# 21st Dáil

The 21st Dáil was elected at the 1977 general election on 16 June 1977 and met on 5 July 1977. The members of Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Ireland, are known as TDs. It sat with the 14th Seanad as the two Houses of the Oireachtas.
The 21st Dáil saw a change of Taoiseach from Jack Lynch to Charles Haughey. On 21 May 1981, President Patrick Hillery dissolved the Dáil on the request of Taoiseach Charles Haughey. The 21st Dáil lasted 3 years, 320 days.

## Composition of the 21st Dáil

| Party | Party | July 1977 | May 1981 | Change |
| ● | Fianna Fáil | 84 | 81 | 3 |
| | Fine Gael | 43 | 45 | 2 |
| | Labour | 17 | 16 | 1 |
| | Independent | 4 | 4 | |
| | Ceann Comhairle | — | 1 | 1 |
| | Vacant | — | 1 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 166 | 166 | 166 |
In July 1977, Fianna Fáil, denoted with a bullet (●), formed the 15th government of Ireland, a majority government, led by Jack Lynch as Taoiseach. In December 1979, Charles Haughey succeeded as Fianna Fáil leader and Taoiseach, forming the 16th government of Ireland.

### Graphical representation

This is a graphical comparison of party strengths in the 21st Dáil from July 1977. This was not the official seating plan.

## Ceann Comhairle

On the meeting of the Dáil, Joseph Brennan (FF) was proposed by Jack Lynch (FF) and seconded by George Colley (FF) for the position of Ceann Comhairle. Seán Treacy (Lab) was proposed by Garret FitzGerald (FG) and seconded by Joseph Bermingham (Lab) for the position. Brennan was elected by a vote of 84 to 60.
Brennan died on 13 July 1980. On 15 October 1980, Pádraig Faulkner (FF) was appointed Ceann Comhairle on a temporary basis. On 16 October 1980, Faulkner was proposed by Jack Lynch for the position on a permanent basis, and was elected without a vote.

