# 12th Seanad

The 12th Seanad was in office from 1969 to 1973. An election to Seanad Éireann, the Senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), followed the 1969 general election to the 19th Dáil. The senators served until the close of poll for the 13th Seanad in 1973.

## Composition of the 12th 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 12th Seanad first met on 5 November 1969.
| 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 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 27 | |
| | Fine Gael | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | |
| | Labour Party | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| | Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 11 | |
| Total | Total | 7 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 60 | |

## Cathaoirleach

On 5 November 1969, Michael Yeats (FF) was proposed for the position of Cathaoirleach by Thomas Mullins (FF) and seconded by John J. Nash (FF). He was elected with Mary Robinson (Ind) and Owen Sheehy-Skeffington (Ind) dissenting.
On 12 November 1969, James Dooge (FG) was proposed for the position of Leas-Chathaoirleach by Michael O'Higgins (FG) and seconded by Charles McDonald (FG). He was elected unopposed.
On 1 January 1973, Yeats resigned as Cathaoirleach on his appointment as a member of the Irish delegation in the European Parliament. On 1 January 1973, in the election of a new Cathaoirleach, Micheál Cranitch (FF) was proposed Thomas Mullins (FF) and seconded by Kit Ahern (FF). James Dooge was proposed by Michael O'Higgins (FG) and seconded by Charles McDonald (FG). Cranitch was elected by a vote of 28 to 14.

## List of senators

* Note: The entries for Senators who were elected or appointed to fill vacancies are shown in italics
| Name | Panel | Party | Notes |
| Liam Ahern | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to the 20th Dáil at the general election on 28 February 1973 |
| Richard Belton | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Patrick Fitzsimons | Administrative Panel | Independent | |
| Jack Garrett | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Patrick Malone | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to the 19th Dáil at a by-election on 14 April 1970 |
| Patrick Norton | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Patrick J. Reynolds | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to the 20th Dáil at the general election on 28 February 1973 |
| Seán Keegan | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 16 June 1970, replacing Patrick Malone |
| Pierce Butler | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| John Doyle | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Jack Fitzgerald | Agricultural Panel | Labour | |
| John Mannion | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| James Martin | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | Died on 3 October 1969 |
| Charles McDonald | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to the 20th Dáil at the general election on 28 February 1973 |
| Patrick McGowan | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Andy O'Brien | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Micheál Prendergast | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Patrick W. Ryan | Agricultural Panel | Independent | |
| William Ryan | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Cornelius O'Callaghan | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 24 February 1970, replacing James Martin |
| Kit Ahern | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| John Kelly | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | Elected to the 20th Dáil at the general election on 28 February 1973 |
| John J. Nash | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Michael O'Higgins | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Michael Yeats | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Ruairí Brugha | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to the 20th Dáil at the general election on 28 February 1973 |
| Eileen Desmond | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Labour | Elected to the 20th Dáil at the general election on 28 February 1973 |
| James Dooge | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Denis Farrelly | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Alexis FitzGerald | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Dermot Honan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Bernard McGlinchey | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Ted Russell | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Independent | |
| Eoin Ryan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| John Boland | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Seán Brosnahan | Labour Panel | Independent | |
| Jimmy Dunne | Labour Panel | Labour | Died on 23 February 1972 |
| Joseph Farrell | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to the 20th Dáil at the general election on 28 February 1973 |
| Des Hanafin | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Fintan Kennedy | Labour Panel | Labour | |
| Mark Killilea | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Michael Lyons | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| William O'Brien | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Evelyn Owens | Labour Panel | Labour | |
| Seán Walsh | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to the 20th Dáil at the general election on 28 February 1973 |
| Bryan Alton | National University of Ireland | Independent | |
| John Horgan | National University of Ireland | Labour | |
| Patrick Quinlan | National University of Ireland | Independent | |
| William J. E. Jessop | Dublin University | Independent | |
| Mary Bourke | Dublin University | Independent | |
| Owen Sheehy-Skeffington | Dublin University | Independent | Died on 7 June 1970 |
| Trevor West | Dublin University | Independent | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 19 November 1970, replacing Owen Sheehy-Skeffington |
| John J. Brennan | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Micheál Cranitch | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Brendan Crinion | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | Elected to the 20th Dáil at the general election on 28 February 1973 |
| Peggy Farrell | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Thomas Flanagan | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | |
| Michael Gallanagh | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Neville Keery | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Farrell McElgunn | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Thomas Mullins | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Terence O'Sullivan | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| William Sheldon | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | |

## Changes

| Date | Panel | Loss | Gain | Note |
| 3 October 1969 | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Death of James Martin |
| 24 February 1970 | Agricultural Panel | | Fianna Fáil | Cornelius O'Callaghan elected at a by-election to succeed James Martin |
| 14 April 1970 | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | | Patrick Malone elected to Dáil Éireann at a by-election |
| 7 June 1970 | Dublin University | Independent | | Death of Owen Sheehy-Skeffington |
| 16 June 1970 | Administrative Panel | | Fianna Fáil | Seán Keegan elected at a by-election to succeed Patrick Malone |
| 19 November 1970 | Dublin University | | Independent | Trevor West elected at a by-election to succeed Owen Sheehy-Skeffington |
| 23 February 1972 | Labour Panel | Labour | | Death of Jimmy Dunne |
| 28 February 1973 | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Liam Ahern elected to the 20th Dáil at the 1973 general election |
| 28 February 1973 | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Ruairí Brugha elected to the 20th Dáil at the 1973 general election |
| 28 February 1973 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | | Brendan Crinion elected to the 20th Dáil at the 1973 general election |
| 28 February 1973 | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Eileen Desmond elected to the 20th Dáil at the 1973 general election |
| 28 February 1973 | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Joseph Farrell elected to the 20th Dáil at the 1973 general election |
| 28 February 1973 | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | | John Kelly elected to the 20th Dáil at the 1973 general election |
| 28 February 1973 | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Charles McDonald elected to the 20th Dáil at the 1973 general election |
| 28 February 1973 | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Patrick J. Reynolds elected to the 20th Dáil at the 1973 general election |
| 28 February 1973 | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Seán Walsh elected to the 20th Dáil at the 1973 general election |