The 12th Dáil was elected at the 1944 general election on 30 May 1944 and first met on 9 June 1944. The members of Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas (legislature), of Ireland are known as TDs. It sat with the 5th Seanad as the two Houses of the Oireachtas.

12th Dáil
11th Dáil 13th Dáil
Overview
Legislative bodyDáil Éireann
JurisdictionIreland
Meeting placeLeinster House
Term9 June 1944 – 12 January 1948
Election1944 general election
Government4th government of Ireland
Members138
Ceann ComhairleFrank Fahy
TaoiseachÉamon de Valera
TánaisteSeán Lemass
Seán T. O'Kelly
until 14 June 1945
Chief WhipEamon Kissane
Leader of the OppositionRichard Mulcahy
Sessions
1st9 June 1944 – 28 June 1944
2nd19 September 1944 – 20 July 1945
3rd10 October 1945 – 21 August 1946
4th23 October 1946 – 6 August 1947
5th8 October 1947 – 11 December 1947

The 12th Dáil was dissolved by President Seán T. O'Kelly on 12 January 1948, at the request of the Taoiseach Éamon de Valera. The 12th Dáil lasted 1,313 days.

Composition of the 12th Dáil

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Party May 1944 Jan. 1948
Fianna Fáil 76 76
Fine Gael 30 25
Clann na Talmhan 11 11
Labour 8 8
National Labour Party 4 4
Clann na Poblachta 0 2
Independent 9 9
Ceann Comhairle 1
Vacant 2

Fianna Fáil, denoted with bullet (), formed the 4th government of Ireland, a minority government relying on the support of the National Labour Party and Independent TDs.

Graphical representation

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This is a graphical comparison of party strengths in the 12th Dáil from June 1944. This was not the official seating plan.

 

Ceann Comhairle

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On 9 June 1944, Frank Fahy (FF), who had served as Ceann Comhairle since 1932, was proposed by Éamon de Valera and seconded by Richard Mulcahy for the position, and was elected without a vote.[1]

TDs by constituency

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The list of the 138 TDs elected, is given in alphabetical order by Dáil constituency.[2]

