# Cathaoirleach

Cathaoirleach (/kəˈhɪərləx/ ; Irish for chairperson; plural: Cathaoirligh) is the title of the chair (or presiding officer) of Seanad Éireann, the sixty-member upper house of the Oireachtas, the legislature of Ireland. The current Cathaoirleach is Fianna Fáil Senator Mark Daly, who has held the office since 12 February 2025.

## Powers and functions

The Cathaoirleach is the sole judge of order, and has a range of powers and functions, namely:
* Calls on members to speak and all speeches must be addressed to the Chair.
* Puts such questions to the House as are required, supervises Divisions and declares the results.
* Has authority to suppress disorder, to enforce prompt obedience to Rulings and may order members to withdraw from the House or name them for suspension by the House itself for a period.
* In the case of great disorder can suspend or adjourn the House.
The Cathaoirleach is also an ex officio member of the Council of State, which advises the president of Ireland in the exercise of their discretionary powers, and of the Presidential Commission, which performs the powers and functions of the office of president in their absence.

## List of office-holders
### Cathaoirleach

This list includes the panel (since 1938) and political affiliation of each Cathaoirleach, as well as the number of the Seanad and time they spent in the position.
| Seanad | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Panel |
| 1922 | Lord Glenavy (1851–1931) | 6 December 1922 | 6 December 1928 | Independent | N/A |
| 1925 | Lord Glenavy (1851–1931) | 6 December 1922 | 6 December 1928 | Independent | N/A |
| 1928 | Thomas Westropp Bennett (1867–1962) | 6 December 1928 | 19 May 1936 | Cumann na nGaedheal | N/A |
| 1931 | Thomas Westropp Bennett (1867–1962) | 6 December 1928 | 19 May 1936 | Cumann na nGaedheal | N/A |
| 1934 | Thomas Westropp Bennett (1867–1962) | 6 December 1928 | 19 May 1936 | Fine Gael | N/A |
| 2nd | Seán Gibbons (1883–1952) | 27 April 1938 | 8 September 1943 | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel |
| 3rd | Seán Gibbons (1883–1952) | 27 April 1938 | 8 September 1943 | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel |
| 4th | Seán Goulding (1877–1959) | 8 September 1943 | 21 April 1948 | Fianna Fáil | Industrial and Commercial Panel (1943–1944) |
| 5th | Seán Goulding (1877–1959) | 8 September 1943 | 21 April 1948 | Fianna Fáil | Administrative Panel (1944–1948) |
| 6th | Timothy O'Donovan (1881–1957) | 21 April 1948 | 14 August 1951 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 7th | Liam Ó Buachalla (1899–1970) | 14 August 1951 | 22 July 1954 | Fianna Fáil | Cultural and Educational Panel |
| 8th | Patrick Baxter (1891–1959) | 22 July 1954 | 22 May 1957 | Clann na Talmhan | Agricultural Panel |
| 9th | Liam Ó Buachalla (1899–1970) | 22 May 1957 | 5 November 1969 | Fianna Fáil | Cultural and Educational Panel |
| 10th | Liam Ó Buachalla (1899–1970) | 22 May 1957 | 5 November 1969 | Fianna Fáil | Cultural and Educational Panel |
| 11th | Liam Ó Buachalla (1899–1970) | 22 May 1957 | 5 November 1969 | Fianna Fáil | Cultural and Educational Panel |
| 12th | Michael Yeats (1921–2007) | 5 November 1969 | 3 January 1973 | Fianna Fáil | Cultural and Educational Panel |
| 12th | Micheál Cranitch (1912–1999) | 3 January 1973 | 1 June 1973 | Fianna Fáil | Nominated by the Taoiseach |
| 13th | James Dooge (1922–2010) | 1 June 1973 | 27 October 1977 | Fine Gael | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| 14th | Séamus Dolan (1914–2010) | 27 October 1977 | 8 October 1981 | Fianna Fáil | Labour Panel |
| 15th | Charles McDonald (born 1935) | 8 October 1981 | 13 May 1982 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 16th | Tras Honan (1930–2023) | 13 May 1982 | 23 February 1983 | Fianna Fáil | Administrative Panel |
| 17th | Patrick J. Reynolds (1920–2003) | 23 February 1983 | 25 April 1987 | Fine Gael | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| 18th | Tras Honan (1930–2023) | 25 April 1987 | 1 November 1989 | Fianna Fáil | Administrative Panel |
| 19th | Seán Doherty (1944–2005) | 1 November 1989 | 23 January 1992 | Fianna Fáil | Administrative Panel |
| 19th | Seán Fallon (1937–1995) | 23 January 1992 | 4 July 1995 | Fianna Fáil | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| 20th | Seán Fallon (1937–1995) | 23 January 1992 | 4 July 1995 | Fianna Fáil | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| 20th | Liam Naughten (1944–1996) | 12 July 1995 | 16 November 1996 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 20th | Liam T. Cosgrave (born 1956) | 27 November 1996 | 17 September 1997 | Fine Gael | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| 21st | Brian Mullooly (born 1935) | 17 September 1997 | 12 September 2002 | Fianna Fáil | Labour Panel |
| 22nd | Rory Kiely (1934–2018) | 12 September 2002 | 13 September 2007 | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel |
| 23rd | Pat Moylan (born 1946) | 13 September 2007 | 25 May 2011 | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel |
| 24th | Paddy Burke (born 1955) | 25 May 2011 | 8 June 2016 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 25th | Denis O'Donovan (born 1955) | 8 June 2016 | 29 June 2020 | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel |
| 26th | Mark Daly (born 1973) | 29 June 2020 | 16 December 2022 | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel |
| 26th | Jerry Buttimer (born 1967) | 16 December 2022 | 30 November 2024 | Fine Gael | Labour Panel |
| 27th | Mark Daly (born 1973) | 12 February 2025 | Incumbent | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel |

