The 8th Dáil was elected at the 1933 general election on 24 January 1933 and met on 8 February 1933. The members of Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas (legislature) of the Irish Free State, are known as TDs. Initially, it was one of two houses of the Oireachtas, sitting with the First Seanad constituted as the 1931 Seanad and the 1934 Seanad. From 29 May 1936, it was the sole house of the Oireachtas, after the disbandment of Seanad Éireann under the Constitution (Amendment No. 24) Act 1936. The 8th Dáil was dissolved on 14 June 1937. The 8th Dáil lasted 1,588 days.

8th Dáil
7th Dáil 9th Dáil
Overview
Legislative bodyDáil Éireann
JurisdictionIrish Free State
Meeting placeLeinster House
Term8 February 1933 – 14 June 1937
Election1933 general election
Government7th executive council
Members153
Ceann ComhairleFrank Fahy
President of the Executive CouncilÉamon de Valera
Vice-President of the Executive CouncilSeán T. O'Kelly
Chief WhipPatrick Little
Leader of the OppositionW. T. Cosgrave
Sessions
1st8 February 1933 – 9 August 1933
2nd27 September 1933 – 10 August 1934
3rd12 September 1934 – 25 July 1935
4th30 October 1935 – 13 August 1936
5th4 November 1936 – 14 June 1937

Composition of the 8th Dáil

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Party Jan. 1933 June 1937
Fianna Fáil 77 77
Cumann na nGaedheal[a] 48
National Centre Party[a] 11
Labour 8 8
Independent 9 10
Ceann Comhairle 1
Fine Gael[a] 52
Vacant 3
Total 153

Fianna Fáil, denoted with a bullet (), formed the 7th executive council of the Irish Free State.

Graphical representation

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This is a graphical comparison of party strengths in the 8th Dáil from February 1933. This was not the official seating plan.

 

Ceann Comhairle

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On 8 February 1933, Frank Fahy (FF), who had served as Ceann Comhairle in the previous Dáil, was proposed by Éamon de Valera and seconded by William Norton for the position, and was elected without a vote.[1]

