# 1931 Seanad

The 1931 Seanad was the part of the Seanad of the Irish Free State (1922–1936) in office from the 1931 Seanad election to the 1934 Seanad election. Elections to the Seanad, the Senate of the Oireachtas (parliament of the Irish Free State), took place on a triennial basis, with senators elected in stages. The 1931 Seanad included members nominated in 1922, and members elected at the 1925, 1928 and 1931 Seanad elections.
It sat as a second chamber to the 6th Dáil elected at the September 1927 general election, the 7th Dáil elected at the 1932 general election and the 8th Dáil elected at the 1933 general election. The Seanad of the Irish Free State was not numbered after each election, with the whole period later considered the First Seanad.

## Composition of the 1931 Seanad

There were a total of 60 seats in the Seanad. In 1931, 23 senators were elected. The 1925 Seanad election was a popular election. However, at the 1928 and subsequent Free State Seanad elections, the franchise was restricted to Oireachtas members.
17 Senators had been elected at the 1928 Seanad election and 19 Senators had been elected at the 1925 Seanad election. In 1922, 30 Senators had been elected by Dáil Éireann, and 30 had been nominated by the President of the Executive Council, W. T. Cosgrave.
The following table shows the composition by party when the 1931 Seanad first met on 9 December 1931.
| Party | Party | Seats |
| | Cumann na nGaedheal | 20 |
| | Fianna Fáil | 12 |
| | Labour | 6 |
| | Independent | 22 |
| Total | Total | 60 |

## List of senators

* Note: The entries for Senators who were elected or appointed to fill vacancies are shown in italics
| Name | Party | Entered Office | Term | Notes |
| Countess of Desart | Independent | Nominated in 1922 | 12 years | Died on 29 June 1933 |
| James Charles Dowdall | Fianna Fáil | Nominated in 1922 | 12 years | |
| Sir Thomas Esmonde | Independent | Nominated in 1922 | 12 years | |
| Earl of Granard | Independent | Nominated in 1922 | 12 years | |
| Henry Guinness | Independent | Nominated in 1922 | 12 years | |
| Sir John Keane | Independent | Nominated in 1922 | 12 years | |
| James Moran | Independent | Nominated in 1922 | 12 years | |
| Jennie Wyse Power | Independent | Nominated in 1922 | 12 years | |
| Thomas Westropp Bennett | Independent | Elected in 1925 | 9 years | Cathaoirleach |
| Sir Edward Coey Bigger | Independent | Elected in 1925 | 9 years | |
| Francis McGuinness | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1925 | 9 years | |
| Henry Barniville | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | |
| Sir Edward Bellingham | Independent | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | |
| William Cummins | Labour | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | |
| James Dillon | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | |
| Michael Fanning | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | |
| Thomas Foran | Labour | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | |
| Sir William Hickie | Independent | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | |
| Cornelius Kennedy | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | |
| Thomas Linehan | Independent | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | |
| Joseph O'Connor | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | |
| J. T. O'Farrell | Labour | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | |
| Michael F. O'Hanlon | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | Leas-Chathaoirleach |
| James Parkinson | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | |
| Thomas Toal | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1925 | 12 years | |
| Samuel Lombard Brown | Independent | Elected in 1926 | 12 years | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 10 February 1926, replacing the Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl |
| John Philip Bagwell | Independent | Elected in 1928 | 6 years | |
| Alfie Byrne | Independent | Elected in 1928 | 6 years | Resigned on 10 December 1931 |
| Oliver St. John Gogarty | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1928 | 6 years | |
| Andrew Jameson | Independent | Elected in 1928 | 6 years | |
| Thomas Johnson | Labour | Elected in 1928 | 6 years | |
| Richard Wilson | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1928 | 6 years | |
| Kathleen Clarke | Fianna Fáil | Elected in 1928 | 9 years | |
| Joseph Connolly | Fianna Fáil | Elected in 1928 | 9 years | |
| Seán Milroy | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1928 | 9 years | |
| Joseph O'Doherty | Fianna Fáil | Elected in 1928 | 9 years | Elected to 8th Dáil at the general election on 24 January 1933 |
| Séumas Robinson | Fianna Fáil | Elected in 1928 | 9 years | |
| Kathleen Browne | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1931 | 3 years | |
| Eileen Costello | Independent | Elected in 1931 | 3 years | |
| William O'Sullivan | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1931 | 6 years | |
| Michael Comyn | Fianna Fáil | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| John Counihan | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| James G. Douglas | Independent | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| Michael Duffy | Labour | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| Thomas Farren | Labour | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| Hugh Garahan | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| Sir John Griffith | Independent | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| Seán MacEllin | Fianna Fáil | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| Ross McGillycuddy | Independent | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| James J. MacKean | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| John MacLoughlin | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| Daniel MacParland | Fianna Fáil | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| Maurice George Moore | Fianna Fáil | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| Laurence O'Neill | Independent | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| Brian O'Rourke | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| William Quirke | Fianna Fáil | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| David Robinson | Fianna Fáil | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| Séamus Ryan | Fianna Fáil | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | Died on 30 June 1933 |
| Michael Staines | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | |
| Arthur Vincent | Independent | Elected in 1931 | 9 years | Resigned on 21 February 1934 |
| George Crosbie | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1932 | Until 1934 election | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 2 January 1932, replacing Alfie Byrne Died on 28 November 1934 |
| Eamonn Duggan | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1933 | Until 1934 election | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 19 April 1933, replacing Joseph O'Doherty |
| Ernest Blythe | Cumann na nGaedheal | Elected in 1934 | Until 1934 election | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 2 January 1934, replacing the Countess of Desart |
| Raphael Keyes | Fianna Fáil | Elected in 1934 | Until 1934 election | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 2 January 1934, replacing Séamus Ryan |
| Patrick Lynch | Fianna Fáil | Elected in 1934 | Until 1934 election | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 28 September 1934, replacing Arthur Vincent |

## Changes

| Date | Loss | Gain | Note |
| 10 December 1931 | Independent | | Resignation of Alfie Byrne |
| 2 January 1932 | | Cumann na nGaedheal | George Crosbie elected at a by-election to replace Alfie Byrne |
| 24 January 1933 | Fianna Fáil | | Joseph O'Doherty elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1933 general election |
| 19 April 1933 | | Cumann na nGaedheal | Eamonn Duggan elected at a by-election to replace Joseph O'Doherty |
| 29 June 1933 | Independent | | Death of Ellen Cuffe, Countess of Desart |
| 30 June 1933 | Fianna Fáil | | Death of Séamus Ryan |
| 2 January 1934 | | Cumann na nGaedheal | Ernest Blythe elected at a by-election to replace the Countess of Desart |
| 2 January 1934 | | Fianna Fáil | Raphael Keyes elected at a by-election to replace Séamus Ryan |
| 21 February 1934 | Independent | | Resignation of Arthur Vincent |
| 28 September 1934 | | Fianna Fáil | Patrick Lynch elected at a by-election to replace Arthur Vincent |
| 28 November 1934 | Cumann na nGaedheal | | Death of George Crosbie |