Government of the 1st Dáil explained

The government of the 1st Dáil was the executive of the unilaterally declared Irish Republic. At the 1918 Westminster election, candidates for Sinn Féin stood on an abstentionist platform, declaring that they would not remain in the Parliament of the United Kingdom but instead form a unicameral, revolutionary parliament for Ireland called Dáil Éireann.

The first meeting of the First Dáil was held on 21 January 1919 in the Round Room of the Mansion House in Dublin and made a Declaration of Independence. It also approved the Dáil Constitution. Under Article 2 of this Constitution, there would be a ministry of Dáil Éireann led by a President, with five Secretaries leading government departments. There were two ministries of Dáil Éireann during the First Dáil. The 1st ministry (22 January to 1 April 1919) was led by Cathal Brugha and lasted for 69 days; it was formed when a large number of those elected for Sinn Féin were in prison. The 2nd ministry (1 April 1919 to 26 August 1921) was led by Éamon de Valera, leader of Sinn Féin, and lasted for 878 days.

1st ministry

Cabinet Name:Government of the 1st Dáil
Date Formed:22 January 1919
Date Dissolved:1 April 1919
Government Head:Cathal Brugha
Government Head Title:President of Dáil Éireann
Total Number:4
Political Party:Sinn Féin
Legislature Status:Government
Election:1918 general election
Legislature Term:1st Dáil
Successor:2nd ministry

The 1st ministry was a temporary cabinet headed by Cathal Brugha, because Éamon de Valera, the leader of Sinn Féin, was in prison at the time.[1]

OfficeName
President of Dáil ÉireannCathal Brugha
Minister for FinanceEoin MacNeill
Minister for Home AffairsMichael Collins
Minister for Foreign AffairsCount Plunkett
Minister for National DefenceRichard Mulcahy

2nd ministry

Cabinet Name:Government of the 1st Dáil
Date Formed:1 April 1919
Date Dissolved:26 August 1921
Government Head:Éamon de Valera
Government Head Title:President of Dáil Éireann
Deputy Government Head Title:Deputy President
Total Number:12
Political Party:Sinn Féin
Legislature Status:Government
Legislature Term:1st Dáil
Previous:1st ministry
Successor:3rd ministry

On 1 April 1919, the 1st ministry resigned.[2] On a motion proposed by Cathal Brugha and seconded by Pádraic Ó Máille, Éamon de Valera was declared elected as President of Dáil Éireann (Irish: Príomh Aire).[3] The Constitution was amended to allow for up to nine members of the ministry, as well as the President.[4] The following day, he formed the 2nd ministry. Countess Markievicz became the first Irish female Cabinet minister. She served until 26 August 1921, and the next woman appointed to cabinet was Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, who was appointed as Minister for the Gaeltacht in 1979.

De Valera travelled to the United States in June 1919, and by letter requested that Arthur Griffith be appointed as Deputy President in his absence and that Ernest Blythe take a place at cabinet.[5] De Valera resumed his position in the Dáil on 25 January 1921.[6]

OfficeName
President of Dáil ÉireannÉamon de Valera
Secretary for Home Affairs[7] Arthur Griffith
Secretary for Defence[8] Cathal Brugha
Secretary for Foreign Affairs[9] Count Plunkett
Secretary for Labour[10] Constance Markievicz
Secretary for Industries[11] Eoin MacNeill
Secretary for Finance[12] Michael Collins
Secretary for Local Government[13] W. T. Cosgrave

Ministers not in cabinet

OfficeName
Director of Propaganda[14] Laurence Ginnell
Director of AgricultureRobert Barton

Changes on 17 June 1919

OfficeName
Deputy President[15] Arthur Griffith
Director of Trade and Commerce[16] Ernest Blythe
Substitute Director of Propaganda[17] Desmond FitzGerald

Changes on 27 October 1919

On the arrest of Ernest Blythe.[18]

OfficeName
Substitute Director of Trade and CommerceJoseph McGuinness

Changes on 29 June 1920

Appointment of new ministries and substitute ministries.[19]

OfficeName
Minister for IrishJohn J. O'Kelly
Acting Minister at the Ministry of Home AffairsAustin Stack
Substitute Minister for Local GovernmentKevin O'Higgins
Substitute Minister for AgricultureArt O'Connor
Director of FisheriesSeán Etchingham

