Past Ministers of the Department

 

Communications

Postmaster General
Minister for Posts and Telegraphs

Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications
Minister for Public Enterprise

Marine

Minister for Fisheries
Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry
Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources


Natural Resources

Minister for Economic Planning and Development
Minister for Energy
Minister for Industry and Energy
Minister for Energy



 

Communications

Post Master General

James Joseph Walsh

Jan. 1922-24

Cumann na nGaedhael


Minister for Posts and Telegraphs

James Joseph Walsh

June 1924-27

Cumann na nGaedhael

Ernest Blythe

Oct. 1927-32

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Joseph Connolly

May 1932-33

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Gerald Boland

Feb. 1933-36

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Oscar Traynor

Nov. 1936-39

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Tomas Ó Deirg

Sept. 1939

Fianna Fáil  This link will open in a new window  

Patrick J. Little

Sept. 1939-1948

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

James Everett

Feb. 1948-51

National Labour

Erskine H. Childers

June 1951-54    

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Michael Keyes

June 1954-57

Labour PartyThis link will open in a new window

Neil T. Blaney

March-Dec. 1957

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

John Ormonde

Dec. 1957-59

 

Michael Hilliard

June 1959-65

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Joseph Brennan

April 1965-66

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Erskine H. Childers

Nov. 1966-69

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Patrick Lalor

June 1969-70

 

Gerard Collins

May 1970-73

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Conor Cruise O'Brien

March 1973-77

Labour

Pádraig Faulkner

July 1977-79

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Albert Reynolds

Dec. 1979-81

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Patrick Cooney

June 1981-March 1982

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window

John Wilson

March-Dec. 1982

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Jim Mitchell

Dec. 1982-Dec. 1983

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window

Minister for Communications

Jim Mitchell

January  1984-87

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window

John Wilson

March 1987 “acting”

Fianna Fáil

Ray Burke

March 1987-91

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window


Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications

Seamus Brennan

Feb. 1991-92

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn

Feb. 1992-93

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Charlie McCreevy

Jan. 1993

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window


Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications

Brian Cowen

Jan. 1993-1994

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Michael Lowry

Dec. 1994-1996

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Alan Dukes

Dec.1996-1997

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window


Minister for Public Enterprise

Mary O'Rourke

July 1997-2002

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window


Marine

Minister for Fisheries

Seán Etchingham

1921-1922

Sinn FéinThis link will open in a new window

Fionán Lynch

1922-1930

Cumann na nGaedhael


Minister for Lands and Fisheries

Fionán Lynch

1930-1932

Cumann na nGaedhael

Patrick J. Ruttledge

1932-1933

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Joseph Connolly

1933-1936

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Frank Aiken

1936

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Gerald Boland

1936-1937

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window



Minister for Lands

Gerald Boland

1937-1939

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Tomas Ó Deirg

1939-1943

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Seán Moylan

1943-1948

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Joseph Blowick

1948-1951

Clann na Talmhan

Tomas Ó Deirg

1951-1954

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Joseph Blowick

1954-1957

Clann na Talmhan

Erskine H. Childers

1957-1959

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Micheál Ó Moráin

1959-1968

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Pádraig Faulkner

1968-1969

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Seán Flanagan

1969-1973

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Tom Fitzpatrick

1973-1976

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window

Paddy Donegan

1976-1977

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window


Minister for Fisheries

Paddy Donegan

1976-1977

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window

Brian Lenihan

1977-1978

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window


Minister for Fisheries & Forestry

Brian Lenihan

1978-1979

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Patrick Power

1979-1981

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Tom Fitzpatrick

1981-1982

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window

Brendan Daly

1982

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Paddy O'Toole

1982-1986

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window

Liam Kavanagh

(Feb.14)1986- (Feb.19) 1986

LabourThis link will open in a new window



Minister for Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry

Liam Kavanagh

1986-1987

LabourThis link will open in a new window

Paddy O'Toole

20/1/1987-1/-3/1987

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window

Brendan Daly

10/3/1987-20/3/ 1987

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window


Minister for the Marine

Brendan Daly

1987-1989

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

John Wilson

1989-1992

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Michael Woods

1992-1993

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

David Andrews

1993-1994

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Hugh Coveney

1994-1995

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window

Seán Barre

1995-1997

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window


Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources

Michael Woods

1997-2000

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Frank Fahey

2000-2002

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window


 

Natural Resources

Minister for Economic Planning and Development

Dr.Martin O'Donoghue

July 1977-79

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Michael O'Kennedy

Dec. 1979-80

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window


Minister for Energy

George Colley

Jan. 1980-81.

