Leader of the Opposition (Ireland)

The leader of the opposition () in Ireland is a term sometimes used to describe the politician who leads the largest party in the parliamentary opposition in Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas (the Irish parliament). In the Dáil, the leader of the opposition sits on the right-hand side of the Ceann Comhairle and directly opposite the Taoiseach. The role is not an official one and is not recognised in the Irish constitution, nor in legislation.

The leader of the opposition is, by convention, the leader of the largest political party in the Dáil that is not in government. Opposition leaders leading a political party with five members or more have full speaking rights under Dáil standing orders; smaller parties and independent politicians are allowed to speak less often.

Historically the two largest parties have nearly always been Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, and so the position of leader of the opposition has alternated between them. However, immediately following Irish independence from the UK in 1922, the leader of the Labour Party acted as leader of the opposition as Sinn Féin, and later Fianna Fáil, refused to take their seats in Dáil Éireann. After the 2011 general election Fine Gael became the largest party in Dáil Éireann and the Labour Party for the first time became the second largest. However, since Labour and Fine Gael entered a coalition government, the third largest party, Fianna Fáil, led the opposition in the 31st Dáil.

To date there have been 18 Opposition Leaders, 10 of whom have served terms as Taoiseach. The leader of the opposition is Mary Lou McDonald of Sinn Féin, following the formation of a government of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party on 27 June 2020. She is the first female Irish opposition leader and the second to come from a party other than Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, following Labour Party's Thomas Johnson in 1927.

Leaders of the opposition Leaders who later became Taoiseach are indicated in bold. NamePortraitConstituencyTerm of officePartyTaoiseachFromToThomas JohnsonDublin County 6 December 1922 11 August 1927 Labour PartyW. T. Cosgrave(1922–1932)Éamon de ValeraClare11 August 1927 9 March 1932 Fianna FáilW. T. CosgraveCork Borough9 March 1932 11 January 1944 Cumann na nGaedhealÉamon de Valera(1932–1948)Fine GaelThomas F. O'HigginsLeix–Offaly11 January 19449 June 1944Richard MulcahyTipperary9 June 194418 February 1948Éamon de ValeraClare18 February 1948 13 June 1951 Fianna FáilJohn A. Costello(1948–1951)John A. CostelloDublin South-East13 June 19512 June 1954Fine GaelÉamon de Valera(1951–1954)Éamon de ValeraClare2 June 1954 20 March 1957 Fianna FáilJohn A. Costello(1954–1957)John A. CostelloDublin South-East20 March 195721 October 1959Fine GaelÉamon de Valera(1957–1959)Seán Lemass(1959–1966)James DillonMonaghan21 October 195921 April 1965Liam CosgraveDún Laoghaire and Rathdown21 April 1965 14 March 1973 Jack Lynch(1966–1973)Jack LynchCork City North-West14 March 19735 July 1977Fianna FáilLiam Cosgrave(1973–1977)Garret FitzGeraldDublin South-East5 July 197730 June 1981Fine GaelJack Lynch(1977–1979)Charles Haughey(1979–1981)Charles HaugheyDublin North-Central30 June 19819 March 1982Fianna FáilGarret FitzGerald(1981–1982)Garret FitzGeraldDublin South-East9 March 198214 December 1982Fine GaelCharles Haughey(1982)Charles HaugheyDublin North-Central14 December 198210 March 1987 Fianna FáilGarret FitzGerald(1982–1987)Alan DukesKildare10 March 198720 November 1990Fine GaelCharles Haughey(1987–1992)John BrutonMeath20 November 199015 December 1994Albert Reynolds(1992–1994)Bertie AhernDublin Central15 December 199426 June 1997 Fianna FáilJohn Bruton(1994–1997)John BrutonMeath26 June 1997 9 February 2001 Fine GaelBertie Ahern(1997–2008)Michael NoonanLimerick East9 February 2001 6 June 2002 Enda KennyMayo6 June 20029 March 2011 Brian Cowen(2008–2011)Micheál MartinCork South-Central9 March 2011 27 June 2020 Fianna FáilEnda Kenny(2011–2017)Leo Varadkar(2017–2020)Mary Lou McDonaldDublin Central27 June 2020 IncumbentSinn FéinMicheál Martin(2020–2022)Leo Varadkar(2022–2024)Simon Harris(2024–2025)Micheál Martin(2025–present)

Leaders of the second largest party in opposition Leaders who later became Tánaiste are indicated in italics.