Change on 17 September 1920

OfficeName
Assistant Minister for Irish[20] Frank Fahy

Resignation of ministry

In May 1921, the Dáil passed a resolution declaring that elections to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland would be used as the election for the Second Dáil.[21]

The members of the 2nd Dáil first met on 16 August 1921.[22] The outgoing ministry did not resign immediately. On 26 August 1921, Éamon de Valera resigned as president.[23] De Valera was then re-elected, taking the new title of President of the Republic, and formed the 3rd ministry of Dáil Éireann.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: DAIL MINISTRY – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Wednesday, 22 January 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 19 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191019110414/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-01-22/7/. live.
  2. Web site: RESIGNATION OF MINISTRY – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Tuesday, 1 April 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140234/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-04-01/25/. live.
  3. Web site: ELECTION OF PRESIDENT OF DÁIL – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Tuesday, 1 April 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140240/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-04-01/26/. live.
  4. Web site: AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION - AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 2 (b) – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Tuesday, 1 April 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140229/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-04-01/23/. live.
  5. Web site: LETTER FROM PRESIDENT DE VALERA – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Tuesday, 17 June 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140236/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-06-17/2/. live.
  6. Web site: PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Tuesday, 25 January 1921. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140233/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1921-01-25/2/. live.
  7. Web site: NOMINATION OF MINISTRY. - Secretary for Home Affairs – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Wednesday, 2 April 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140231/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-04-02/3/. live.
  8. Web site: NOMINATION OF MINISTRY. - Secretary for Defence – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Wednesday, 2 April 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140231/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-04-02/4/. live.
  9. Web site: NOMINATION OF MINISTRY. - Secretary for Foreign Affairs – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Wednesday, 2 April 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140230/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-04-02/5/. live.
  10. Web site: NOMINATION OF MINISTRY. - Secretary for Labour – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Wednesday, 2 April 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140229/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-04-02/6/. live.
  11. Web site: NOMINATION OF MINISTRY. - Secretary for Industries – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Wednesday, 2 April 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140247/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-04-02/7/. live.
  12. Web site: NOMINATION OF MINISTRY. - Secretary for Finance – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Wednesday, 2 April 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140238/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-04-02/8/. live.
  13. Web site: NOMINATION OF MINISTRY. - Secretary for Local Government – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Wednesday, 2 April 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140231/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-04-02/9/. live.
  14. Web site: HEADS OF DEPARTMENT – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Wednesday, 2 April 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140242/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-04-02/10/. live.
  15. Web site: APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY PRESIDENT – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Tuesday, 17 June 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140229/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-06-17/3/. live.
  16. Web site: INCLUSION IN THE MINISTRY OF THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE AND COMMERCE – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Tuesday, 17 June 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140245/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-06-17/4/. live.
  17. Web site: APPOINTMENT OF SUBSTITUTE-DIRECTOR OF PROPAGANDA – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Tuesday, 17 June 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140228/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-06-17/14/. live.
  18. Web site: APPOINTMENT OF SUBSTITUTE DIRECTOR OF TRADE AND COMMERCE – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Monday, 27 October 1919. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140236/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1919-10-27/19/. live.
  19. Web site: RATIFICATION OF MINISTERS – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Tuesday, 29 June 1920. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140251/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1920-06-29/16/. live.
  20. Web site: RATIFICATION OF ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR IRISH – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Friday, 17 September 1920. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831140232/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1920-09-17/30/. live.
  21. Web site: PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT. - ELECTIONS – Dáil Éireann (1st Dáil) – Tuesday, 10 May 1921. Houses of the Oireachtas. 26 March 2020. 5 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200805195618/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1921-05-10/26/. live.
  22. Web site: Prelude – Dáil Éireann (2nd Dáil) – Tuesday, 16 August 1921. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831094242/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1921-08-16/1/. live.
  23. Web site: RESIGNATION OF MINISTRY – Dáil Éireann (2nd Dáil) – Friday, 26 August 1921. 31 August 2019. Houses of the Oireachtas. 31 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190831094244/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1921-08-26/2/. live.

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