# 9th Seanad

The 9th Seanad was in office from 1957 to 1961. An election to Seanad Éireann, the senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), followed the 1957 general election to the 16th Dáil. The senators served until the close of poll for the 10th Seanad in 1961.
On 16 May 1957, Seán Moylan was appointed as Minister for Agriculture. He was the first senator appointed as a minister since the adoption of the Constitution of Ireland in 1937. Moyland died on 16 November 1957.

## Cathaoirleach

On 22 May 1957, Liam Ó Buachalla (FF), Leas-Chathaoirleach of the 8th Seanad, was proposed by Eamon Kissane (FF) and seconded by Margaret Mary Pearse (FF) for the position of Cathaoirleach. Patrick Baxter (CnaT), Cathaoirleach of the 8th Seanad, was proposed by Michael Hayes (FG) and seconded by Victor Carton (FG). Ó Buachalla was elected by a vote of 32 to 22.
On 29 May 1957, Patrick Baxter was proposed by Michael Hayes and seconded by Edward McGuire (Ind) for the position of Leas-Chathaoirleach. He was elected unopposed.
Patrick Baxter died on 3 April 1959. On 30 May 1959, John O'Donovan (FG) was proposed by Michael Hayes and seconded by Edward McGuire to succeed Baxter. He was elected unopposed.

## Composition of the 9th 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 9th Seanad first met on 22 May 1957.
| 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 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 25 | |
| | Fine Gael | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | |
| | Labour Party | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| | Clann na Talmhan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| | Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 13 | |
| 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 |
| John J. Brennan | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 9 February 1960, replacing John O'Leary |
| Patrick Connor | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Gerard B. Dillon | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 1 November 1960, replacing Patrick Teehan |
| Patrick Fitzsimons | Administrative Panel | Independent | |
| Gerry L'Estrange | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | |
| John O'Leary | Administrative Panel | Labour | Died on 21 June 1959 |
| John L. O'Sullivan | Administrative Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Thomas Ruane | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Patrick Teehan | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | Elected to the 16th Dáil at a by-election on 23 June 1960 |
| Patrick Baxter | Agricultural Panel | Clann na Talmhan | Died on 3 April 1959 |
| Patrick Crowe | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Paddy Donegan | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Daniel Hogan | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Robert Lahiffe | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| William O'Callaghan | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Martin O'Dwyer | Agricultural Panel | Independent | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 9 February 1960, replacing Patrick Baxter |
| Patrick O'Reilly | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Timothy O'Sullivan | Agricultural Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Micheál Prendergast | Agricultural Panel | Fine Gael | |
| John Donnelly Sheridan | Agricultural Panel | Independent | |
| James Tunney | Agricultural Panel | Labour | |
| Anthony Barry | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Michael Hayes | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Eamon Kissane | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Liam Ó Buachalla | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| John O'Donovan | Cultural and Educational Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Denis Burke | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Tadhg Crowley | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Mary Davidson | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Labour | |
| Jane Dowdall | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Brian Lenihan | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Peter Lynch | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Independent | |
| Edward McGuire | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Independent | |
| James O'Keeffe | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Joseph Roddy | Industrial and Commercial Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Liam Ahern | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Edward Browne | Labour Panel | Independent | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 1 November 1960, replacing Frank Purcell |
| Frank Carter | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Victor Carton | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Harry Colley | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Patrick Crowley | Labour Panel | Labour | |
| Seán Hayes | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Dominick Murphy | Labour Panel | Labour | |
| Ben O'Quigley | Labour Panel | Fine Gael | |
| Frank Purcell | Labour Panel | Independent | Died on 2 April 1960 |
| Eoin Ryan | Labour Panel | Fianna Fáil | |
| Joe Sheridan | Labour Panel | Independent | |
| Henry Barniville | National University of Ireland | Fine Gael | Died on 23 September 1960 |
| George O'Brien | National University of Ireland | Independent | |
| Patrick Quinlan | National University of Ireland | Independent | |
| William Fearon | Dublin University | Independent | Died on 27 December 1959 |
| William J. E. Jessop | Dublin University | Independent | Elected to Seanad at a by-election on 13 May 1960, replacing William Fearon |
| Owen Sheehy-Skeffington | Dublin University | Independent | |
| William Bedell Stanford | Dublin University | Independent | |
| Seán Brady | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| John Copeland Cole | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | |
| Robert Farnan | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Seán Moylan | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | Died on 16 November 1957 |
| Thomas Mullins | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Nora Connolly O'Brien | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | |
| 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 | |
| Laurence Walsh | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | |
| Louis Walsh | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Independent | Nominated on 20 January 1958, replacing Seán Moylan |

## Changes

| Date | Panel | Loss | Gain | Note |
| 16 November 1957 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | Fianna Fáil | | Death of Seán Moylan |
| 20 January 1958 | Nominated by the Taoiseach | | Independent | Louis Walsh nominated to succeed Seán Moylan |
| 3 April 1959 | Agricultural Panel | Clann na Talmhan | | Death of Patrick Baxter |
| 21 June 1959 | Administrative Panel | Labour | | Death of John O'Leary |
| 27 December 1959 | Dublin University | Independent | | Death of William Fearon |
| 9 February 1960 | Administrative Panel | | Fianna Fáil | John J. Brennan elected at a by-election to succeed John O'Leary |
| 9 February 1960 | Agricultural Panel | | Independent | Martin O'Dwyer elected at a by-election to succeed Patrick Baxter |
| 2 April 1960 | Labour Panel | Independent | | Death of Frank Purcell |
| 13 May 1960 | Dublin University | | Independent | William J. E. Jessop elected at a by-election to succeed William Fearon |
| 23 June 1960 | Administrative Panel | Fianna Fáil | | Patrick Teehan elected to the 16th Dáil at a by-election |
| 23 September 1960 | National University | Fine Gael | | Death of Henry Barniville |
| 1 November 1960 | Administrative Panel | | Fianna Fáil | Gerard B. Dillon elected at a by-election to succeed Patrick Teehan |
| 1 November 1960 | Labour Panel | | Independent | Edward Browne elected at a by-election to succeed Frank Purcell |