# List of Irish Leaders of the Opposition

**Section:** Leader of the Opposition

| No. | Name (Birth–Death) | Portrait | Constituency | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Taoiseach | Taoiseach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Éamon de Valera (1882–1975) | - | Clare | 9 January 1922 | 8 June 1922 | - | Sinn Féin (Anti-Treaty) | - | Arthur Griffith (1922) |
| 2. | Thomas Johnson (1872–1963) | - | Dublin County | 9 September 1922 | 11 August 1927 | - | Labour Party | - | W. T. Cosgrave (1922–32) |
| (1) | Éamon de Valera (1882–1975) | - | Clare | 11 August 1927 | 9 March 1932 | Fianna Fáil | - | - | W. T. Cosgrave (1922–32) |
| 3. | W. T. Cosgrave (1880–1965) | - | Cork Borough | 9 March 1932 | January 1944 | - | Cumann na nGaedheal | - | Éamon de Valera (1932–48) |
| 3. | W. T. Cosgrave (1880–1965) | - | Cork Borough | 9 March 1932 | January 1944 | Fine Gael | - | - | Éamon de Valera (1932–48) |
| 4. | Thomas F. O'Higgins (1890–1953) | - | Leix–Offaly | January 1944 | 9 June 1944 | Fine Gael | - | - | Éamon de Valera (1932–48) |
| 5. | Richard Mulcahy (1886–1971) | - | Tipperary | 9 June 1944 | 18 February 1948 | Fine Gael | - | - | Éamon de Valera (1932–48) |
| (1) | Éamon de Valera (1882–1975) | - | Clare | 18 February 1948 | 13 June 1951 | - | Fianna Fáil | - | John A. Costello (1948–51) |
| 6. | John A. Costello (1891–1976) | - | Dublin South-East | 13 June 1951 | 2 June 1954 | - | Fine Gael | - | Éamon de Valera (1951–54) |
| (1) | Éamon de Valera (1882–1975) | - | Clare | 2 June 1954 | 20 March 1957 | - | Fianna Fáil | - | John A. Costello (1954–57) |
| (6) | John A. Costello (1891–1976) | - | Dublin South-East | 20 March 1957 | 21 October 1959 | - | Fine Gael | - | Éamon de Valera (1957–59) |
| (6) | John A. Costello (1891–1976) | - | Dublin South-East | 20 March 1957 | 21 October 1959 | - | Fine Gael | - | Seán Lemass (1959–66) |
| 7. | James Dillon (1902–1986) | - | Monaghan | 21 October 1959 | 21 April 1965 | - | Fine Gael | - | Seán Lemass (1959–66) |
| 8. | Liam Cosgrave (1920-2017) | - | Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown | 21 April 1965 | 14 March 1973 | - | Fine Gael | - | Seán Lemass (1959–66) |
| 8. | Liam Cosgrave (1920-2017) | - | Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown | 21 April 1965 | 14 March 1973 | - | Fine Gael | - | Jack Lynch (1966–73) |
| 9. | Jack Lynch (1917–1999) | - | Cork City North-West | 14 March 1973 | 5 July 1977 | - | Fianna Fáil | - | Liam Cosgrave (1973–77) |
| 10. | Garret FitzGerald (1926–2011) | - | Dublin South-East | 5 July 1977 | 30 June 1981 | - | Fine Gael | - | Jack Lynch (1977–79) |
| 10. | Garret FitzGerald (1926–2011) | - | Dublin South-East | 5 July 1977 | 30 June 1981 | - | Fine Gael | - | Charles Haughey (1979–81) |
| 11. | Charles Haughey (1925–2006) | - | Dublin North-Central | 30 June 1981 | 9 March 1982 | - | Fianna Fáil | - | Garret FitzGerald (1981–82) |
| (10) | Garret FitzGerald (1926–2011) | - | Dublin South-East | 9 March 1982 | 14 December 1982 | - | Fine Gael | - | Charles Haughey (1982) |
| (11) | Charles Haughey (1925–2006) | - | Dublin North-Central | 14 December 1982 | 10 March 1987 | - | Fianna Fáil | - | Garret FitzGerald (1982–87) |
| 12. | Alan Dukes (born 1945) | - | Kildare | 10 March 1987 | 20 November 1990 | - | Fine Gael | - | Charles Haughey (1987–92) |
| 13. | John Bruton (born 1947) | - | Meath | 20 November 1990 | 15 December 1994 | - | Fine Gael | - | Charles Haughey (1987–92) |
| 13. | John Bruton (born 1947) | - | Meath | 20 November 1990 | 15 December 1994 | - | Fine Gael | - | Albert Reynolds (1992–94) |
| 14. | Bertie Ahern (born 1951) | - | Dublin Central | 15 December 1994 | 26 June 1997 | - | Fianna Fáil | - | John Bruton (1994–97) |
| (13) | John Bruton (born 1947) | - | Meath | 26 June 1997 | 9 February 2001 | - | Fine Gael | - | Bertie Ahern (1997–2008) |
| 15. | Michael Noonan (born 1943) | - | Limerick East | 9 February 2001 | 6 June 2002 | - | Fine Gael | - | Bertie Ahern (1997–2008) |
| 16. | Enda Kenny (born 1951) | - | Mayo | 6 June 2002 | 9 March 2011 | - | Fine Gael | - | Bertie Ahern (1997–2008) |
| 16. | Enda Kenny (born 1951) | - | Mayo | 6 June 2002 | 9 March 2011 | - | Fine Gael | - | Brian Cowen (2008–11) |
| 17. | Micheál Martin (born 1960) | - | Cork South-Central | 9 March 2011 | Incumbent | - | Fianna Fáil | - | Enda Kenny (2011–2017) |
| 17. | Micheál Martin (born 1960) | - | Cork South-Central | 9 March 2011 | Incumbent | - | Fianna Fáil | Leo Varadkar (2017–present) | - |