4th Dáil

The 4th Dáil was elected at the 1923 general election on 27 August 1923 and met on 19 September 1923. The members of Dáil Éireann, the House of Representatives of the Oireachtas (legislature) of the Irish Free State, are known as TDs. It was one of two houses of the Oireachtas, sitting with the First Seanad constituted as the 1922 Seanad and the 1925 Seanad. Although Cumann na nGaedheal did not have a majority it was able to govern due to the absence of Republicans (Anti-Treaty Sinn Féin) who refused to attend.

4th Dáil
← 3rd Dáil 5th Dáil →
Overview
Legislative body	Dáil Éireann
Jurisdiction	Irish Free State
Meeting place	Leinster House
Term	19 September 1923 – 20 May 1927
Election	1923 general election
Government	2nd executive council
Members	153
Ceann Comhairle	Michael Hayes
President of the Executive Council	W. T. Cosgrave
Vice-President of the Executive Council	Kevin O'Higgins
Chief Whip	James Dolan — Daniel McCarthy until 31 March 1924
Leader of the Opposition	Thomas Johnson
Sessions
1st 19 September 1923 – 12 August 1924 2nd 15 October 1924 – 8 July 1925 3rd 3 November 1925 – 21 July 1926 4th 16 November 1926 – 20 May 1927

The 4th Dáil was dissolved by Governor-General Tim Healy on 23 May 1927, at the request of the President of the Executive Council W. T. Cosgrave. The 4th Dáil lasted 3 years, 246 days.

Composition of the 4th Dáil

•   2nd Executive Council
•   Official Opposition

Party		Aug. 1923	May 1927	Change
	Cumann na nGaedheal	63	57	6
	Republican	44	27	17
	Farmers' Party	15	14	1
	Labour	14	15	1
	Businessmen's Party	2	2
	Fianna Fáil	—	19	19
	Clann Éireann	—	3	3
	National League	—	2	2
	Independent	15	12	3
	Ceann Comhairle	—	1	1
	Vacant	—	1	1
Total		153

In line with its policy of abstentionism, the Republican TDs did not take their seats. When Fianna Fáil split from Sinn Féin, they continued this policy. This made a functional majority only 55 seats.

The 2nd executive was formed by Cumann na nGaedheal. Labour was the official opposition.

Graphical representation

This is a graphical comparison of party strengths in the 4th Dáil from September 1923. This was not the official seating plan. The Republican members did not take their seats.

Ceann Comhairle

On 19 September 1923, Michael Hayes (CnaG), the outgoing Ceann Comhairle, was proposed by W. T. Cosgrave and seconded by Thomas Johnson for the position, and was approved without a vote.^[1]

TDs by constituency

The list of the 153 TDs elected is given in alphabetical order by Dáil constituency.^[2]

