The government of the 3rd Dáil was first both concurrently the 2nd provisional government (30 August – 6 December 1922) and the 5th ministry of Dáil Éireann (9 September – 6 December 1922), formed after the 1922 general election held on 16 June 1922, and then the 1st executive council of the Irish Free State (6 December 1922 – 19 September 1923), formed after the establishment of the Irish Free State. They were led by W. T. Cosgrave, who had become the leader of the Pro-Treaty wing of Sinn Féin and on 27 April 1923 became the first leader of the Cumann na nGaedheal.
The 2nd provisional government and the 5th ministry lasted for overlapping concurrent periods of days and days respectively. The 1st executive council lasted for days.
| Date Formed: | 30 August 1922 (PG) 9 September 1922 (DM) |
| Date Dissolved: | 6 December 1922 |
| Government Head: | W. T. Cosgrave |
| Government Head Title: | Chairman of the Provisional Government and President of Dáil Éireann |
| Governor General Title: | Lord Lieutenant |
| Governor General: | Lord FitzAlan |
| State Head: | George V |
| State Head Title: | King |
| Total Number: | 11 |
| Political Parties: | Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty) |
| Legislature Status: | Minority Government |
| Opposition Party: | Labour Party |
| Opposition Leader: | Thomas Johnson |
| Election: | 1922 general election |
| Legislature Term: | 3rd Dáil |
| Successor: | 1st executive council |
The 2nd provisional government (30 August 1922 – 6 December 1922) was formed by W. T. Cosgrave, who had been appointed as Chairman of the Provisional Government on 25 August 1922, after the death of Michael Collins on 22 August, who had led the 1st provisional government from 16 January 1922.[1]
Arthur Griffith, the President of the Dáil who had led the 4th Ministry from 10 January 1922, had died on 12 August. The members of the 3rd Dáil first met on 9 September 1922. W. T. Cosgrave was proposed as President of the Dáil by Richard Mulcahy and seconded by Eoin MacNeill. This motion was carried and Cosgrave and formed the 5th Ministry (9 September 1922 – 6 December 1922), composed of Pro-Treaty members of Sinn Féin and identical in composition to the 2nd provisional government. With these appointments, the dual cabinets which had existed from January 1922 came to an end, with Cosgrave serving as both Chairman of the Provisional Government and President of Dáil Éireann. Both cabinets were abolished when the new Constitution of the Irish Free State came into force on 6 December 1922.
| Cabinet Name: | Government of the 3rd Dáil |
| Cabinet Number: | 1st |
| Cabinet Type: | Executive Council |
| Jurisdiction: | the Irish Free State |
| Date Formed: | 6 December 1922 |
| Date Dissolved: | 19 September 1923 |
| Government Head Title: | President of the Executive Council |
| Government Head: | W. T. Cosgrave |
| Deputy Government Head Title: | Vice-President of the Executive Council |
| Deputy Government Head: | Kevin O'Higgins |
| State Head Title: | King |
| State Head: | George V |
| Governor General Title: | Governor-General |
| Governor General: | Tim Healy |
| Total Number: | 10 |
| Legislature Status: | Minority Government |
| Opposition Party: | Labour Party |
| Opposition Leader: | Thomas Johnson |
| Previous: | 2nd provisional government |
| Successor: | 2nd executive council |
The 1st Executive Council of the Irish Free State (6 December 1922 – 19 September 1923) was formed by Pro-Treaty faction of Sinn Féin, which became Cumann na nGaedheal in April 1923. On 6 December 1922, the Constitution of the Irish Free State came into force. William T. Cosgrave was proposed as President of the Executive Council by Peter Hughes and seconded by Francis McGuinness, and this motion was approved by the Dáil.[13]
The President nominated the members of the Executive Council on 6 December.[14]
The following Ministers were proposed by a committee of the Dáil on 14 December 1922.[15]
| Office | Name | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Minister for Agriculture and Lands | Patrick Hogan | ||
| Minister for Fisheries | Fionán Lynch | ||
| Postmaster-General | J. J. Walsh | ||
The Executive Council appointed the following Parliamentary secretaries. These were newly created offices.
| Name | Office | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel McCarthy | Government Chief Whip | ||
| Eamonn Duggan | Parliamentary secretary to the Executive Council | ||