The President of the Executive Council (Irish: Uachtaráin na hArd-Chomhairle) was the head of government or prime minister of the 1922-1937 Irish Free State, and the leader of the Executive Council (cabinet). The President was appointed by the Governor-General, upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of parliament) and had to enjoy the confidence of the Dáil to remain in office. The head of government is the leader of the government or cabinet. ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was (1922–1937) the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties which were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... The Executive Council (Irish: Ard-Chomhairle) was the cabinet and de facto executive branch of government of the 1922-1937 Irish Free State. ... The Governor-General (Irish: Seanascal) was the representative of the King in the 1922-1937 Irish Free State. ... The Dáil Chamber The chamber was remodelled in the early 1920s. ...

Appointment

Although the President of the Executive Council was theoretically appointed by the Governor General, the Governor General was bound by constitutional convention to appoint the individual nominated by the Dáil. For the same reason, although notionally he exercised the executive authority of the state, in practice it was the President of the Executive Council rather than the Govenor-General who was the Free State's political leader. Once he had appointed the President, the Governor-General appointed the remaining members of the Executive Council on the President's nomination. The President had the freedom to choose, from among members of the Dáil, any Vice-President he wished, but the remainder of the cabinet had be approved by a vote of consent in the Dáil before they could assume office. In the event that he ceased to "retain the support of a majority in Dáil Eireann" the President, along with his cabinet, was obliged to resign, but could continue to serve as acting president until the appointment of a successor. A constitutional convention is an informal and uncodified procedural agreement that is followed by the institutions of a state. ... VP also stands for Verb phrase. ...

The method of appointment of the President of the Executive Council differed from the standard practice in other Commonwealth nations. In other dominions the prime minister was not nominated by the legislature in a formal vote but, rather, the monarch or Governor-General simply unilaterally commissioned either the leader of the party with a majority of seats in the lower house of parliament or, if no party commanded an absolute majority, whichever leader he believed would be best able to avoid a vote of no confidence. Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is an association of independent sovereign states, most of which are former colonies once governed by the United Kingdom as part of the British Empire. ...

Powers

The office of the President of the Executive Council was less powerful than either its modern successor, the office of Taoiseach, or the offices of most modern prime ministers in nations that follow the parliamentary system of government. In particular, the powers of the President were subject to two important limitations: The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh) or, more formally, An Taoiseach, is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet1. ... A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the legislative branch, or parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ...

• He could not dismiss a member of the Executive Council individually. Rather, the Executive Council had to be disbanded and reformed as a whole in order to replace a single minister.
• He could not request a dissolution of parliament on his own initiative. This could only be done by the Executive Council acting collectively.

The result of these restrictions was, according to Brian Farrell, that the President of the Executive Council was closer to being the Executive Council's chairman or presiding officer, than its dominant leader. Nonetheless a strong President could exercise authority beyond the limits laid down in the 1922 constitution¹. The President's weak position arose from the fact that the status of his office was modelled on that of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom prior to 1918. Up until 1918 the British prime minister's powers had been theoretically quite limited and, as a member of the cabinet, the office-holder was regarded strictly as primus inter pares. Under Prime Minister David Lloyd George, however, from 1918 onwards the powers of the office increased, as Lloyd George unilaterally claimed for himself powers that had previously belonged to the cabinet collectively, including, most dramatically, the right to seek a parliamentary dissolution. for the bioinformatics professor and museum curator, see Brian D. Farrell Brian Farrell (1929 - ) is an Irish author, journalist, academic & broadcaster. ... In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is the head of government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... First among equals is a phrase which indicates that a person is the most senior of a group of people sharing the same rank or office. ... David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, OM, PC (January 17, 1863 – March 26, 1945) was a British statesman and the last Liberal to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ...

