8th Seanad

8th Seanad
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Overview
Legislative bodySeanad Éireann
JurisdictionIreland
Meeting placeLeinster House
Term22 July 1954 – 28 March 1957
Government7th government of Ireland
Members60
CathaoirleachPatrick Baxter (CnaT)
Leas-ChathaoirleachLiam Ó Buachalla (FF)
Leader of the
Seanad		Michael Hayes (FG)

The 8th Seanad was in office from 1954 to 1957. An election to Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), followed the 1954 general election to the 15th Dáil. The senators served until the close of poll for the 9th Seanad in 1957.

Cathaoirleach

On 22 July 1954, Patrick Baxter (CnaT), was proposed by Michael Hayes (FG) and seconded by William Quirke (FF) for the position of Cathaoirleach. He was elected unopposed.[1]

On 27 July 1954, Liam Ó Buachalla (FF), Cathaoirleach of the 7th Seanad, was proposed by Frederick Hawkins (Ind) and seconded by Michael Hayes (FG) for the position of Leas-Chathaoirleach. He was elected unopposed.[2]

Composition of the 8th Seanad

There are a total of 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 were elected on five vocational panels, 6 were elected from two university constituencies and 11 were nominated by the Taoiseach.[3]

The following table shows the composition by party when the 8th Seanad first met on 22 July 1954.

Origin
Party
 Vocational panels NUI DU Nominated Total
Admin Agri Cult & Educ Ind & Comm Labour
Fianna Fáil 3 4 2 4 1 0 0 0 14
Fine Gael 2 3 1 2 1 2 0 3 14
Labour Party 0 1 1 1 3 0 0 3 9
Clann na Talmhan 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 3
Independent 2 1 1 2 5 2 3 4 20
Total 7 11 5 9 11 3 3 11 60

List of senators

  • Note: The entries for Senators who were elected or appointed to fill vacancies are shown in italics
Name Panel Party Notes
Gerry L'Estrange Administrative Panel   Fine Gael  
James McGee Administrative Panel   Independent Died on 19 January 1956[4]
John L. O'Sullivan Administrative Panel   Fine Gael  
Margaret Mary Pearse Administrative Panel   Fianna Fáil  
Thomas Ruane Administrative Panel   Fianna Fáil  
Patrick Teehan Administrative Panel   Fianna Fáil  
Louis Walsh Administrative Panel   Independent  
William Woods Administrative Panel   Independent Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 14 May 1956, replacing James McGee[5]
Patrick Baxter Agricultural Panel   Clann na Talmhan  
Patrick Cogan Agricultural Panel   Fianna Fáil  
Bernard Commons Agricultural Panel   Clann na Talmhan  
John Mannion Agricultural Panel   Fine Gael  
James J. McCrea Agricultural Panel   Labour  
William O'Callaghan Agricultural Panel   Fine Gael  
Patrick O'Reilly Agricultural Panel   Fianna Fáil  
Timothy O'Sullivan Agricultural Panel   Fianna Fáil  
Micheál Prendergast Agricultural Panel   Fine Gael  
William Quirke Agricultural Panel   Fianna Fáil Died on 5 March 1955[6]
John Donnelly Sheridan Agricultural Panel   Independent  
Joe Sheridan Agricultural Panel   Independent Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 14 May 1956, replacing William Quirke[5]
James Crosbie Cultural and Educational Panel   Fine Gael  
Michael ffrench-O'Carroll Cultural and Educational Panel   Independent  
Eamon Kissane Cultural and Educational Panel   Fianna Fáil  
Liam Ó Buachalla Cultural and Educational Panel   Fianna Fáil  
Thomas J. O'Connell Cultural and Educational Panel   Labour  
Seamus Bohan Industrial and Commercial Panel   Independent Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 14 May 1956, replacing Andrew Clarkin[5]
Denis Burke Industrial and Commercial Panel   Fine Gael  
Andrew Clarkin Industrial and Commercial Panel   Fianna Fáil Died on 23 November 1955[7]
Mary Davidson Industrial and Commercial Panel   Labour  
Jane Dowdall Industrial and Commercial Panel   Fianna Fáil  
Seán Hartney Industrial and Commercial Panel   Fianna Fáil  
John Lynch Industrial and Commercial Panel   Fine Gael  
Peter Lynch Industrial and Commercial Panel   Independent  
Edward McGuire Industrial and Commercial Panel   Independent  
James O'Keeffe Industrial and Commercial Panel   Fine Gael Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 14 May 1956, replacing Matthew Smith[5]
Matthew Smith Industrial and Commercial Panel   Fianna Fáil Died on 3 November 1955[8]
Richard Anthony Labour Panel   Independent  
John Butler Labour Panel   Fine Gael  
Victor Carton Labour Panel   Fine Gael  
Patrick Crowley Labour Panel   Labour  
Frederick Hawkins Labour Panel   Independent Died on 2 August 1956[9]
Seán Hayes Labour Panel   Fianna Fáil  
Liam Kelly Labour Panel   Independent  
Dominick Murphy Labour Panel   Labour  
Frank Purcell Labour Panel   Independent  
Seán Ruane Labour Panel   Independent  
Patrick Tierney Labour Panel   Labour  
Henry Barniville National University of Ireland   Fine Gael  
Roger McHugh National University of Ireland   Independent  
George O'Brien National University of Ireland   Independent  
William Fearon Dublin University   Independent  
Owen Sheehy-Skeffington Dublin University   Independent  
William Bedell Stanford Dublin University   Independent  
Patrick Bergin Nominated by the Taoiseach   Labour  
Arthur Cox Nominated by the Taoiseach   Independent  
James G. Douglas Nominated by the Taoiseach   Independent Died on 16 September 1954[10]
John Douglas Nominated by the Taoiseach   Independent Nominated on 1 October 1954, replacing James G. Douglas[11]
Henry Eustace Guinness Nominated by the Taoiseach   Independent  
Michael Hayes Nominated by the Taoiseach   Fine Gael  
James Hickey Nominated by the Taoiseach   Labour  
John Meighan Nominated by the Taoiseach   Clann na Talmhan  
Frank J. Hugh O'Donnell Nominated by the Taoiseach   Independent  
Patrick O'Gorman Nominated by the Taoiseach   Fine Gael  
James Reidy Nominated by the Taoiseach   Fine Gael  
James Tunney Nominated by the Taoiseach   Labour  