Members of the 4th Dáil
Constituency	Name	Party
Carlow–Kilkenny	W. T. Cosgrave		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Edward Doyle		Labour
	Seán Gibbons		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Denis Gorey		Farmers' Party
	Michael Shelly		Republican
Cavan	Patrick Baxter		Farmers' Party
	John James Cole		Independent
	Seán Milroy		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Patrick Smith		Republican
Clare	Éamon de Valera		Republican
	Conor Hogan		Farmers' Party
	Patrick Hogan		Labour
	Eoin MacNeill[a]		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Brian O'Higgins		Republican
Cork Borough	Richard Beamish[b]		Independent
	Mary MacSwiney		Republican
	Alfred O'Rahilly		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Andrew O'Shaughnessy[b]		Independent
	J. J. Walsh		Cumann na nGaedheal
Cork East	John Daly		Independent
	John Dinneen		Farmers' Party
	Michael Hennessy		Cumann na nGaedheal
	David Kent		Republican
	Thomas O'Mahony		Cumann na nGaedheal
Cork North	Daniel Corkery		Republican
	Thomas Nagle		Labour
	Daniel Vaughan		Farmers' Party
Cork West	Seán Buckley		Republican
	Cornelius Connolly		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Timothy J. Murphy		Labour
	Timothy O'Donovan		Farmers' Party
	John Prior		Cumann na nGaedheal
Donegal	Eugene Doherty		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Patrick McGoldrick		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Patrick McFadden		Cumann na nGaedheal
	James Myles		Independent
	Joseph O'Doherty		Republican
	Peadar O'Donnell		Republican
	Peter Ward		Cumann na nGaedheal
	John White		Farmers' Party
Dublin North	Alfie Byrne		Independent
	Francis Cahill		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Margaret Collins-O'Driscoll		Cumann na nGaedheal
	William Hewat		Businessmen's Party
	Seán McGarry		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Richard Mulcahy		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Seán T. O'Kelly		Republican
	Ernie O'Malley		Republican
Dublin South	Philip Cosgrave		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Peadar Doyle		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Michael Hayes[c]		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Myles Keogh		Independent
	Daniel McCarthy		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Constance Markievicz		Republican
	Cathal Ó Murchadha		Republican
Dublin County	Bryan Cooper		Independent
	Michael Derham		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Darrell Figgis		Independent
	Desmond FitzGerald		Cumann na nGaedheal
	John Good		Businessmen's Party
	Thomas Johnson		Labour
	Kathleen Lynn		Republican
	Kevin O'Higgins		Cumann na nGaedheal
Dublin University	Ernest Alton		Independent
	James Craig		Independent
	William Thrift		Independent
Galway	Seán Broderick		Cumann na nGaedheal
	James Cosgrave		Independent
	Frank Fahy		Republican
	Patrick Hogan		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Barney Mellows		Republican
	George Nicolls		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Thomas J. O'Connell		Labour
	Louis O'Dea		Republican
	Pádraic Ó Máille		Cumann na nGaedheal
Kerry	Patrick Cahill		Republican
	James Crowley		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Fionán Lynch		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Tom McEllistrim		Republican
	Thomas O'Donoghue		Republican
	John O'Sullivan		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Austin Stack		Republican
Kildare	Hugh Colohan		Labour
	John Conlan		Farmers' Party
	George Wolfe		Cumann na nGaedheal
Leitrim–Sligo	Thomas Carter		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Frank Carty		Republican
	James Dolan		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Seán Farrell		Republican
	John Hennigan		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Alexander McCabe		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Martin McGowan		Republican
Leix–Offaly	Laurence Brady		Republican
	Francis Bulfin		Cumann na nGaedheal
	William Davin		Labour
	Patrick Egan		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Seán McGuinness		Republican
Limerick	Seán Carroll		Republican
	Patrick Clancy		Labour
	James Colbert		Republican
	John Nolan		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Richard Hayes		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Patrick Hogan		Farmers' Party
	James Ledden		Cumann na nGaedheal
Longford–Westmeath	Conor Byrne		Republican
	James Killane		Republican
	John Lyons		Independent
	Patrick McKenna		Farmers' Party
	Patrick Shaw		Cumann na nGaedheal
Louth	Frank Aiken		Republican
	Peter Hughes		Cumann na nGaedheal
	James Murphy		Cumann na nGaedheal
Mayo North	Henry Coyle		Cumann na nGaedheal
	John Crowley		Republican
	Joseph McGrath		Cumann na nGaedheal
	P. J. Ruttledge		Republican
Mayo South	Michael Kilroy		Republican
	Joseph MacBride		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Tom Maguire		Republican
	Martin Nally		Cumann na nGaedheal
	William Sears		Cumann na nGaedheal
Meath	Eamonn Duggan		Cumann na nGaedheal
	David Hall		Labour
	Patrick Mulvany		Farmers' Party
Monaghan	Ernest Blythe		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Patrick Duffy		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Patrick MacCarvill		Republican
National University	Michael Hayes[c]		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Eoin MacNeill[a]		Cumann na nGaedheal
	William Magennis		Cumann na nGaedheal
Roscommon	Gerald Boland		Republican
	Henry Finlay		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Andrew Lavin		Cumann na nGaedheal
	George Noble Plunkett		Republican
Tipperary	Dan Breen		Republican
	Séamus Burke		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Louis Dalton		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Michael Heffernan		Farmers' Party
	Seán McCurtin		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Daniel Morrissey		Labour
	Patrick Ryan		Republican
Waterford	Caitlín Brugha		Republican
	John Butler		Labour
	William Redmond		Independent
	Nicholas Wall		Farmers' Party
Wexford	Richard Corish		Labour
	Michael Doyle		Farmers' Party
	Osmond Esmonde		Cumann na nGaedheal
	Robert Lambert		Republican
	James Ryan		Republican
Wicklow	Christopher Byrne		Cumann na nGaedheal
	James Everett		Labour
	Richard Wilson		Farmers' Party