## TDs by constituency

The list of the 148 TDs elected is given in alphabetical order by Dáil constituency.
Members of the 21st Dáil :
| Constituency | Name | Party |
| Carlow–Kilkenny | Liam Aylward | Fianna Fáil |
| Carlow–Kilkenny | Kieran Crotty | Fine Gael |
| Carlow–Kilkenny | Jim Gibbons | Fianna Fáil |
| Carlow–Kilkenny | Tom Nolan | Fianna Fáil |
| Carlow–Kilkenny | Séamus Pattison | Labour |
| Cavan–Monaghan | John Conlan | Fine Gael |
| Cavan–Monaghan | Tom Fitzpatrick | Fine Gael |
| Cavan–Monaghan | Jimmy Leonard | Fianna Fáil |
| Cavan–Monaghan | Rory O'Hanlon | Fianna Fáil |
| Cavan–Monaghan | John Wilson | Fianna Fáil |
| Clare | Sylvester Barrett | Fianna Fáil |
| Clare | Brendan Daly | Fianna Fáil |
| Clare | Frank Taylor | Fine Gael |
| Cork City | Peter Barry | Fine Gael |
| Cork City | Seán French | Fianna Fáil |
| Cork City | Patrick Kerrigan | Labour |
| Cork City | Jack Lynch | Fianna Fáil |
| Cork City | Pearse Wyse | Fianna Fáil |
| Cork Mid | Barry Cogan | Fianna Fáil |
| Cork Mid | Donal Creed | Fine Gael |
| Cork Mid | Eileen Desmond | Labour |
| Cork Mid | Gene Fitzgerald | Fianna Fáil |
| Cork Mid | Thomas Meaney | Fianna Fáil |
| Cork North-East | Richard Barry | Fine Gael |
| Cork North-East | Seán Brosnan | Fianna Fáil |
| Cork North-East | Jerry Cronin | Fianna Fáil |
| Cork North-East | Patrick Hegarty | Fine Gael |
| Cork South-West | Michael Murphy | Labour |
| Cork South-West | Jim O'Keeffe | Fine Gael |
| Cork South-West | Joe Walsh | Fianna Fáil |
| Donegal | Neil Blaney | Independent |
| Donegal | Joseph Brennan | Fianna Fáil |
| Donegal | Hugh Conaghan | Fianna Fáil |
| Donegal | Paddy Harte | Fine Gael |
| Donegal | James White | Fine Gael |
| Dublin Artane | Noël Browne | Independent |
| Dublin Artane | Charles Haughey | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin Artane | Timothy Killeen | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin Ballyfermot | Eileen Lemass | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin Ballyfermot | Jim Mitchell | Fine Gael |
| Dublin Ballyfermot | John O'Connell | Labour |
| Dublin Cabra | Hugh Byrne | Fine Gael |
| Dublin Cabra | Vivion de Valera | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin Cabra | Tom Leonard | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin Clontarf | George Colley | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin Clontarf | Michael Joe Cosgrave | Fine Gael |
| Dublin Clontarf | Michael Woods | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin County Mid | Síle de Valera | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin County Mid | Larry McMahon | Fine Gael |
| Dublin County Mid | Seán Walsh | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin County North | John Boland | Fine Gael |
| Dublin County North | Ray Burke | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin County North | Joe Fox | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin County South | Niall Andrews | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin County South | John Horgan | Labour |
| Dublin County South | John Kelly | Fine Gael |
| Dublin County West | Mark Clinton | Fine Gael |
| Dublin County West | Liam Lawlor | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin County West | Brian Lenihan | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin Finglas | Bertie Ahern | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin Finglas | Luke Belton | Fine Gael |
| Dublin Finglas | Jim Tunney | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin North-Central | Vincent Brady | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin North-Central | Michael Keating | Fine Gael |
| Dublin North-Central | Michael O'Leary | Labour |
| Dublin Rathmines West | Gerard Brady | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin Rathmines West | Ben Briscoe | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin Rathmines West | Richie Ryan | Fine Gael |
| Dublin South-Central | Frank Cluskey | Labour |
| Dublin South-Central | Tom Fitzpatrick | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin South-Central | Fergus O'Brien | Fine Gael |
| Dublin South-East | Garret FitzGerald | Fine Gael |
| Dublin South-East | Seán Moore | Fianna Fáil |
| Dublin South-East | Ruairi Quinn | Labour |
| Dún Laoghaire | David Andrews | Fianna Fáil |
| Dún Laoghaire | Barry Desmond | Labour |