History

The office of President of the Executive Council came into being with the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, replacing the previous offices of President of the Irish Republic and Chairman of the Provisional Government. Only two individuals held the office of President of the Executive Council during its existence: W.T. Cosgrave, until 1932, and Eamon de Valera thereafter. In 1937, under Amdendment No. 27 to the constitution, adopted in 1936, the office of Governor General was abolished and from then onwards most of his powers were exercised by the Executive Council directly. Under the amendment the constitution provided that the President of the Executive Council be simply elected by the Dáil rather than appointed by the Governor General, although in practice this was a difference merely of symbolism. The office of President of the Executive Council was also abolished, replaced by the office of Taoiseach (prime minister - literally, "leader"), under the terms of the new Constitution of Ireland. The Taoiseach occupies a more powerful position than the President of the Executive Council did, and has authority both to dismiss ministers individually and to request a dissolution of parliament on his own initiative. This article is about the president of the 1919-1922 Irish Republic Republic of Ireland see: President of Ireland. ... The Chairman of the Provisional Government of Southern Ireland was a transitional post established in January 1922, lasting until the creation of the Irish Free State in December 1922. ... William Thomas Cosgrave, (June 6, 1880 - November 16, 1965) served as the first President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932. ... 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... Eamon de Valera (born Edward George de Valera, Irish name Éamonn de Bhailéara (October 14, 1882 – August 29, 1975), was an Irish politician, best known as a leader of Irelands struggle for independence from Britain in the early 20th Century, and the Republican anti-Treaty opposition in the... The Constitution (Amendment No. ... The Constitution of Ireland is the founding legal document of the state known today as the Republic of Ireland. ...

Office-holders

William Thomas Cosgrave, (June 6, 1880 - November 16, 1965) served as the first President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Note: as an adjective (stressed on the second syllable instead of the first), august means honorable. ... 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Cumann na nGaedheal (League of the Gaels) was an Irish language name given to two Irish political parties. ... Carlow (Ceatharlach in Irish, meaning four-part lake) is an inland town in the south-east of Ireland in County Carlow, 84 km from Dublin. ... Kilkenny (Irish: Cill Chainnigh) is the county seat of County Kilkenny, Ireland, with a population (including environs) of 20,735. ... December 6 is the 340th day (341st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... February 4 is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... Eamon de Valera (born Edward George de Valera, Irish name Éamonn de Bhailéara (October 14, 1882 – August 29, 1975), was an Irish politician, best known as a leader of Irelands struggle for independence from Britain in the early 20th Century, and the Republican anti-Treaty opposition in the... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... 1882 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (IPA ; English translation: Soldiers of Destiny) is the largest political party in Ireland. ... Poulnabrone Dolmen in the Burren, County Clare, Ireland, 2004. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... June 23 is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 191 days remaining. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ...

Footnotes

1. See: Brian Farrell, Chairman or chief? : the role of Taoiseach in Irish government, 1971.

See also

• Irish heads of government since 1919

Heads of government offices

Chancellor | Chief Minister | First Minister | Minister-President | Premier | President of the Executive Council | President of the Council of Ministers | President of the Government | President of the Council of Ministers | Prime Minister | Taoiseach Prime Minister Tony Blair and Vice President Dick Cheney in front of 10 Downing Street on March 11, 2002. ... Chancellor (Latin: cancellarius), an official title used by most of the peoples whose civilization has arisen directly or indirectly out of the Roman empire. ... A Chief Minister is the elected Head of Government of a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British overseas territory that has attained self-government. ... The term First Minister refers to the leader of a cabinet United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, the term First Minister was once used interchangeably with Prime Minister, as in Winston Churchills famous line: I did not become Her Majestys First Minister so that I might oversee the... A minister-president (Ministerpräsident) is the head of government of a German federal state; the office corresponds to the governorship of a state in the United States. ... A premier is an executive official of government. ... The official title President of the Council of Ministers is used to describe the head of government of Serbia and Montenegro, as well as Poland. ... President of the Government is a term used in official statements several Prime Ministers: Serbia, Prime Minister of Serbia Spain, Prime Minister of Spain Croatia See also President of the Government in parliamentary systems Categories: Government stubs ... The official title President of the Council of Ministers is used to describe the head of government of Serbia and Montenegro, as well as Poland. ... A prime minister may be either: the chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives... The Taoiseach (plural: Taoisigh) or, more formally, An Taoiseach, is the head of government of the Republic of Ireland and the leader of the Irish cabinet1. ...

