# 7th Seanad

The 7th Seanad was in office from 1951 to 1954. An election to Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), followed the 1951 general election to the 14th Dáil. The senators served until the close of poll for the 8th Seanad in 1954.

## Cathaoirleach

On 14 August 1951, Liam Ó Buachalla (FF), was proposed by Seán Goulding (FF) and seconded by Margaret Mary Pearse (FF) for the position of Cathaoirleach. He was elected unopposed.
On 7 November 1951, Timothy O'Donovan (FG), Cathaoirleach of the 6th Seanad, was proposed by Michael Hayes (FG) and seconded by Frank J. Hugh O'Donnell (Ind) for the position of Leas-Chathaoirleach. He was elected unopposed.

## Composition of the 7th Seanad

There are a total of 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 were elected on five vocational panels, 6 were elected from two university constituencies and 11 were nominated by the Taoiseach.
The following table shows the composition by party when the 7th Seanad first met on 14 August 1951.
| 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 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 25 | |
| | Fine Gael | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| | Labour Party | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| | Clann na Talmhan | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| | Independent | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 19 | |
| 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 |
| Patrick Fitzsimons | Administrative Panel | Independent | |
| Michael Hearne | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| James J. McCrea | Administrative Panel | Labour | |
| James McGee | Administrative Panel | Independent | |
| Michael J. O'Higgins | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Thomas Ruane | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Patrick Teehan | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Patrick Baxter | Agricultural Panel | Clann na Talmhan | |
| Bernard Commons | Agricultural Panel | Clann na Talmhan | |
| Patrick Gorry | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| James Kilroy | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | Died on 5 January 1954 |
| Michael Óg McFadden | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| William O'Callaghan | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Timothy O'Donovan | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Martin O'Dwyer | Agricultural Panel | Independent | |
| Patrick O'Reilly | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| William Quirke | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| James Tunney | Agricultural Panel | Labour | |
| Michael Hayes | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Frank Loughman | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| James B. Lynch | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | Died on 12 March 1954 |
| Liam Ó Buachalla | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Patrick F. O'Reilly | Cultural and Educational Panel | Independent | |
| Denis Burke | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Andrew Clarkin | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| James G. Douglas | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Independent | |
| Jane Dowdall | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Seán Hartney | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Peter Lynch | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Independent | |
| Edward McGuire | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Independent | |
| Frank J. Hugh O'Donnell | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Independent | |
| Frederick Summerfield | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Independent | |
| Pádraig Ághas | Labour Panel | Independent | |
| John Butler | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Michael Colgan | Labour Panel | Independent | Died on 22 June 1953 |
| Noel Hartnett | Labour Panel | Independent | |
| Frederick Hawkins | Labour Panel | Independent | |
| Seán Hayes | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Vincent McHugh | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| William McMullen | Labour Panel | Labour | |
| John Meighan | Labour Panel | Clann na Talmhan | |
| Daniel O'Rourke | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Seán Ruane | Labour Panel | Independent | |
| Henry Barniville | National University of Ireland | Fine Gael | |
| Helena Concannon | National University of Ireland | Fianna Fáil | Died on 27 February 1952 |
| John F. Cunningham | National University of Ireland | Independent | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 25 February 1953, succeeding Helena Concannon |
| George O'Brien | National University of Ireland | Independent | |
| Gardner Budd | Dublin University | Independent | Appointed as a judge of the High Court on 2 October 1951 |
| William Fearon | Dublin University | Independent | |
| William J. E. Jessop | Dublin University | Independent | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 12 March 1952, succeeding Gardner Budd |
| William Bedell Stanford | Dublin University | Independent | |
| Daniel Corkery | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Robert Farnan | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Seán Goulding | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| T. V. Honan | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Joseph Johnston | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | |
| Eamon Kissane | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Seán O'Donovan | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Seán O'Grady | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Pádraig Ó Siochfhradha | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | |
| Margaret Mary Pearse | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Michael Yeats | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |

## Changes

| Date | Panel | Loss | Gain | Note |
| 2 October 1951 | Dublin University | Independent | | Gardner Budd appointed as a judge of the High Court |
| 27 February 1952 | National University | Fianna Fáil | | Death of Helena Concannon |
| 12 March 1952 | Dublin University | | Independent | William J. E. Jessop elected at a by-election to succeed Gardner Budd |
| 16 September 1952 | Labour Panel | Labour | | Disqualification of William McMullen due to bankruptcy |
| 25 February 1953 | National University | | Independent | John F. Cunningham elected at a by-election to succeed Helena Concannon |
| 25 February 1953 | Labour Panel | | Labour | William McMullen deemed to be elected to fill casual vacancy |
| 22 June 1953 | Labour Panel | Independent | | Death of Michael Colgan |
| 1 September 1953 | Labour Panel | Labour | | Resignation of William McMullen to join the board of CIÉ |
| 5 January 1954 | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Death of James Kilroy |
| 12 March 1954 | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Death of James B. Lynch |