List of presidential appointees to the Council of State (Ireland)

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates The President of Ireland has the right to appoint a maximum of seven members of the Council of State, which advises the President in exercising certain reserve powers. As well as the seven (or fewer) appointees, the Council has seven ex officio members and a variable number of life members by right of former office. An appointed member's term ends not at the end of that Presidential term, but rather at the beginning of the next one, which will be some weeks later if the previous President has died or resigned.<ref name="Bunreacht31p5">Constitution of Ireland, Article 31.5</ref> A new or re-elected President may re-appoint members. If an appointed member accedes to one of the positions conferring ex officio membership of the Council, this creates a vacancy which the President may fill via another appointment.

History

The first President, Douglas Hyde, who took office in 1938, did not nominate members till the Council first met in January 1940; all six nominees were Oireachtas members, and not members of the Fianna Fáil government party.<ref name="hogan2000">Template:Cite journal</ref>

For long, Presidents included senior serving politicians on the Council. Éamon de Valera said during the 1937 debate on the proposed Constitution, "this Council of State ... will ordinarily contain the leaders of the big Parties in the Dáil."<ref>Dáil debates Vol.67 col.46 Template:Webarchive</ref> Upon Richard Mulcahy's 1971 death, de Valera invited Fine Gael leader Liam Cosgrave to join but Cosgrave declined.<ref>UCDA P205/101 p.81</ref> Fine Gael objected in 1991 that Mary Robinson had become the first President not to have the Leader of the Opposition in the Council.<ref name="it19910221">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Ferrie1991">Template:Cite news</ref> Robinson had promised to appoint two representatives of the Opposition,<ref name="mmt1990"/> but the practice of including the Leader was not a fixed rule.<ref name="Duffy1991">Template:Cite news</ref> In early 1995, after the Fianna Fáil-led government was replaced by a Fine Gael-led government without a general election, Mary Robinson asked Monica Barnes of Fine Gael to resign from the council of state to allow Mary O'Rourke of Fianna Fáil to be appointed instead to increase the Opposition voice.<ref name="it19950411">Template:Cite news</ref> The Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution issued a 1998 report dealing with the Presidency, which recommended that the President be "empowered to nominate two members of the Dáil who belong to parties other than the party or parties that form the government for the life of that government".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Early Presidents included one or two representatives of minorities; there were several of Anglo-Irish, Protestant, or ex-Unionist backgrounds, and the Jewish Bob Briscoe.<ref name="Duffy1991"/> In campaigning in the 1990 presidential election, Mary Robinson promised to reform the Council of State. She criticised it for consisting "mainly of senior or retired politicians" and promised to make it "truly representative of the community as a whole".<ref name="mmt1990">Template:Cite news</ref> Prior to 1990, Presidents generally reappointed members from the previous term; new members were appointed only when a vacancy arose by a previous appointee's death or accession to ex-officio membership. Patrick Hillery considered new appointees upon assuming office in 1976, and was advised there was no precedent for informing former Councillors of their exclusion;<ref>UCDA P205/120 p.92</ref> Hillery decided "it would be too hurtful to drop any of the members".<ref>UCDA P205/98 p.76</ref> Robinson abandoned this practice by appointing seven new members;<ref name="it19910221"/> Mary McAleese did likewise at both her first and second terms. Michael D. Higgins appointed six first-timers and Catherine McGuinness, who had served under Patrick Hillery.<ref name="IT: Higgins' Nom">Template:Cite news</ref> For his second term he appointed seven first-timers.

During the 2011 presidential election campaign, candidate Mary Davis, best known for her Special Olympics activism, pledged to nominate a person with intellectual disability to the Council.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This proposal attracted some criticism as tokenism, but was endorsed by Fergus Finlay.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During a debate on The Late Late Show, candidates were later asked whether they thought Denis O'Brien would be "a suitable person to be on the Council of State".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After the victory of Labour Party candidate Michael D. Higgins, the party denied that its leader Eamon Gilmore had suggested nominees to Higgins.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

