# 21st Seanad

The 21st Seanad was in office from 1997 to 2002. An election to Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), followed the 1997 general election to the 28th Dáil. The senators served until the close of poll for the 22nd Seanad at the end of July 2002.

## Cathaoirleach

On 17 September 1997, Brian Mullooly (FF) was proposed as Cathaoirleach by Donie Cassidy (FF) and seconded by Michael Finneran (FF). He was elected without a division.
On 18 September 1997, Liam T. Cosgrave (FG) was proposed as Leas-Chathaoirleach by Maurice Manning (FG) and seconded by Paddy Burke (FG). He was elected without a division.

## Composition of the 21st Seanad

There are a total of 60 seats in the Seanad. 43 Senators were elected on five vocational panels, 6 were elected from two university constituencies and 11 are nominated by the Taoiseach.
The following table shows the composition by party when the 21st Seanad first met on 17 September 1997.
| OriginParty | OriginParty | Vocational panels | Vocational panels | Vocational panels | Vocational panels | Vocational panels | NUI | DU | Nominated | Total | Total |
| OriginParty | OriginParty | Admin | Agri | Cult & Educ | Ind & Comm | Labour | NUI | DU | Nominated | Total | Total |
| | Fianna Fáil | 3 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 29 | |
| | Fine Gael | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | |
| | Labour Party | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| | Progressive Democrats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | |
| | Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | |
| Total | 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 |
| Fintan Coogan | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Joe Costello | Administrative Panel | Labour | Elected to Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| Joe Doyle | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Michael Finneran | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| Camillus Glynn | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Tony Kett | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Fergus O'Dowd | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| Paddy Burke | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Peter Callanan | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| John Connor | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Avril Doyle | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Tom Hayes | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to Dáil at the Tipperary South by-election on 30 June 2001 |
| Rory Kiely | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Patrick McGowan | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | Died on 3 October 1999 |
| Pat Moylan | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Francis O'Brien | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Kathleen O'Meara | Agricultural Panel | Labour | |
| Jim Walsh | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Seán Ó Fearghaíl | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to Seanad in a by-election on 2 June 2000; Elected to Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| M. J. Nolan | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to the Seanad at a by-election on 18 December 2001; Elected to Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| Maurice Manning | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Paschal Mooney | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Labhrás Ó Murchú | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Ann Ormonde | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Madeleine Taylor-Quinn | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Eddie Bohan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Ernie Caffrey | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Paul Coghlan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Liam T. Cosgrave | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Margaret Cox | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Willie Farrell | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Pat Gallagher | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Labour | Resigned from the Seanad on 12 October 1999 |
| Jim Glennon | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to the Seanad at a by-election on 2 June 2000; Elected to Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| Mick Lanigan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Denis O'Donovan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| Donie Cassidy | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| Denis Cregan | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Liam Fitzgerald | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Des Hanafin | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Mary Jackman | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Dan Kiely | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Don Lydon | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Jarlath McDonagh | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Brian Mullooly | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Therese Ridge | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Seán Ryan | Labour Panel | Labour | Elected to the Dáil at the Dublin North by-election on 11 March 1998 |
| John Cregan | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to the Seanad at a by-election on 23 June 1998; Elected to Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| Joe O'Toole | National University of Ireland | Independent | |
| Feargal Quinn | National University of Ireland | Independent | |
| Brendan Ryan | National University of Ireland | Independent | Joined the Labour Party on 14 January 1999 |
| Mary Henry | Dublin University | Independent | |
| David Norris | Dublin University | Independent | |
| Shane Ross | Dublin University | Independent | |
| Enda Bonner | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Frank Chambers | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| John Dardis | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Progressive Democrats | |
| Tom Fitzgerald | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | Resigned from Seanad on 4 April 2002 |
| Dermot Fitzpatrick | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | Elected to Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| Jim Gibbons | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Progressive Democrats | |
| Edward Haughey | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Maurice Hayes | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | |
| Helen Keogh | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Progressive Democrats | Changed from Progressive Democrats to Fine Gael on 14 June 2000 |
| Ann Leonard | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Máirín Quill | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Progressive Democrats | |
| Martin Mackin | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | Nominated on 22 May 2002 to fill vacancy |
| Mary O'Rourke | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | Nominated on 22 May 2002 to fill vacancy |

## Changes

| Date | Panel | Loss | Gain | Note |
| 11 March 1998 | Labour Panel | Labour | | Seán Ryan elected to the 28th Dáil at the Dublin North by-election |
| 23 June 1998 | Labour Panel | | Fianna Fáil | John Cregan elected to the Seanad at a by-election |
| 14 January 1999 | National University | Independent | Labour | Brendan Ryan joined the Labour Party |
| 3 October 1999 | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Death of Patrick McGowan |
| 12 October 1999 | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Labour | | Pat Gallagher resigned from the Seanad to take up position on Westmeath County Council. |
| 9 June 2000 | Industrial and Commercial Panel | | Fianna Fáil | Jim Glennon elected to the Seanad at a by-election |
| 9 June 2000 | Agricultural Panel | | Fianna Fáil | Seán Ó Fearghaíl elected to Seanad in a by-election |
| 14 June 2000 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Progressive Democrats | Fine Gael | Helen Keogh joined Fine Gael |
| 30 June 2001 | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | | Tom Hayes elected to 28th Dáil at the Tipperary South by-election |
| December 2001 | Agricultural Panel | | Fianna Fáil | M. J. Nolan elected to the Seanad at a by-election |
| 4 April 2002 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | | Tom Fitzgerald resigned from the Seanad |
| 17 May 2002 | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Donie Cassidy elected to the 29th Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| 17 May 2002 | Administrative Panel | Labour | | Joe Costello elected to the 29th Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| 17 May 2002 | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | | John Cregan elected to the 29th Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| 17 May 2002 | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Michael Finneran elected to 29th Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| 17 May 2002 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | | Dermot Fitzpatrick elected to the 29th Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| 17 May 2002 | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Jim Glennon elected to the 29th Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| 17 May 2002 | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | | M. J. Nolan elected to the 29th Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| 17 May 2002 | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Denis O'Donovan elected to the 29th Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| 17 May 2002 | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | | Fergus O'Dowd elected to the 29th Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| 17 May 2002 | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Seán Ó Fearghaíl elected to the 29th Dáil at the 2002 general election |
| 22 May 2002 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | | Fianna Fáil | Mary O'Rourke nominated to fill vacancy |
| 22 May 2002 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | | Fianna Fáil | Martin Mackin nominated to fill vacancy |