The Taoiseach (Prime Minister) is the head of government in Ireland. There have been 19 Taoisigh since the creation of the office in 1937. The current Taoiseach is Enda Kenny

List of Taoisigh

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No. Name
(Birth–Death)
Portrait Term Start Term End Political Party Election(s)
1. Éamon de Valera
(1882-1975)
  29 December 1937 18 February 1948 Fianna Fáil 1937, 1938, 1943, 1944
2. John A. Costello
(1891–1976)
18 February 1948 13 June 1951 Fine Gael 1948
3. Éamon de Valera
(1882-1975)
  13 June 1951 2 June 1954 Fianna Fáil 1951
4. John A. Costello
(1891–1976)
2 June 1954 20 March 1957 Fine Gael 1954
5. Éamon de Valera
(1882-1975)
  20 March 1957 23 June 1959 Fianna Fáil 1957
6. Seán Lemass
(1899–1971)
23 June 1959 10 November 1966 Fianna Fáil 1961, 1965
7. Jack Lynch
(1917–1999)
  10 November 1966 14 March 1973 Fianna Fáil 1969
8. Liam Cosgrave
(born 1920)
14 March 1973 5 July 1977 Fine Gael 1973
9. Jack Lynch
(1917–1999)
  5 July 1977 11 December 1979 Fianna Fáil 1977
10. Charles Haughey
(1925-2006)
  11 December 1979 30 June 1981 Fianna Fáil None[note 1]
11. Garret FitzGerald
(1926-2011)
  30 June 1981 9 March 1982 Fine Gael 1981
12. Charles Haughey
(1925-2006)
  9 March 1982 14 December 1982 Fianna Fáil 1982 (Feb)
13. Garret FitzGerald
(1926-2011)
  14 December 1982 10 March 1987 Fine Gael 1982 (Nov)
14. Charles Haughey
(1925-2006)
  10 March 1987 11 February 1992 Fianna Fáil 1987
15. Albert Reynolds
(1932-2014)
11 February 1992 15 December 1994 Fianna Fáil 1992
16. John Bruton
(born 1947)
  15 December 1994 26 June 1997 Fine Gael None[note 2]
17. Bertie Ahern
(born 1951)
  26 June 1997 7 May 2008 Fianna Fáil 1997, 2002, 2007
18. Brian Cowen
(born 1960)
  7 May 2008 9 March 2011 Fianna Fáil None[note 3]
19. Enda Kenny
(born 1951)
  9 March 2011 Incumbent Fine Gael 2011

Former Taoisigh

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Currently, there are four living former Taoisigh. They are:

  • Liam Cosgrave
  • John Bruton
  • Bertie Ahern
  • Brian Cowen

Statistics

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  • The longest serving Taoiseach over a consecutive term is Bertie Ahern (Served 1997-2008)
  • The longest serving Taoiseach over multiple terms is Éamon de Valera (Served 1937-1948, 1951-1954 and 1957-1959)
  • The shortest serving Taoiseach over the length of time served is Charles Haughey (Served Feb. 1982-Nov. 1982)

Notes

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  1. ^ Haughey did not become Taoiseach in his first term as a result of a general election. However, he became Taoiseach as a result of him winning Fianna Fáil's Leadership Election after Jack Lynch resigned in 1979
  2. ^ Bruton became Taoiseach after Albert Reynolds resigned as Taoiseach. As a result, Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the Democratic Left formed the "rainbow coalition" government with Bruton as Taoiseach.
  3. ^ Cowen did not become Taoiseach as a result of a general election. However, as a result of Bertie Ahern's resignation, Cowen was nominated by Dáil Éireann to succeed Ahern as Taoiseach.