| Dún Laoghaire | Liam Cosgrave | Fine Gael |
| Dún Laoghaire | Martin O'Donoghue | Fianna Fáil |
| Galway East | Johnny Callanan | Fianna Fáil |
| Galway East | John Donnellan | Fine Gael |
| Galway East | Thomas Hussey | Fianna Fáil |
| Galway East | Mark Killilea Jnr | Fianna Fáil |
| Galway West | Máire Geoghegan-Quinn | Fianna Fáil |
| Galway West | Bill Loughnane | Fianna Fáil |
| Galway West | John Mannion Jnr | Fine Gael |
| Galway West | Bobby Molloy | Fianna Fáil |
| Kerry North | Kit Ahern | Fianna Fáil |
| Kerry North | Tom McEllistrim | Fianna Fáil |
| Kerry North | Dan Spring | Labour |
| Kerry South | Michael Begley | Fine Gael |
| Kerry South | Timothy O'Connor | Fianna Fáil |
| Kerry South | John O'Leary | Fianna Fáil |
| Kildare | Joseph Bermingham | Labour |
| Kildare | Charlie McCreevy | Fianna Fáil |
| Kildare | Paddy Power | Fianna Fáil |
| Laois–Offaly | Ger Connolly | Fianna Fáil |
| Laois–Offaly | Bernard Cowen | Fianna Fáil |
| Laois–Offaly | Tom Enright | Fine Gael |
| Laois–Offaly | Oliver J. Flanagan | Fine Gael |
| Laois–Offaly | Patrick Lalor | Fianna Fáil |
| Limerick East | Michael Herbert | Fianna Fáil |
| Limerick East | Michael Lipper | Independent |
| Limerick East | Tom O'Donnell | Fine Gael |
| Limerick East | Desmond O'Malley | Fianna Fáil |
| Limerick West | Gerry Collins | Fianna Fáil |
| Limerick West | Michael J. Noonan | Fianna Fáil |
| Limerick West | William O'Brien | Fine Gael |
| Longford–Westmeath | Seán Keegan | Fianna Fáil |
| Longford–Westmeath | Gerry L'Estrange | Fine Gael |
| Longford–Westmeath | Albert Reynolds | Fianna Fáil |
| Longford–Westmeath | Joe Sheridan | Independent |
| Louth | Paddy Donegan | Fine Gael |
| Louth | Joseph Farrell | Fianna Fáil |
| Louth | Pádraig Faulkner | Fianna Fáil |
| Louth | Eddie Filgate | Fianna Fáil |
| Mayo East | Seán Calleary | Fianna Fáil |
| Mayo East | P. J. Morley | Fianna Fáil |
| Mayo East | Paddy O'Toole | Fine Gael |
| Mayo West | Pádraig Flynn | Fianna Fáil |
| Mayo West | Denis Gallagher | Fianna Fáil |
| Mayo West | Enda Kenny | Fine Gael |
| Meath | John Bruton | Fine Gael |
| Meath | Brendan Crinion | Fianna Fáil |
| Meath | Jim Fitzsimons | Fianna Fáil |
| Meath | James Tully | Labour |
| Roscommon–Leitrim | Joan Burke | Fine Gael |
| Roscommon–Leitrim | Seán Doherty | Fianna Fáil |
| Roscommon–Leitrim | Terry Leyden | Fianna Fáil |
| Sligo–Leitrim | James Gallagher | Fianna Fáil |
| Sligo–Leitrim | Eugene Gilhawley | Fine Gael |
| Sligo–Leitrim | Ray MacSharry | Fianna Fáil |
| Tipperary North | Michael O'Kennedy | Fianna Fáil |
| Tipperary North | John Ryan | Labour |
| Tipperary North | Michael Smith | Fianna Fáil |
| Tipperary South | Noel Davern | Fianna Fáil |
| Tipperary South | Brendan Griffin | Fine Gael |
| Tipperary South | Seán Treacy | Labour |
| Waterford | Edward Collins | Fine Gael |
| Waterford | Austin Deasy | Fine Gael |
| Waterford | Jackie Fahey | Fianna Fáil |
| Waterford | Billy Kenneally | Fianna Fáil |
| Wexford | Lorcan Allen | Fianna Fáil |
| Wexford | Seán Browne | Fianna Fáil |
| Wexford | Brendan Corish | Labour |
| Wexford | Michael D'Arcy | Fine Gael |
| Wicklow | Liam Kavanagh | Labour |
| Wicklow | Ciarán Murphy | Fianna Fáil |
| Wicklow | Godfrey Timmins | Fine Gael |
* ↑ Blaney was a member of Independent Fianna Fáil.

## Changes

| Date | Constituency | Loss | Gain | Note |
| 5 July 1977 | Donegal | Fianna Fáil | Ceann Comhairle | Joseph Brennan takes office as Ceann Comhairle |
| 18 April 1979 | Cork North-East | Fianna Fáil | | Death of Seán Brosnan |
| 4 July 1979 | Cork City | Labour | | Death of Patrick Kerrigan |
| 7 November 1979 | Cork North-East | | Fine Gael | Myra Barry wins seat vacated by the death of Brosnan |
| 7 November 1979 | Cork City | | Fine Gael | Liam Burke wins seat vacated by the death of Kerrigan |
| 13 July 1980 | Donegal | Ceann Comhairle | | Death of Joseph Brennan |
| 16 October 1980 | Louth | Fianna Fáil | Ceann Comhairle | Pádraig Faulkner takes office as Ceann Comhairle |
| 6 November 1980 | Donegal | | Fianna Fáil | Clement Coughlan holds seat vacated by the death of Brennan |
| 27 January 1981 | Tipperary North | Fianna Fáil | | Resignation of Michael O'Kennedy on appointment as EC Commissioner |
On 11 February 1981, a motion to move the writ for the vacancy in Tipperary North was rejected on a vote of 40 to 66.