List

Appointee Term<ref group="n">For example, a value of 3 indicates that the relevant term was the 3rd time the person had been appointed by a President to the Council of State. (A few were ex-officio members of the council on other occasions, which are not included in this count.)</ref> Template:Nowrap Date appointed Date ceased Role on appointment; notes Sources
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? TD, initially for Fine Gael, later Independent <ref name="hogan2000"/><ref name="Coogan2002"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Senator nominated by the Taoiseach citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Independent Senator. Anglo-Irish Baronet. <ref name="Coogan2002"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Fine Gael TD <ref name="hogan2000"/><ref name="Coogan2002">Template:Cite book</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Labour Party leader <ref name="hogan2000"/><ref name="Coogan2002"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Independent Senator and University College Dublin professor of Greek citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Clann na Talmhan leader <ref name="it19460824"/><ref name="ilt1946"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Anglo-Irish, 8th Earl of Granard. Died in office. <ref name="it19460824">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="ilt1946"/><ref name="Dewar2001">Template:Cite book</ref>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Leader of the Opposition <ref name="it19460824"/><ref name="ilt1946">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? <ref name="it19460824"/><ref name="ilt1946"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Senator nominated by the Taoiseach. Died in office. <ref name="it19460824"/><ref name="ilt1946"/><ref>Mr. Thomas Foran Oireachtas Members Database</ref>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? <ref name="it19460824"/><ref name="ilt1946"/>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Tánaiste, and ex officio member of the Council, after the 1948 general election. <ref name="it19460824"/><ref name="ilt1946"/><ref>Dáil debates Vol.110 c.82 Template:Webarchive</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Fianna Fáil minister. citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref><ref name="it19680219">Template:Cite news</ref>

Template:Sortname 3 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="omdb1301"/><ref name="dailv164c1308"/><ref name="it19530401">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="it19590924">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 3 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Died in office <ref name="it19530401" />
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Made Tánaiste, and ex officio member of the Council, the day before O'Kelly's term expired <ref name="dailv164c1308">Dáil debates Vol.164 col.1308 Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name="it19530401" /><ref name="it19590924"/>
Template:Sortname 3 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="dailv164c1308"/><ref name="it19530401" /><ref name="it19590924"/>
Template:Sortname 3 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Tánaiste, and ex officio member of the Council, in the 1954–57 government. citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts 1956 Template:Dts Anglo-Irish, grandson of Edward King-Harman; owned the Rockingham Estate, now Lough Key Forest Park <ref name="whoswho">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="dailv164c1308"/><ref name="it19590924"/>
Template:Sortname 4 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Tánaiste, and ex officio member of the Council, till after the 1957 general election.<ref name="gov15dail"/> <ref name="dailv164c1308"/><ref name="it19590924"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Fianna Fáil TD <ref name="dailv164c1308"/><ref name="it19590924"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts? Template:Dts Anglo-Irish Fine Gael TD <ref name="it19590924"/>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? <ref name="it19590924"/>
Template:Sortname 4 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Died in office <ref name="it19590924"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Died in office <ref name="it19590924"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="it19640114"/>
Template:Sortname 4 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? <ref name="it19590924"/>
Template:Sortname 5 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Died in office <ref name="it19590924"/><ref name="it19640114"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Former Mayor of Limerick. Died in office. <ref name="it19590924"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Former Governor-General of the Irish Free State. Died in office. <ref name="it19590924"/><ref name="it19640114"/>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Fine Gael Leader of the Opposition. Replaced Stephen O'Mara. <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Jewish Fianna Fáil TD. Replaced Robert Farnan. <ref name="it19690530">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Labour Party leader. Replaced William Norton. <ref name="it19640114"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Fianna Fáil TD <ref name="it19640114"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Fianna Fáil former Senator and Lord Mayor of Cork <ref name="it19640114">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Died in office <ref name="it19690530"/><ref name="it19670116">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Became Tánaiste, and ex-officio member of the Council, after the 1973 general election. <ref name="it19670116"/><ref name="dailv249c948">1970 Dáil debates Vol.249 c.948 Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name="it19730412"/>
Template:Sortname 3 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? <ref name="it19670116"/><ref name="dailv249c948"/>
Template:Sortname 3 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? <ref name="it19670116"/><ref name="dailv249c948"/>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? <ref name="it19670116"/><ref name="dailv249c948"/>
Template:Sortname 5 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Died in office <ref name="it19670116"/><ref name="dailv249c948"/>
Template:Sortname 3 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? <ref name="dailv249c948"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Fianna Fáil TD. Tánaiste, and ex officio member of the Council, till after the 1969 general election. Replaced Bob Briscoe. <ref name="dailv249c948"/>
Template:Nowrap 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts? Provost of Trinity College Dublin. Replaced Richard Mulcahy. <ref name="it19730102">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Labour Party minister. Replaced Brendan Corish. <ref name="it19730412">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19750103"/>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Template:Sortname 4 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19750103"/>
Template:Sortname 4 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19750103"/>
Template:Sortname 3 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Died on 12 December 1974, before the newly elected President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh had appointed nominees to the Council. <ref name="it19750103"/>
Template:Sortname 4 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19750103"/>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19750103"/>
Template:Sortname 3 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19750103"/><ref name="it19770325"/>
Template:Sortname 3 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19750103"/><ref name="Watchword" /><ref name="it19770325"/>
Template:Sortname 5 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19750103"/><ref name="it19770325"/>
Template:Sortname 5 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19750103"/><ref name="it19770325"/>
Template:Sortname 5 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19750103"/><ref name="it19770325"/>
Template:Sortname 3 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19750103"/><ref name="it19770325"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Actress. Replaced Jane Dowdall. <ref name="it19750103">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="it19770325"/>
Template:Sortname 4 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Died in office <ref name="it19770325">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 4 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19770325"/>
Template:Sortname 6 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19770325"/>
Template:Sortname 6 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19770325"/>
Template:Sortname 6 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19770325"/>
Template:Sortname 4 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19770325"/>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19770325"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Widow of President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh. Replaced Frank Aiken. <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 5 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19831217">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 7 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Died in office <ref name="it19831217"/>
Template:Sortname 7 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Died in office <ref name="it19831217"/>
Template:Sortname 7 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Died in office <ref name="it19831217"/>
Template:Sortname 5 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19831217"/>
Template:Sortname 3 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Died in office <ref name="it19831217"/>
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts <ref name="it19831217"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Former Fianna Fáil minister and Ceann Comhairle. Replaced Seán MacEntee. <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Fine Gael leader of the Opposition <ref name="it19880503">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Barrister and former Independent Senator citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Fine Gael TD <ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Hussey1995">Template:Cite book</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Fine Gael TD. Resigned to make way for Mary O'Rourke. <ref name="Ferrie1991"/><ref name="it19950411"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts An Taisce <ref name="Ferrie1991"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Trade union barrister <ref name="Ferrie1991"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Director of the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action <ref name="Ferrie1991"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Irish Farmers' Association official <ref name="Ferrie1991"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Disabled journalist <ref name="Ferrie1991"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Former civil servant and Senator <ref name="Ferrie1991"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Fianna Fáil TD. Replaced Monica Barnes. <ref name="it19950411"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Psychologist <ref name="it19971217">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="McCarthy1999">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Fianna Fáil MEP <ref name="it19971217"/><ref name="McCarthy1999"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Irish Municipal, Public and Civil Trade Union official <ref name="it19971217"/><ref name="McCarthy1999"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts NUI Galway psychology professor<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