### Leas-Chathaoirleach

The Cathaoirleach's deputy is the Leas-Chathaoirleach.
| Seanad | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Panel |
| 1922 | James G. Douglas (1887–1954) | 12 December 1922 | 9 December 1925 | Independent | N/A |
| 1925 | Thomas Westropp Bennett (1867–1962) | 9 December 1925 | 12 December 1928 | Cumann na nGaedheal | N/A |
| 1928 | Patrick W. Kenny (died 1931) | 12 December 1928 | 22 April 1931 | Cumann na nGaedheal | N/A |
| 1928 | Patrick Hooper (died 1931) | 6 May 1931 | 6 September 1931 | Independent | N/A |
| 1931 | Michael F. O'Hanlon (1890–1967) | 20 January 1932 | 12 December 1934 | Cumann na nGaedheal | N/A |
| 1934 | Michael Comyn (1871–1952) | 12 December 1934 | 24 February 1936 | Fianna Fáil | N/A |
| 1934 | David Robinson (1882–1943) | 11 March 1936 | 19 May 1936 | Fianna Fáil | N/A |
| 2nd | Pádraic Ó Máille (1878–1946) | 11 May 1938 | 30 November 1938 | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel |
| 3rd | Michael Tierney (1894–1975) | 30 November 1938 | 27 October 1943 | Fine Gael | National University of Ireland |
| 4th | Michael Tierney (1894–1975) | 27 October 1943 | 18 August 1944 | Fine Gael | National University of Ireland |
| 5th | Timothy O'Donovan (1881–1957) | 18 August 1944 | 21 April 1948 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 6th | Seán Goulding (1877–1959) | 21 April 1948 | 14 August 1951 | Fianna Fáil | Administrative Panel |
| 7th | Timothy O'Donovan (1881–1957) | 7 November 1951 | 27 July 1954 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 8th | Liam Ó Buachalla (1899–1970) | 27 July 1954 | 29 May 1957 | Fianna Fáil | Cultural and Educational Panel |
| 9th | Patrick Baxter (1891–1959) | 29 May 1957 | 3 April 1959 | Clann na Talmhan | Agricultural Panel |
| 9th | John O'Donovan (1908–1982) | 30 May 1959 | 3 January 1962 | Fine Gael | Cultural and Educational Panel |
| 10th | Patrick Lindsay (1914–1993) | 3 January 1962 | 30 June 1965 | Fine Gael | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| 11th | James Dooge (1922–2010) | 30 June 1965 | 12 November 1969 | Fine Gael | Labour Panel |
| 12th | James Dooge (1922–2010) | 12 November 1969 | 20 June 1973 | Fine Gael | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| 13th | Evelyn Owens (1931–2010) | 20 June 1973 | 2 November 1977 | Labour | Labour Panel |
| 14th | Joe McCartin (born 1939) | 2 November 1977 | 12 July 1979 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 14th | Charles McDonald (born 1935) | 18 July 1979 | 13 May 1982 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 15th | Séamus Dolan (1914–2010) | 9 October 1981 | 19 May 1982 | Fianna Fáil | Labour Panel |
| 16th | Charles McDonald (born 1935) | 19 May 1982 | 9 March 1983 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 17th | Tras Honan (1930–2023) | 9 March 1983 | 25 April 1987 | Fianna Fáil | Administrative Panel |
| 18th | Charles McDonald (born 1935) | 20 May 1987 | 8 November 1989 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 19th | Liam Naughten (1944–1996) | 8 November 1989 | 25 February 1993 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 20th | Liam Naughten (1944–1996) | 25 February 1993 | 12 July 1995 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 20th | Brian Mullooly (born 1935) | 19 July 1995 | 18 September 1997 | Fianna Fáil | Labour Panel |
| 21st | Liam T. Cosgrave (born 1956) | 18 September 1997 | 13 September 2002 | Fine Gael | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| 22nd | Paddy Burke (born 1955) | 13 September 2002 | 13 September 2007 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 23rd | Paddy Burke (born 1955) | 13 September 2007 | 25 May 2011 | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |
| 24th | Denis O'Donovan (born 1955) | 25 May 2011 | 8 June 2016 | Fianna Fáil | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| 25th | Paul Coghlan (1944–2023) | 15 June 2016 | 27 March 2020 | Fine Gael | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| 26th | Jerry Buttimer (born 1967) | 7 July 2020 | 21 August 2020 | Fine Gael | Labour Panel |
| 26th | Joe O'Reilly (born 1955) | 22 August 2020 | 16 December 2022 | Fine Gael | Labour Panel |
| 26th | Mark Daly (born 1973) | 16 December 2022 | 12 February 2025 | Fianna Fáil | Agricultural Panel |
| 27th | Maria Byrne | 19 February 2025 | Incumbent | Fine Gael | Agricultural Panel |