Members of the 12th Dáil
Constituency Name Party
Athlone–Longford Thomas Carter Fianna Fáil
Erskine H. Childers Fianna Fáil
Seán Mac Eoin Fine Gael
Carlow–Kildare Thomas Harris Fianna Fáil
James Hughes Fine Gael
Francis Humphreys Fianna Fáil
William Norton Labour
Cavan Patrick O'Reilly Clann na Talmhan
Tom O'Reilly Independent
Michael Sheridan Fianna Fáil
Paddy Smith Fianna Fáil
Clare Patrick Burke Fine Gael
Thomas Burke Independent
Éamon de Valera Fianna Fáil
Seán O'Grady Fianna Fáil
Peter O'Loghlen Fianna Fáil
Cork Borough Richard Anthony Independent
Frank Daly Fianna Fáil
William Dwyer Independent
Walter Furlong Fianna Fáil
Cork North Patrick Halliden Clann na Talmhan
Patrick McAuliffe Labour
Seán Moylan Fianna Fáil
Leo Skinner Fianna Fáil
Cork South-East William Broderick Fine Gael
Martin Corry Fianna Fáil
Seán McCarthy Fianna Fáil
Cork West Seán Buckley Fianna Fáil
Timothy J. Murphy Labour
Patrick O'Driscoll Clann na Talmhan
Eamonn O'Neill Fine Gael
Timothy O'Sullivan Fianna Fáil
Donegal East Neal Blaney Fianna Fáil
John Friel Fianna Fáil
Daniel McMenamin Fine Gael
William Sheldon Independent
Donegal West Brian Brady Fianna Fáil
Cormac Breslin Fianna Fáil
Michael Óg McFadden Fine Gael
Dublin South Robert Briscoe Fianna Fáil
Maurice E. Dockrell Fine Gael
Peadar Doyle Fine Gael
James Larkin Jnr Labour
Seán Lemass Fianna Fáil
James Lynch Fianna Fáil
John McCann Fianna Fáil
Dublin County Seán Brady Fianna Fáil
Patrick Burke Fianna Fáil
Liam Cosgrave Fine Gael
Henry Dockrell Fine Gael
Patrick Fogarty Fianna Fáil
Dublin North-East Alfie Byrne Independent
Harry Colley Fianna Fáil
Oscar Traynor Fianna Fáil
Dublin North-West Cormac Breathnach Fianna Fáil
Patrick McGilligan Fine Gael
John S. O'Connor Fianna Fáil
Seán T. O'Kelly Fianna Fáil
Martin O'Sullivan Labour
Dublin Townships Bernard Butler Fianna Fáil
John A. Costello Fine Gael
Seán MacEntee Fianna Fáil
Galway East Patrick Beegan Fianna Fáil
Frank Fahy Fianna Fáil
Michael Donnellan Clann na Talmhan
Mark Killilea Snr Fianna Fáil
Galway West Gerald Bartley Fianna Fáil
Michael Lydon Fianna Fáil
Joseph Mongan Fine Gael
Kerry North Patrick Finucane Clann na Talmhan
Eamon Kissane Fianna Fáil
Tom McEllistrim Fianna Fáil
Dan Spring National Labour Party
Kerry South Frederick Crowley Fianna Fáil
John Healy Fianna Fáil
Fionán Lynch Fine Gael
Kilkenny Eamonn Coogan Fine Gael
Thomas Derrig Fianna Fáil
James Pattison National Labour Party
Leitrim Stephen Flynn Fianna Fáil
Bernard Maguire Independent
Mary Reynolds Fine Gael
Leix–Offaly Patrick Boland Fianna Fáil
William Davin Labour
Patrick Gorry Fianna Fáil
Thomas F. O'Higgins Fine Gael
Oliver J. Flanagan Independent
Limerick George C. Bennett Fine Gael
Daniel Bourke Fianna Fáil
Michael Colbert Fianna Fáil
Michael Keyes Labour
Donnchadh Ó Briain Fianna Fáil
James Reidy Fine Gael
Robert Ryan Fianna Fáil
Louth Frank Aiken Fianna Fáil
James Coburn Fine Gael
Laurence Walsh Fianna Fáil
Mayo North Patrick Browne Fine Gael
James Kilroy Fianna Fáil
P. J. Ruttledge Fianna Fáil
Mayo South Joseph Blowick Clann na Talmhan
Dominick Cafferky Clann na Talmhan
Micheál Clery Fianna Fáil
Mícheál Ó Móráin Fianna Fáil
Richard Walsh Fianna Fáil
Meath–Westmeath Charles Fagan Fine Gael
Patrick Giles Fine Gael
Michael Hilliard Fianna Fáil
Michael Kennedy Fianna Fáil
Matthew O'Reilly Fianna Fáil
Monaghan James Dillon Independent
Bridget Rice Fianna Fáil
Conn Ward Fianna Fáil
Roscommon John Beirne Clann na Talmhan
Gerald Boland Fianna Fáil
Daniel O'Rourke Fianna Fáil
Sligo Martin Brennan Fianna Fáil
Martin Roddy Fine Gael
Patrick Rogers Fine Gael
Tipperary Dan Breen Fianna Fáil
Andrew Fogarty Fianna Fáil
Frank Loughman Fianna Fáil
Daniel Morrissey Fine Gael
Richard Mulcahy Fine Gael
William O'Donnell Clann na Talmhan
Mary Ryan Fianna Fáil
Waterford Denis Heskin Clann na Talmhan
Patrick Little Fianna Fáil
Michael Morrissey Fianna Fáil
Bridget Redmond Fine Gael
Wexford Denis Allen Fianna Fáil
Richard Corish Labour
John Keating Fine Gael
John O'Leary National Labour Party
James Ryan Fianna Fáil
Wicklow Thomas Brennan Fianna Fáil
Patrick Cogan Clann na Talmhan
James Everett National Labour Party