Changes

Date	Constituency	Loss		Gain		Note
19 September 1923	Dublin South		Cumann na nGaedheal			Michael Hayes resigns to sit for NUI[c]
19 September 1923	National University		Cumann na nGaedheal		Ceann Comhairle	Michael Hayes takes office as Ceann Comhairle[1]
9 October 1923	National University		Cumann na nGaedheal			Eoin MacNeill resigns to sit for Clare[a]
22 October 1923	Dublin South		Cumann na nGaedheal			Death of Philip Cosgrave
27 October 1923	Dublin South				Cumann na nGaedheal	Hugh Kennedy holds the seat vacated by the resignation of Hayes
3 November 1923	National University				Cumann na nGaedheal	Patrick McGilligan holds the seat vacated by the resignation of MacNeill
20 November 1923	Dublin County		Cumann na nGaedheal			Death of Michael Derham
10 January 1924	Limerick		Cumann na nGaedheal			Resignation of Richard Hayes[5]
12 March 1924	Dublin South				Cumann na nGaedheal	James O'Mara holds the seat vacated by the death of Cosgrave
19 March 1924	Dublin County				Cumann na nGaedheal	Batt O'Connor holds the seat vacated by the death of Derham
9 May 1924	Mayo North		Cumann na nGaedheal			Disqualification of Henry Coyle[6]
28 May 1924	Limerick				Cumann na nGaedheal	Richard O'Connell holds the seat vacated by the resignation of Hayes
5 June 1924	Dublin South		Cumann na nGaedheal			Resignation of Hugh Kennedy on appointment as Chief Justice[7]
20 July 1924	Cork East		Cumann na nGaedheal			Death of Thomas O'Mahony (CnaG)
1 August 1924	Cork Borough		Cumann na nGaedheal			Resignation of Alfred O'Rahilly[8]
20 November 1924	Donegal		Cumann na nGaedheal			Resignation of Peter Ward[8]
18 November 1924	Cork East				Cumann na nGaedheal	Michael Noonan holds the seat vacated by the death of O'Mahony
18 November 1924	Dublin South				Republican	Seán Lemass gains the seat vacated by the resignation of Kennedy
18 November 1924	Mayo North				Republican	John Madden gains the seat vacated by the disqualification of Coyle
19 November 1924	Cork Borough				Cumann na nGaedheal	Michael Egan holds the seat vacated by the resignation of O'Rahilly
20 November 1924	Donegal				Cumann na nGaedheal	Denis McCullough holds the seat vacated by the resignation of Ward
30 October 1924	Carlow–Kilkenny		Cumann na nGaedheal			Resignation of Seán Gibbons[9]
30 October 1924	Cavan		Cumann na nGaedheal			Resignation of Seán Milroy[9]
30 October 1924	Dublin North		Cumann na nGaedheal			Resignation of Francis Cahill[9]
30 October 1924	Dublin North		Cumann na nGaedheal			Resignation of Seán McGarry[9]
30 October 1924	Dublin South		Cumann na nGaedheal			Resignation of Daniel McCarthy[9]
30 October 1924	Leitrim–Sligo		Cumann na nGaedheal			Resignation of Thomas Carter[9]
30 October 1924	Leitrim–Sligo		Cumann na nGaedheal			Resignation of Alexander McCabe[9]
30 October 1924	Mayo North		Cumann na nGaedheal			Resignation of Joseph McGrath[9]
30 October 1924	Roscommon		Cumann na nGaedheal			Resignation of Henry Finlay[9]
11 March 1925	Carlow–Kilkenny				Cumann na nGaedheal	Thomas Bolger holds the seat vacated by the resignation of Gibbons
11 March 1925	Cavan				Cumann na nGaedheal	John Joe O'Reilly holds the seat vacated by the resignation of Milroy
11 March 1925	Dublin North				Cumann na nGaedheal	Patrick Leonard holds the seat vacated by the resignation of Cahill
11 March 1925	Dublin North				Republican	Oscar Traynor gains the seat vacated by the resignation of McGarry
11 March 1925	Dublin South				Cumann na nGaedheal	Thomas Hennessy holds the seat vacated by the resignation of McCarthy
11 March 1925	Leitrim–Sligo				Republican	Samuel Holt gains the seat vacated by the resignation of Carter
11 March 1925	Leitrim–Sligo				Cumann na nGaedheal	Martin Roddy holds the seat vacated by the resignation of McCabe
11 March 1925	Mayo North				Cumann na nGaedheal	Michael Tierney holds the seat vacated by the resignation of McGrath
11 March 1925	Roscommon				Cumann na nGaedheal	Martin Conlon holds the seat vacated by the resignation of Finlay
27 October 1926	Dublin County		Independent			Death of Darrell Figgis
30 November 1925	Leix–Offaly		Republican			Disqualification of Seán McGuinness[10]
