21 January 1919, photographed afterwards on the steps of the Mansion House. The caption gives names in Irish.
Overview
Legislative bodyDáil Éireann
JurisdictionIrish Republic
Meeting place
Term21 January 1919 – 10 May 1921
Election1918 general election
Government
Members105[a]
Ceann ComhairleSeán T. O'Kelly
Count Plunkett
22 January 1919
Cathal Brugha
until 22 January 1919
President of Dáil ÉireannÉamon de Valera
Cathal Brugha
until 1 April 1919

Composition of the 1st Dáil

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Party Dec. 1918[c] May 1921[d]
Sinn Féin 73[a] 69
Irish Unionist 22
Irish Parliamentary 6[b] 2
Labour Unionist 3
Ind. Unionist 1 1
UUP 23
Nationalist 4
Unionist Anti-Partition League 2
Vacant 4
Total 105

Government party denoted with bullet ().

Members by constituency

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Constituency Name Portrait Party affiliation Assumed office
Start of Dáil term End of Dáil term
Antrim East Robert McCalmont Irish Unionist Resigned in 1919 Abstained
George Hanna Elected in 1919 by-election
as Independent Unionist
Ulster Unionist Abstained
Antrim Mid Hugh O'Neill Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Antrim North Peter Kerr-Smiley Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Antrim South Charles Curtis Craig Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Armagh Mid James Rolston Lonsdale Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Armagh North William Allen   Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Armagh South Patrick Donnelly Irish Parliamentary Nationalist Abstained
Belfast Cromac William Arthur Lindsay Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Belfast Duncairn Edward Carson   Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Belfast Falls Joseph Devlin   Irish Parliamentary Nationalist Abstained
Belfast Ormeau Thomas Moles   Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Belfast Pottinger Herbert Dixon Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Belfast St Anne's Thomas Henry Burn Labour Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Belfast Shankill Samuel McGuffin Labour Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Belfast Victoria Thompson Donald Labour Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Belfast Woodvale Robert Lynn   Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
County Carlow James Lennon   Sinn Féin 6 August 1920
Cavan East Arthur Griffith[e]   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Tyrone North West
Cavan West Paul Galligan   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Clare East Éamon de Valera[f]   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Mayo East
Clare West Brian O'Higgins   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Cork City Liam de Róiste Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
J. J. Walsh[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Cork East David Kent Sinn Féin 9 May 1919
Cork Mid Terence MacSwiney   Sinn Féin Died in 1920 1 April 1919
Cork North Patrick O'Keeffe Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Cork North East Thomas Hunter Sinn Féin 9 May 1919
Cork South Michael Collins   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Cork South East Diarmuid Lynch   Sinn Féin Resigned in 1920 Never sat in Dáil
Cork West Seán Hayes[g] Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Donegal East Edward Kelly   Irish Parliamentary Abstained
Donegal North Joseph O'Doherty[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Donegal South Peter Ward[g] Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Donegal West Joseph Sweeney[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Down East David Reid Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Down Mid James Craig   Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Down North Thomas Watters Brown Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Down South Jeremiah McVeagh Irish Parliamentary Nationalist Abstained
Down West Daniel M. Wilson Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Dublin Clontarf Richard Mulcahy[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Dublin College Green Seán T. O'Kelly[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Dublin Harbour Philip Shanahan[g] Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Dublin North Frank Lawless   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Dublin Pembroke Desmond FitzGerald   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Dublin Rathmines Maurice Dockrell   Irish Unionist Unionist Anti-Partition League Abstained
Dublin South George Gavan Duffy[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Dublin St James's Joseph McGrath   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Dublin St Michan's Michael Staines[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Dublin St Patrick's Constance Markievicz   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Dublin St Stephen's Green Thomas Kelly[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Dublin University Arthur Samuels Irish Unionist Resigned in 1919 Abstained
Robert Woods   Independent Unionist Abstained
William Jellett Elected in 1919 by-election
as Irish Unionist
Unionist Anti-Partition League Abstained
Fermanagh North Edward Archdale   Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Fermanagh South Seán O'Mahony   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Galway Connemara Pádraic Ó Máille[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Galway East Liam Mellows[h]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1921
Meath North
Galway North Bryan Cusack Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Galway South Frank Fahy   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Kerry East Piaras Béaslaí[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Kerry North James Crowley Sinn Féin 17 June 1919
Kerry South Fionán Lynch Sinn Féin 29 June 1920
Kerry West Austin Stack   Sinn Féin Never sat in 1st Dáil
Kildare North Domhnall Ua Buachalla[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Kildare South Art O'Connor   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Kilkenny North W. T. Cosgrave   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Kilkenny South James O'Mara Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
King's County Patrick McCartan   Sinn Féin Never sat in 1st Dáil
Leitrim James Dolan Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Limerick City Michael Colivet   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Limerick East Richard Hayes   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Limerick West Con Collins[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Londonderry City Eoin MacNeill[g][i]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
National University
Londonderry North Hugh Anderson Irish Unionist Resigned in 1919 Abstained
Hugh T. Barrie Elected in 1919 by-election
as Irish Unionist
Ulster Unionist Abstained
Londonderry South Denis Henry Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Longford Joseph McGuinness   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Louth John J. O'Kelly[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Mayo North John Crowley[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Mayo South William Sears Sinn Féin 19 August 1919
Mayo West Joseph MacBride   Sinn Féin 17 June 1919
Meath South Eamonn Duggan[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Monaghan North Ernest Blythe   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Monaghan South Seán MacEntee   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Queen's County Kevin O'Higgins[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Roscommon North George Noble Plunkett[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Roscommon South Harry Boland   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Queen's University of Belfast William Whitla   Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Sligo North J. J. Clancy Sinn Féin 29 June 1920
Sligo South Alexander McCabe   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Tipperary East Pierce McCan Sinn Féin Died in 1919 Never sat in Dáil
Tipperary Mid Séamus Burke[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Tipperary North Joseph MacDonagh Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Tipperary South P. J. Moloney[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Tyrone North East Thomas Harbison Irish Parliamentary Nationalist Abstained
Tyrone South William Coote Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist Abstained
Waterford City William Redmond   Irish Parliamentary Abstained
Waterford County Cathal Brugha[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Westmeath Laurence Ginnell   Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Wexford North Roger Sweetman[g]   Sinn Féin Resigned in 1921 21 January 1919
Wexford South James Ryan[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
Wicklow East Seán Etchingham Sinn Féin 1 April 1919
Wicklow West Robert Barton[g]   Sinn Féin 21 January 1919
 