Changes

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Date Constituency Loss Gain Note
9 June 1944 Galway East Fianna Fáil Ceann Comhairle Frank Fahy takes office as Ceann Comhairle[1]
3 October 1944 Kerry South Fine Gael   Resignation of Fionán Lynch (FG) on appointment as a Circuit Court judge[3]
10 November 1944 Kerry South   Fianna Fáil Donal O'Donoghue (FF) wins the seat vacated by Lynch.
7 February 1945 Clare Fine Gael   Death of Patrick Burke (FG)
5 May 1945 Kerry South Fianna Fáil   Death of Frederick Crowley (FF)
14 June 1945 Dublin North-West Fianna Fáil   Election of Seán T. O'Kelly (FF) as president of Ireland
19 July 1945 Wexford Labour   Death of Richard Corish (Lab)
10 October 1945 Mayo South Fianna Fáil   Resignation Micheál Clery (FF) on appointment as County Registrar of Dublin[4]
4 December 1945 Clare   Fianna Fáil Patrick Shanahan (FF) wins the seat vacated by the death of Burke
4 December 1945 Kerry South   Fianna Fáil Honor Crowley (FF) holds the seat vacated by the death of her husband Frederick Crowley
4 December 1945 Dublin North-West   Fianna Fáil Vivion de Valera (FF) holds the seat vacated by O'Kelly
4 December 1945 Wexford   Labour Brendan Corish (Lab) holds the seat vacated by the death of his father Richard Corish
4 December 1945 Mayo South   Clann na Talmhan Bernard Commons (CnaT) wins the seat vacated by Clery
29 March 1946 Cork Borough Independent   Resignation of William Dwyer (Ind)[5]
14 June 1946 Cork Borough   Fianna Fáil Patrick McGrath (FF) wins the seat vacated by Dwyer
4 February 1947 Tipperary Clann na Talmhan   Death of William O'Donnell (CnaT)
2 May 1947 Dublin County Fianna Fáil   Death of Patrick Fogarty (FF)
10 May 1947 Waterford Fianna Fáil   Death of Michael Morrissey (FF)
31 July 1947 Meath–Westmeath Fine Gael Independent Charles Fagan (FG) resigns from party[6]
29 October 1947 Tipperary   Clann na Poblachta Patrick Kinane (CnaP) wins the seat vacated by the death of O'Donnell
29 October 1947 Dublin County   Clann na Poblachta Seán MacBride (CnaP) wins the seat vacated by the death of Fogarty
29 October 1947 Waterford   Fianna Fáil John Ormonde (FF) holds the seat vacated by the death of Morrissey
1 January 1948 Carlow–Kildare Fine Gael   Death of James Hughes (FG)
8 January 1948 Sligo Fine Gael   Death of Martin Roddy (FG)

Eamonn Coogan (FG), an outgoing TD for Kilkenny, died after the dissolution of the 12th Dáil, during the 1948 general election campaign.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Election of Ceann Comhairle – Dáil Éireann (12th Dáil) – Vol. 94 No. 1". Houses of the Oireachtas. 9 June 1944. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  2. ^ "TDs & Senators (12th Dáil)". Houses of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Resignation of a Deputy – Dáil Éireann (12th Dáil) – Vol. 95 No. 1". Houses of the Oireachtas. 3 October 1944. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Resignation of a Deputy – Dáil Éireann (12th Dáil) – Vol. 98 No. 1". Houses of the Oireachtas. 10 October 1945. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Resignation of a Deputy – Dáil Éireann (12th Dáil) – Vol. 100 No. 7". Houses of the Oireachtas. 29 March 1946. Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Fine Gael member resigns from party". The Irish Times. 1 August 1947. p. 1.
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