25 January 1926	National University		Cumann na nGaedheal		Clann Éireann	William Magennis joins new party Clann Éireann
25 January 1926	Galway		Cumann na nGaedheal		Clann Éireann	Pádraic Ó Máille joins new party Clann Éireann
25 January 1926	Wicklow		Cumann na nGaedheal		Clann Éireann	Christopher Byrne joins new party Clann Éireann
18 February 1926	Dublin County				Labour	William Norton gains the seat vacated by the death of Figgis
18 February 1926	Leix–Offaly				Cumann na nGaedheal	James Dwyer gains the seat vacated by the disqualification of McGuinness
16 May 1926	Clare		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Éamon de Valera founds new party Fianna Fáil as party leader
16 May 1926	Louth		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Frank Aiken joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Roscommon		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Gerald Boland joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Leitrim–Sligo		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Frank Carty joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Limerick		Republican		Fianna Fáil	James Colbert joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Galway		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Frank Fahy joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Leitrim–Sligo		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Samuel Holt joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Longford–Westmeath		Republican		Fianna Fáil	James Killane joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Mayo South		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Michael Kilroy joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Dublin South		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Seán Lemass joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Monaghan		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Patrick MacCarvill joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Dublin South		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Constance Markievicz joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Kerry		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Tom McEllistrim joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Dublin North		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Seán T. O'Kelly joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Donegal		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Joseph O'Doherty joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Dublin North		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Seán T. O'Kelly joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Mayo North		Republican		Fianna Fáil	P. J. Ruttledge joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Leitrim–Sligo		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Frank Carty joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Wexford		Republican		Fianna Fáil	James Ryan joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Carlow–Kilkenny		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Michael Shelly joins new party Fianna Fáil
16 May 1926	Cavan		Republican		Fianna Fáil	Patrick Smith joins new party Fianna Fáil
September 1926	Waterford		Independent		National League	William Redmond joins the National League as founder member
September 1926	Galway		Independent		National League	James Cosgrave joins the National League as founder member
19 January 1927	Limerick		Cumann na nGaedheal			Death of James Ledden
25 January 1927	Tipperary		Republican		Ind. Republican	Dan Breen takes the Oath of Allegiance[11]
May 1927	Carlow–Kilkenny		Farmers' Party		Cumann na nGaedheal	Denis Gorey selected as candidate for Cumann na nGaedheal.[12]

Footnotes

1. Eoin MacNeill was elected for two constituencies; Clare and the National University. He chose to sit for Clare.^[3]
2. Andrew O'Shaughnessy and Richard Beamish were elected under the label of Cork Progressive Association, a group associated with the Businessmen's Party.
3. Michael Hayes was elected for two constituencies; Dublin South and the National University. He chose to sit for the National University.^[4]