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Michael O'Leary

June-August 1981

LabourThis link will open in a new window


Minister for Industry and Energy

Michael O'Leary

Aug. 1981-82

LabourThis link will open in a new window

Albert Reynolds

Mar.-Dec. 1982

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

John Bruton

Dec. 1982-83

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window


Minister for Energy

Dick Spring

Dec. 1983-87

LabourThis link will open in a new window

Michael Noonan

Jan-March 1987

Fine GaelThis link will open in a new window

Ray Burke

March 1987-88

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Michael Smith

Nov. 1988-89

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Bobby Molloy

July 1989-92

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

Albert Reynolds

Nov. 1992-93 "acting"

Fianna FáilThis link will open in a new window

 

Cumann na nGaedhael
Original Cumann na nGaedhael

The first Cumann na nGaedhael was founded by Arthur Griffith in 1904 . In 1905 it merged with a number of other parties to form the original Sinn Féin.

Pro-Treaty Cumann na nGaedhael

The second Cumann na nGaedhael was formed by pro-treaty Sinn Féin TDs in Dáil Éireann in Dublin in April 1923 and was largely centre right in outlook. The leadership of the pro-treaty Sinn Féin group included Arthur Griffith, Michael Collins and W.T. Cosgrave. Cosgrave and Griffith had been part of the orginal dual monarchist Sinn Féin while Collins rose quickly through its ranks after 1916. Griffith and Collins died during the early stages of the Irish Civil War leaving Cosgrave to lead the pro-treaty faction.

The idea for the new party arose in late December 1922 but its formal launch was delayed until April 1923 as a direct consequence of the turmoil caused by the civil war. It had as its core element the pro-treaty section of Sinn Féin returned in the 1922 general election.

The party contested its first general election in 1923 and won 63 seats.  It's leader was W.T. Cosgrave . Until 1932 Cumann na nGaedhael formed the Government of the Irish Free State with Cosgrave as President of the Executive Council. 

Clann na Talmhan (literally meaning "Party of the Land")

Clann na Talmhan was founded in 1938 in Athenry, County Galway, its chief aim to give a parliamentary voice to the farmers of Ireland. The party's other objectives included the promotion of the interests of small farmers, call for government support for land reclamation, lowering of taxes on farmlands and more intensive afforestation. The party was founded and led by Galwayman Michael Donnellan.

Clann an Talmhan first entered national politics when it contested the 1943 General Election. On that occasion the party won 14 seats, however this was reduced to 11 the following year. Donnellan resigned as leader following the election and was replaced by Joseph Blowick. The party became a prominent member of the first inter-party government (1948-1951).   The party also went on to become a member of the second inter-party government, with both Blowick and Donnellan reprising their ministerial roles.

The party began to lose its position after being in government, as people again began to vote for the main parties of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. When Donnellan died in 1964, his son ran, and was elected for Fine Gael. Blowick decided not to contest the 1965 General Election, and the existence of the party came to an end.

National Labour

The National Labour Party was a splinter group of the Labour Party which left the party over as they felt it was being subverted by the hard left.

The party was founded on January 7, 1944 by five TDs who had left the Labour Party and was led by James Everett.

The NLP sought to portray itself as a nationalist Labour party, catholic and opposed to socialism.. The party won 4 seats in the 1944 General Election, polling 2.7% of the vote while Labour with 8.8% of the vote secured 8 seats. In the 1948 General Election the NLP won 5 seats with 2.6% of the vote as against 14 seats for Labour with 8.8% of the votes cast.

It joined the First Inter-Party Government in 1948, which also included the Labour Party, with Everett serving as Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. 

 

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources29-31 Adelaide Road, Dublin 2, Ireland
Tel +353-1-6782000 Fax +353-1-6782449