<ref name="it19971217"/><ref name="McCarthy1999"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Nun, Focus Ireland campaigner <ref name="it19971217"/><ref name="McCarthy1999"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Businessman <ref name="it19971217"/><ref name="McCarthy1999"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Belfast accountant <ref name="it19971217"/><ref name="McCarthy1999"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Former British Army colonel and Ulster Unionist Party councillor <ref name="McKenna2004">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="president19">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Chair of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism <ref name="McKenna2004"/><ref name="president19"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Special Olympics activist <ref name="McKenna2004"/><ref name="president19"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Fianna Fáil Senator <ref name="McKenna2004"/><ref name="president19"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Fine Gael activist <ref name="McKenna2004"/><ref name="president19"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Northern Irish lawyer <ref name="McKenna2004"/><ref name="president19"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Meningitis survivor <ref name="McKenna2004"/><ref name="president19"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Solicitor and human/civil rights campaigner <ref name="IT: Higgins' Nom" /><ref name="RTE: Higgins Nom">Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Provost and Dean of Academic Development, Magee College, University of Ulster <ref name="IT: Higgins' Nom" /><ref name="RTE: Higgins Nom" />
Template:Sortname 2 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Former Senator, Supreme Court judge and President, Law Reform Commission <ref name="IT: Higgins' Nom" /><ref name=CatherineMcGuinness/><ref name="RTE: Higgins Nom" />
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Community activist; Social entrepreneur; founder SpunOut.ie <ref name="IT: Higgins' Nom" /><ref name="RTE: Higgins Nom" />
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Hackney borough councillor and advocate for Irish people in Great Britain <ref name="IT: Higgins' Nom" /><ref name="RTE: Higgins Nom" />
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Professor Emeritus, NUI Galway; Former Cathaoirleach, Údarás na Gaeltachta <ref name="IT: Higgins' Nom" /><ref name="RTE: Higgins Nom" />
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Director, Centre for Disability Law and Policy, NUI Galway <ref name="IT: Higgins' Nom" /><ref name="RTE: Higgins Nom" />
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Fellow in environmental policy at University College Dublin <ref name="appt20190404">Template:Cite press release; Template:Cite news</ref>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Disability activist <ref name="appt20190404"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Irish Travellers' rights activist <ref name="appt20190404"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Chief executive of the Birmingham Irish Association <ref name="appt20190404"/>
Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Methodist minister and academic at the Irish School of Ecumenics citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Template:Sortname 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Social policy academic at NUI Maynooth citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Template:Ill 1 Template:Sortname Template:Dts Template:Dts Journalist and former Coimisinéir Teanga <ref name="appt20190404"/>

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See also

Sources

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|CitationClass=web }}

Citations

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