The Irish Free State (1922-1937)
Anglo-Irish Treaty | Provisional Government | Constitution of the Irish Free State | Statute of Westminster | Great Seal of the Irish Free State | Monarchy in the Irish Free State The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was (1922–1937) the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties which were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and... Image File history File links Great Seal of the Irish Free State - fair use This work is copyrighted. ... Signature page of the Anglo-Irish Treaty The Anglo-Irish Treaty was a treaty between the British government and the Irish Republic which brought the Anglo-Irish War to an end and established the Irish Free State. ... The Provisional Government was, in British law, the transitional government of Southern Ireland in 1922 from the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty to the creation of the Irish Free State. ... The Constitution of the Irish Free State was the constitution of the southern Irish state established in December 1922. ... ... The Great Seal of the Irish Free State (Irish: Séala Mor do Shaorstát Eireann) was the Great Seal which replaced the Great Seal of the Realm used to seal official documents of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann). ... King George V, the first monarch to reign in the Irish Free State. ...
Executive King of Ireland | Governor-General | President of the Executive Council | Vice-President of the Executive Council | Executive Council | Extern Minister | Ministers and Secretaries Act Henry VIII, became King of Ireland in 1542. ... The Governor-General (Irish: Seanascal) was the representative of the King in the 1922-1937 Irish Free State. ... The Vice-President of the Executive Council (Irish: Leas-Uachtarán na hArd-Chomhairle) was in effect the deputy prime minister of the Irish Free State, the Executive Council. ... The Executive Council (Irish: Ard-Chomhairle) was the cabinet and de facto executive branch of government of the 1922-1937 Irish Free State. ... An Extern Minister was a Irish minister appointed by the Governor-General of the Irish Free State on the nomination of a committee of Dáil Éireann. ... The Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924 was one of the key statute laws enacted by the Irish Free State. ...
Legislative: Oireachtas Éireann (made up of the King, Dáil Éireann & Seanad Éireann) | Royal Assent | Ceann Comhairle | Cathaoirleach | Oath of Allegiance From 1922-1937 the Oireachtas was the legislature, or parliament, of the Irish Free State. ... The Dáil Chamber The chamber was remodelled in the early 1920s. ... The Seanad Chamber The Seanad meets in the former picture gallery in Leinster House. ... The Ceann Comhairle1 is the chairman or speaker of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (parliament) of the Republic of Ireland. ... Cathaoirleach (pronounced, ka-here-loch) is the title of the speaker of the sixty-member Irish upper house, Seanad Éireann (pronounced External link Official website Categories: Government stubs ... The Irish Oath of Allegiance was a controversial provision in the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which Irish TDs (members of the Irish parliament) and Senators were required to take, in order to take their seats in Dáil Éireann (The Chamber of Deputies) and Seanad Éireann (the Irish Senate). ...
Judiciary Supreme Court | High Court | Chief Justice | Courts of Justice Act, 1924 Dublin Castle Seat of the Supreme Court of the Irish Free State until 1931. ...
Other topics: General elections: 1922 | 1923 | 1927 (June) | 1927 (Sept) 1932 | 1933 | 1937 See also: External Relations Act | Executive Powers (Consequential Provisions) Act | Constitution (Amendment No. 27) Act A general election took place in southern Ireland in 16 June 1922 under the provisions of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty to elect a constituent assembly paving the way for the establishment of the Irish Free State. ... See also: Government of the 4th Dáil Irish Treaty Election, 1922 Categories: Elections in Ireland | 1923 ... See also: Government of the 5th Dáil Categories: Elections in Ireland | 1927 ... The Irish general election of September 1927 was held on September 15, 1927. ... The Irish general election of 1932 was held on February 16, 1932, just over two weeks after the dissolution of the 6th Dáil on January 29. ... The Irish general election of 1933 was held on January 24, 1933. ... See also: Government of the 9th Dáil Categories: Elections in Ireland | 1937 ... The Executive Authority (External Relations) Act, 1936 was an enactment of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) in 1936. ... The Executive Powers (Consequential Provisions) Act, 1937 was an Act of the Oireachtas which retrospectively completed the abolition of the Governor-General of the Irish Free State. ... The Constitution (Amendment No. ...