NamePortraitConstituencyTerm of officePartyLeader of the OppositionFromToDenis GoreyCarlow–Kilkenny6 December 1922May 1927Farmers' PartyThomas Johnson(1922–1927)Michael HeffernanTipperaryMay 192711 August 1927Thomas JohnsonDublin County11 August 192711 October 1927Labour PartyÉamon de Valera(1927–1932)Thomas J. O'ConnellMayo South11 October 19279 March 1932William NortonKildare9 March 19328 February 1933W. T. Cosgrave(1932–1944)Frank MacDermotRoscommon8 February 19338 September 1933National Centre PartyWilliam NortonKildare Carlow–Kildare 8 September 19337 January 1945Labour PartyThomas F. O'Higgins(1944)Richard Mulcahy(1944–1948)Joseph BlowickMayo South7 January 194518 February 1948Clann na TalmhanNone18 February 194813 June 1951Éamon de Valera(1948–1951)William NortonKildare13 June 19512 June 1954Labour PartyJohn A. Costello(1951–1954)Seán MacBrideDublin South-West2 June 195420 March 1957Clann na PoblachtaÉamon de Valera(1954–1957)William NortonKildare20 March 19572 March 1960Labour PartyJohn A. Costello(1957–1959)James Dillon(1959–1965)Brendan CorishWexford2 March 196014 March 1973Liam Cosgrave(1965–1973)None14 March 19735 July 1977Jack Lynch(1973–1977)Frank CluskeyDublin South-Central5 July 197712 June 1981Labour PartyGarret FitzGerald(1977–1981)None12 June 198117 June 1981Michael O'LearyDublin North-Central17 June 198130 June 1981Labour PartyJoe SherlockCork East30 June 19819 March 1982Sinn Féin the Workers PartyCharles Haughey(1981–1982)Michael O'LearyDublin Central9 March 19821 November 1982Labour PartyGarret FitzGerald(1982)Dick SpringKerry North1 November 198214 December 1982Tomás Mac GiollaDublin West14 December 198221 December 1985Workers' PartyCharles Haughey(1982–1987)Desmond O'MalleyLimerick East21 December 198529 June 1989Progressive DemocratsAlan Dukes(1987–1990)Dick SpringKerry North29 June 198914 December 1992Labour PartyJohn Bruton(1990–1994)Desmond O'MalleyLimerick East14 December 199212 October 1993Progressive DemocratsMary HarneyDublin South-West12 October 199318 November 1994Dick SpringKerry North18 November 199415 December 1994Labour PartyMary HarneyDublin South-West15 December 199426 June 1997 Progressive DemocratsBertie Ahern(1994–1997)Dick SpringKerry North26 June 199713 November 1997Labour PartyJohn Bruton(1997–2001)Ruairi QuinnDublin South-East13 November 199725 October 2002Michael Noonan(2001–2002)Enda Kenny(2002–2011)Pat RabbitteDublin South-West25 October 20026 September 2007Eamon GilmoreDún Laoghaire6 September 20079 March 2011Gerry AdamsLouth9 March 201110 February 2018Sinn FéinMicheál Martin(2011–2020)Mary Lou McDonaldDublin Central10 February 201827 June 2020Alan KellyTipperary27 June 202024 March 2022Labour PartyMary Lou McDonald(2020–present)Ivana BacikDublin Bay South24 March 202218 December 2024Holly CairnsCork South-West18 December 2024IncumbentSocial Democrats

See also Opposition Front Bench (Ireland) Politics of the Republic of Ireland Taoiseach

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