Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann
Incumbent Jerry Buttimer since 16 December 2022
Appointer	Elected by the members of Seanad Éireann
Term length	No term limits
Inaugural holder	Lord Glenavy
Formation	6 December 1922
Salary	€114,130 annually[1]
Website	Official website

Cathaoirleach (/kəˈhɪərləx/ ^ⓘ;^[2] 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 Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer, who has held the office since 16 December 2022.

Powers and functions

The Cathaoirleach is the sole judge of order, and has a range of powers and functions, namely:^[3]

• 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.

No.		Name[4] (Birth–Death)	Portrait	Term of office		Party	Panel	Seanad
	1	Lord Glenavy (1851–1931)		6 December 1922	6 December 1928	Independent	N/A	1922
								1925
	2	Thomas Westropp Bennett (1867–1962)		6 December 1928	19 May 1936[5]	Cumann na nGaedheal	N/A	1928
								1931
								1934
	3	Seán Gibbons (1883–1952)		27 April 1938[5]	8 September 1943	Fianna Fáil	Agricultural Panel	2nd
								3rd
	4	Seán Goulding (1877–1959)		8 September 1943	21 April 1948	Fianna Fáil	Industrial and Commercial Panel (1943–1944)	4th
							Administrative Panel (1944–1948)	5th
	5	Timothy O'Donovan (1881–1957)		21 April 1948	14 August 1951	Fine Gael	Agricultural Panel	6th
	6	Liam Ó Buachalla (1899–1970)		14 August 1951	22 July 1954	Fianna Fáil	Cultural and Educational Panel	7th
	7	Patrick Baxter (1891–1959)		22 July 1954	22 May 1957	Clann na Talmhan	Agricultural Panel	8th
	(6)	Liam Ó Buachalla (1899–1970)		22 May 1957	5 November 1969	Fianna Fáil	Cultural and Educational Panel	9th
								10th
								11th
	8	Michael Yeats (1921–2007)		5 November 1969	3 January 1973	Fianna Fáil	Cultural and Educational Panel	12th
	9	Micheál Cranitch (1912–1999)		3 January 1973	1 June 1973	Fianna Fáil	Nominated by the Taoiseach
	10	James Dooge (1922–2010)		1 June 1973	27 October 1977	Fine Gael	Industrial and Commercial Panel	13th
	11	Séamus Dolan (1914–2010)		27 October 1977	8 October 1981	Fianna Fáil	Labour Panel	14th
	12	Charles McDonald (born 1935)		8 October 1981	13 May 1982	Fine Gael	Agricultural Panel	15th
	13	Tras Honan (1930–2023)		13 May 1982	23 February 1983	Fianna Fáil	Administrative Panel	16th
	14	Patrick J. Reynolds (1920–2003)		23 February 1983	25 April 1987	Fine Gael	Industrial and Commercial Panel	17th
	(13)	Tras Honan (1930–2023)		25 April 1987	1 November 1989	Fianna Fáil	Administrative Panel	18th
	15	Seán Doherty (1944–2005)		1 November 1989	23 January 1992	Fianna Fáil	Administrative Panel	19th
	16	Seán Fallon (1937–1995)		23 January 1992	4 July 1995	Fianna Fáil	Industrial and Commercial Panel
								20th
	17	Liam Naughten (1944–1996)		12 July 1995	16 November 1996	Fine Gael	Agricultural Panel
	18	Liam T. Cosgrave (born 1956)		27 November 1996	17 September 1997	Fine Gael	Industrial and Commercial Panel
	19	Brian Mullooly (born 1935)		17 September 1997	12 September 2002	Fianna Fáil	Labour Panel	21st
	20	Rory Kiely (1934–2018)		12 September 2002	13 September 2007	Fianna Fáil	Agricultural Panel	22nd
	21	Pat Moylan (born 1946)		13 September 2007	25 May 2011	Fianna Fáil	Agricultural Panel	23rd
	22	Paddy Burke (born 1955)		25 May 2011	8 June 2016	Fine Gael	Agricultural Panel	24th
	23	Denis O'Donovan (born 1955)		8 June 2016	29 June 2020	Fianna Fáil	Agricultural Panel	25th
	24	Mark Daly (born 1973)		29 June 2020	16 December 2022	Fianna Fáil	Agricultural Panel	26th
	25	Jerry Buttimer (born 1967)		16 December 2022	Incumbent	Fine Gael	Labour Panel

Leas-Chathaoirleach

The Cathaoirleach's deputy is the Leas-Chathaoirleach.

Copyright.sk © 2024

No.		Name (Birth–Death)	Portrait	Term of office		Party	Panel	Seanad
	1	James G. Douglas (1887–1954)		12 December 1922	9 December 1925	Independent	N/A	1922
	2	Thomas Westropp Bennett (1867–1962)		9 December 1925	12 December 1928	Cumann na nGaedheal	N/A	1925
	3	Patrick W. Kenny (died 1931)		12 December 1928	22 April 1931	Cumann na nGaedheal	N/A	1928
	4	Patrick Hooper (died 1931)		6 May 1931	6 September 1931	Independent	N/A
	5	Michael F. O'Hanlon (1890–1967)		20 January 1932	12 December 1934	Cumann na nGaedheal	N/A	1931
	6	Michael Comyn (1871–1952)		12 December 1934	27 April 1938	Fianna Fáil	N/A	1934
	7	Pádraic Ó Máille (1878–1946)		11 May 1938	30 November 1938	Fianna Fáil	Agricultural Panel	2nd
	8	Michael Tierney (1894–1975)		30 November 1938	27 October 1943	Fine Gael	National University of Ireland	3rd
				27 October 1943	18 August 1944			4th
	9	Timothy O'Donovan (1881–1957)		18 August 1944	21 April 1948	Fine Gael	Agricultural Panel	5th
	10	Seán Goulding (1877–1959)		21 April 1948	14 August 1951	Fianna Fáil	Administrative Panel	6th
	(9)	Timothy O'Donovan (1881–1957)		7 November 1951	27 July 1954	Fine Gael	Agricultural Panel