TDs by constituency

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

Members of the 8th Dáil
Constituency Name Party
Carlow–Kilkenny Desmond FitzGerald Cumann na nGaedheal
Seán Gibbons Fianna Fáil
Richard Holohan National Centre Party
Thomas Derrig Fianna Fáil
James Pattison Labour
Cavan Patrick McGovern National Centre Party
John Joe O'Reilly Cumann na nGaedheal
Michael Sheridan Fianna Fáil
Paddy Smith Fianna Fáil
Clare Patrick Burke Cumann na nGaedheal
Éamon de Valera Fianna Fáil
Patrick Hogan Labour
Patrick Houlihan Fianna Fáil
Seán O'Grady Fianna Fáil
Cork Borough Richard Anthony Independent
W. T. Cosgrave Cumann na nGaedheal
William Desmond Cumann na nGaedheal
Thomas Dowdall Fianna Fáil
Hugo Flinn Fianna Fáil
Cork East William Broderick Cumann na nGaedheal
Martin Corry Fianna Fáil
Patrick Daly Cumann na nGaedheal
William Kent National Centre Party
Patrick Murphy Fianna Fáil
Cork North Daniel Corkery Fianna Fáil
Seán Moylan Fianna Fáil
Daniel O'Leary Cumann na nGaedheal
Cork West James Burke Cumann na nGaedheal
Tom Hales Fianna Fáil
Timothy J. Murphy Labour
Timothy O'Donovan National Centre Party
Eamonn O'Neill Cumann na nGaedheal
Donegal Neal Blaney Fianna Fáil
Brian Brady Fianna Fáil
James Dillon National Centre Party
Hugh Doherty Fianna Fáil
Michael Óg McFadden Cumann na nGaedheal
Daniel McMenamin Cumann na nGaedheal
James Myles Independent
Joseph O'Doherty Fianna Fáil
Dublin North Patrick Belton Cumann na nGaedheal
Cormac Breathnach Fianna Fáil
Alfie Byrne Independent
Eamonn Cooney Fianna Fáil
Richard Mulcahy Cumann na nGaedheal
Seán T. O'Kelly Fianna Fáil
Vincent Rice Cumann na nGaedheal
Oscar Traynor Fianna Fáil
Dublin South James Beckett Cumann na nGaedheal
Robert Briscoe Fianna Fáil
Peadar Doyle Cumann na nGaedheal
Thomas Kelly Fianna Fáil
Seán Lemass Fianna Fáil
James Lynch Fianna Fáil
James McGuire Cumann na nGaedheal
Dublin County John A. Costello Cumann na nGaedheal
Seán Brady Fianna Fáil
Henry Dockrell Cumann na nGaedheal
John Good Independent
Seán MacEntee Fianna Fáil
Batt O'Connor Cumann na nGaedheal
Gearóid O'Sullivan Cumann na nGaedheal
Margaret Mary Pearse Fianna Fáil
Dublin University Ernest Alton Independent
James Craig Independent
William Thrift Independent
Galway Gerald Bartley Fianna Fáil
Patrick Beegan Fianna Fáil
Seán Broderick Cumann na nGaedheal
Frank Fahy Fianna Fáil
Patrick Hogan Cumann na nGaedheal
Stephen Jordan Fianna Fáil
Séamus Keely Fianna Fáil
Mark Killilea Snr Fianna Fáil
Martin McDonogh Cumann na nGaedheal
Kerry Frederick Crowley Fianna Fáil
John Flynn Fianna Fáil
Eamon Kissane Fianna Fáil
Fionán Lynch Cumann na nGaedheal
Tom McEllistrim Fianna Fáil
Denis Daly Fianna Fáil
John O'Sullivan Cumann na nGaedheal
Kildare Thomas Harris Fianna Fáil
Sydney Minch Cumann na nGaedheal
William Norton Labour
Leitrim–Sligo William Browne Fianna Fáil
Frank Carty Fianna Fáil
James Dolan Cumann na nGaedheal
Stephen Flynn Fianna Fáil
Bernard Maguire Fianna Fáil
Martin Roddy Cumann na nGaedheal
Patrick Rogers National Centre Party
Leix–Offaly Patrick Boland Fianna Fáil
William Davin Labour
Eamon Donnelly Fianna Fáil
Jack Finlay National Centre Party
Thomas F. O'Higgins Cumann na nGaedheal
Limerick George C. Bennett Cumann na nGaedheal
Daniel Bourke Fianna Fáil
Tadhg Crowley Fianna Fáil
Michael Keyes Labour
Donnchadh Ó Briain Fianna Fáil
James Reidy Cumann na nGaedheal
Robert Ryan Fianna Fáil
Longford–Westmeath Charles Fagan National Centre Party
James Geoghegan Fianna Fáil
Michael Kennedy Fianna Fáil
Seán Mac Eoin Cumann na nGaedheal
James Victory Fianna Fáil
Louth Frank Aiken Fianna Fáil
James Coburn Independent
James Murphy Cumann na nGaedheal
Mayo North Micheál Clery Fianna Fáil
Michael Davis Cumann na nGaedheal
James Morrisroe Cumann na nGaedheal
P. J. Ruttledge Fianna Fáil
Mayo South James FitzGerald-Kenney Cumann na nGaedheal
Michael Kilroy Fianna Fáil
Edward Moane Fianna Fáil
Martin Nally Cumann na nGaedheal
Richard Walsh Fianna Fáil
Meath Robert Davitt Cumann na nGaedheal
James Kelly Fianna Fáil
Matthew O'Reilly Fianna Fáil
Monaghan Alexander Haslett Independent
Eamon Rice Fianna Fáil
Conn Ward Fianna Fáil
National University Helena Concannon Fianna Fáil
Conor Maguire Fianna Fáil
Patrick McGilligan Cumann na nGaedheal
Roscommon Michael Brennan Cumann na nGaedheal
Gerald Boland Fianna Fáil
Frank MacDermot National Centre Party
Patrick O'Dowd Fianna Fáil
Tipperary Dan Breen Fianna Fáil
Séamus Burke Cumann na nGaedheal
Richard Curran National Centre Party
Andrew Fogarty Fianna Fáil
Seán Hayes Fianna Fáil
Daniel Morrissey Cumann na nGaedheal
Martin Ryan Fianna Fáil
Waterford Seán Goulding Fianna Fáil
Patrick Little Fianna Fáil
Bridget Redmond Cumann na nGaedheal
Nicholas Wall National Centre Party
Wexford Richard Corish Labour
Osmond Esmonde Cumann na nGaedheal
John Keating Cumann na nGaedheal
Patrick Kehoe Fianna Fáil
James Ryan Fianna Fáil
Wicklow James Everett Labour
Séamus Moore Fianna Fáil
Dermot O'Mahony Cumann na nGaedheal