Photograph of members of the First Dáil of the Irish Republic, taken on the steps of the Mansion House in Dublin on 9 April 1919.

Changes

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Vacancies

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When the Sinn Féin executive met on 1 January 1919 to plan for the Dáil's inaugural meeting, it considered appointing substitutes for the imprisoned Sinn Féin TDs who would be unable to attend, but decided against this.[4] When Pierce McCan died on 6 March 1919, his East Tipperary seat was left vacant at Westminster. In April 1919 a Dáil committee considering how to fill the vacancy considered allowing nomination by the Labour Party (which had stood aside in the 1918 election to avoid splitting the nationalist vote)[5] before recommending that the Sinn Féin constituency organisation should nominate.[6] However, in June 1919 the Dáil decided that "it was due to the memory of the late Pierce McCann that his place should not be filled at present".[7] Later vacancies were also left unfilled; when Diarmuid Lynch resigned his seat in 1920, Arthur Griffith said "as the letter of resignation was addressed to the people of South-East Cork, the next step in the matter lay with the South-East Cork Executive of Sinn Fein".[8]

Four TDs represented two separate constituencies: Éamon de Valera, Arthur Griffith, Eoin MacNeill and Liam Mellowes. Ordinarily, this would prompt them to choose one constituency to represent, and to move a writ for a by-election in the other constituency.

Constituency Outgoing TD Party Reason for vacancy Date of vacancy Ref
Tipperary East Pierce McCan Sinn Féin Death in prison 6 March 1919 [4]
Cork South East Diarmuid Lynch Sinn Féin Resignation 6 August 1920 [8]
Cork Mid Terence MacSwiney Sinn Féin Death from hunger strike 25 October 1920 [4]
North Wexford Roger Sweetman Sinn Féin Resignation 27 January 1921 [9]

By-elections

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The following Westminster by-elections to Irish seats were filled by Unionists who sat at Westminster.

Winner Party Constituency Date Outgoing Party Reason for vacancy Notes
Hugh T. Barrie Irish Unionist North Londonderry 4 March 1919 Hugh Anderson Irish Unionist Resignation The only by-election contested by Sinn Féin, Patrick McGilligan losing.[10]
George Hanna Ind. Unionist East Antrim 27 May 1919 Robert McCalmont Irish Unionist Appointed commander of the Irish Guards
William Jellett Irish Unionist Dublin University 28 July 1919 Arthur Samuels Irish Unionist Appointed to the High Court of Justice in Ireland

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e Sinn Féin won 73 of 105 constituencies but four were each elected for two constituencies, so there were 69 Sinn Féin MPs from a total of 101.
  2. ^ a b A seventh IPP MP, T. P. O'Connor, was elected for the English constituency of Liverpool Scotland.
  3. ^ December 1918 column shows the state of parties after the 1918 general election.
  4. ^ May 1921 column shows the state of the parties at the dissolution of the 1st Dáil.
  5. ^ Arthur Griffith was elected for two constituencies: Cavan East and Tyrone North West.
  6. ^ Éamon de Valera was elected for two constituencies: Clare East and Mayo East.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Attended the opening session of the First Dáil on 21 January 1919.
  8. ^ Liam Mellows was elected for two constituencies: Galway East and Meath North.
  9. ^ Eoin MacNeill was elected for two constituencies: Londonderry City and National University of Ireland.

References

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  1. ^ "Roll Call". Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) debates. Houses of the Oireachtas. 22 January 1919. Archived from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Irish Republican 'Parliament'". The Irish Times. 22 January 1919. p. 6. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2020.; Fallon, Donal (21 January 2019). "Opinion: The Democratic Programme of the First Dáil was a radical socialist document". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  3. ^ "TDs & Senators". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "Timeline". Dáil 100. Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  5. ^ Mitchell, Arthur (1995). Revolutionary Government in Ireland: Dáil Éireann, 1919-22. Gill & MacMillan. p. 24. ISBN 9780717114818.
  6. ^ "East Tipperary Vacancy". Dáil Éireann debate. Oireachtas. 17 June 1919. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Report of Select Committee on East Tipperary Vacancy – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Wednesday, 18 June 1919". Oireachtas. 17 June 1919. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Resignation Of Deputy For South-East Cork". Dáil Éireann debate. Oireachtas. 6 August 1920. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  9. ^ Sweetman, R. M. (28 January 1921). "Mr. Roger Sweetman's Position". The Irish Times. p. 4. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  10. ^ Laffan, Michael (1999). The Resurrection of Ireland: The Sinn Féin Party, 1916–1923. Cambridge University Press. p. 309. ISBN 9781139426299. Retrieved 13 August 2018.