Changes

Date Panel Loss Gain Note
16 September 1954 Nominated by the Taoiseach Independent   Death of James G. Douglas[10]
1 October 1954 Nominated by the Taoiseach   Independent John Douglas nominated to replace James G. Douglas[11]
5 March 1955 Agricultural Panel Fianna Fáil   Death of William Quirke[6][12]
3 November 1955 Industrial and Commercial Panel Fianna Fáil   Death of Matthew Smith[8][12]
23 November 1955 Industrial and Commercial Panel Fianna Fáil   Death of Andrew Clarkin[7][12]
19 January 1956 Administrative Panel Independent   Death of James McGee[4][12]
14 May 1956 Agricultural Panel   Independent Joe Sheridan elected at a by-election to succeed William Quirke[5]
14 May 1956 Industrial and Commercial Panel   Fine Gael James O'Keeffe elected at a by-election to succeed Matthew Smith[5]
14 May 1956 Industrial and Commercial Panel   Independent Seamus Bohan elected at a by-election to succeed Andrew Clarkin[5]
14 May 1956 Administrative Panel   Independent William Woods elected at a by-election to succeed James McGee[5]
2 August 1956 Labour Panel Independent   Death of Frederick Hawkins[9]

References

  1. ^ "Election of Cathaoirleach". Seanad Debates – Vol. 44 No. 1. 22 July 1954.
  2. ^ "Election of Leas-Chathaoirleach". Seanad Debates – Vol. 44 No. 2. 27 July 1954.
  3. ^ "8th Seanad". Oireachtas Members Database.
  4. ^ a b "Death of Senator—Expression of Sympathy". Seanad Debates – Vol. 45 No. 12. 1 February 1956.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Election of Senators". Seanad Debates – Vol. 46 No. 1. 16 May 1956.
  6. ^ a b "Death of Senator". Seanad Debates – Vol. 44 No. 9. 9 March 1955.
  7. ^ a b "Death of Senator—Expression of Sympathy". Seanad Debates – Vol. 45 No. 8. 23 November 1955.
  8. ^ a b "Death of Senator—Expression of Sympathy". Seanad Debates – Vol. 45 No. 7. 9 November 1955.
  9. ^ a b "Death of Senator—Expression of Sympathy". Seanad Debates – Vol. 46 No. 10. 2 August 1956.
  10. ^ a b "Death of Senator—Expression of Sympathy". Seanad Debates – Vol. 44 No. 3. 24 November 1954.
  11. ^ a b "Senator Introduced". Seanad Debates – Vol. 44 No. 3. 24 November 1954.
  12. ^ a b c d "Seanad Vacancies: Notice to Ministers". Seanad Debates – Vol. 45 No. 13. 15 February 1956.