Changes

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Date Constituency Loss Gain Note
8 February 1933 Galway Fianna Fáil Ceann Comhairle Frank Fahy takes office as Ceann Comhairle[1]
12 July 1933 Dublin University Independent   Death of James Craig
8 September 1933 48 TDs Cumann na nGaedheal Fine Gael New party formed after merger
8 September 1933 10 TDs National Centre Party Fine Gael New party formed after merger
8 September 1933 Cork East National Centre Party Independent William Kent became Independent on formation of Fine Gael[3]
3 October 1933 Louth Independent Fine Gael James Coburn joins Fine Gael[4]
13 October 1933 Dublin University   Independent Robert Rowlette wins the seat vacated by the death of Craig
30 October 1934 Dublin North Fine Gael Independent Patrick Belton expelled for his continued support for Eoin O'Duffy as party leader[5]
24 November 1934 Galway Fine Gael   Death of Martin McDonogh
7 February 1935 Dublin County Fine Gael   Death of Batt O'Connor
17 June 1935 Dublin County   Fine Gael Cecil Lavery holds the seat vacated by the death of O'Connor
October 1935 Roscommon Fine Gael Independent Frank MacDermot resigns from Fine Gael
19 June 1935 Galway   Fianna Fáil Eamon Corbett wins the seat vacated by the death of McDonogh
14 July 1936 Galway Fine Gael   Death of Patrick Hogan
22 July 1936 Wexford Fine Gael   Death of Osmond Esmonde
13 August 1936 Galway   Fianna Fáil Martin Neilan wins the seat vacated by the death of Hogan
17 August 1936 Wexford   Fianna Fáil Denis Allen wins the seat vacated by the death of Esmonde
10 September 1936 Cork West Fine Gael   Death of James Burke
3 November 1936 National University Fianna Fáil   Appointment of Conor Maguire as a judge of the High Court[6]
23 December 1936 Longford–Westmeath Fianna Fáil   Appointment of James Geoghegan as a judge of the Supreme Court[7]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b c On 8 September 1933, Cumann na nGaedheal and the National Centre Party, along with the Army Comrades Association (Blueshirts), merged to form Fine Gael.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Election of Ceann Comhairle – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Vol. 46 No. 1". Houses of the Oireachtas. 8 February 1933. Archived from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  2. ^ "TDs & Senators (8th Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  3. ^ "1933 in the Dáil — Young Men to the Fore — How Government has Shaped". The Irish Times. 26 December 1933. p. 7. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  4. ^ "United Ireland Party – Independent Deputy Becomes a Member". The Irish Times. 4 October 1933. p. 7. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Mr. Belton's position". The Irish Times. 20 October 1934. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Attorney-General's Judicial Appointment. – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Vol. 64 No. 1". Oireachtas Debates. 4 November 1936. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Deputy's Appointment to Judiciary – Dáil Éireann (8th Dáil) – Vol. 65 No. 1". Oireachtas Debates. 3 February 1937.
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