The 1928 Seanad was the part of the Seanad of the Irish Free State (1922–1936) in office from the 1928 Seanad election to the 1931 Seanad election. It sat as a second chamber to the 6th Dáil elected at the September 1927 general election. Elections to the Seanad, the Senate of the Oireachtas (parliament of the Irish Free State), took place on a triennial basis, with senators elected in stages. The Seanad of the Irish Free State was not numbered after each election, with the whole period later considered the First Seanad.
Composition of the 1928 Seanad The 1928 Seanad included members nominated in 1922, and members elected at the 1922, 1925 and 1928 Seanad elections. There were a total of 60 seats in the Free State Seanad. In 1928, 19 Senators were elected.
In 1922, 30 Senators had been elected by Dáil Éireann, and 30 had been nominated by the President of the Executive Council, W. T. Cosgrave. 19 Senators had been elected at the 1925 Seanad election. The 1925 Seanad election was a popular election. Under the Constitution (Amendment No. 6) Act 1928, effective at the 1928 election and subsequent Seanad elections, the electorate for the Seanad was altered to members of the Oireachtas only.
The following table shows the composition by party when the 1928 Seanad first met on 12 December 1928.
PartySeats 19 8 6 27 Total60
Fianna Fáil entered the Seanad in 1928, with six senators elected for the first time, and two sitting senators, James Charles Dowdall and Maurice George Moore, joining the parliamentary party.
Cathaoirleach On 12 December 1928, Thomas Westropp Bennett (CnaG) was proposed as Cathaoirleach by James MacKean (CnaG) and seconded by William O'Sullivan (CnaG). James G. Douglas (Ind) was proposed by John Philip Bagwell (Ind) and seconded by Sir John Griffith (Ind). Bennett was elected by a vote of 41 to 12.
J. T. O'Farrell (Lab) was proposed as Leas-Chathaoirleach by James Charles Dowdall (FF) and seconded by Thomas Farren (Lab). Patrick Kenny was proposed by Brian O'Rourke (CnaG) and seconded by Thomas Toal (CnaG). Maurice George Moore (FF) was proposed by Michael Comyn (FF) and seconded by Joseph O'Doherty (FF). In the first ballot, in which senators could cast two votes, the votes cast were 31 to O'Farrell, 28 to Kenny, and 18 to Moore. In the second ballot, Kenny was elected with 27 votes to 21 votes for O'Farrell.
Kenny died on 22 April 1931. On 6 May 1931, Maurice George Moore (FF) was proposed by Michael Comyn (FF) and seconded by Joseph Connolly (FF). Michael O'Hanlon (CnaG) was proposed by Richard Butler and seconded by James MacKean (CnaG). Patrick Hooper (Ind) was proposed by Sir Thomas Esmonde (Ind) and seconded by Samuel Lombard Brown (Ind). In the first ballot, in which senators could cast two votes, the votes cast were 36 for Hooper, 22 for O'Hanlon, and 10 for Moore. In the second ballot, Hooper was elected with 28 votes to 18 for O'Hanlon. Hooper died on 6 September 1931. No election was held to fill the office for the remainder of the period.
List of senators
Changes
References
External links