List of Irish Foreign Ministers

The following people have served as the Irish Minister for External Affairs (renamed in 1972 Minister for Foreign Affairs) from 1933.

Note: In a multi-party coalition, the party to which he minister belonged is bold italicised.

• Eamon de Valera 1933-1948 (d.1975) Fianna Fáil¹

• Sean MacBride 1948-1951 (d.1988) 1st Inter-Party Government (Fine Gael, Labour, National Labour, Clann na Poblachta, Clann na Talmhan, independents)

• Frank Aiken 1951-1954 (d.1983) Fianna Fáil

• Liam Cosgrave 1954-1957 2nd Inter-Party Government (Fine Gael, Labour)

• Frank Aiken 1957-1969 (d.1983) Fianna Fáil

• Patrick Hillery 1969-1972 Fianna Fáil

• Brian Lenihan 1972-1973 (d.1995) Fianna Fáil

• Garret FitzGerald 1973-1977 National Coalition (Fine Gael, Labour)

• Michael O'Kennedy 1977-1979 Fianna Fáil

• Brian Lenihan 1979-1981 (d.1995) Fianna Fáil

• John M. Kelly 1981 (acting)² (Fine Gael, Labour)

• Senator James Dooge 1981-1982 (Fine Gael, Labour)

• Gerard Collins 1982 Fianna Fáil

• Peter Barry 1982-1987 (Fine Gael, Labour)

• Peter Barry 1987 ³ Fine Gael

• Brian Lenihan 1987-1989 (d.1995) Fianna Fáil

• Gerard Collins 1989-1992 Fianna Fáil, Progressive Democrats

• David Andrews 1992-1993 Fianna Fáil

• Dick Spring 1993-1994 Fianna Fáil, Labour

• Dick Spring 1994-1997 Rainbow Coalition (Fine Gael, Labour, Democratic Left)''

• Ray Burke 1997 Fianna Fáil, Progressive Democrats

• David Andrews 1997-2000 Fianna Fáil Progressive Democrats

• Brian Cowen 2000- Fianna Fáil Progressive Democrats

Footnotes

¹ Eamon de Valera, who was head of government (President of the Executive Council until 1937, renamed Taoiseach in 1937) served as his own foreign minister.

² When Garret FitzGerald formed a government in mid 1981 he announced that he would be appointing James Dooge to be a senator and once in office would make him minister. However as the appointment could not be made until Seanad Éireann's general election had taken place (which would be a few weeks), in the interim the Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism, John M. Kelly, would act as minister.

³ When Labour withdrew from cabinet in early 1987, a new interim cabinet, made up simply of the outgoing Fine Gael ministers, was formed. Peter Barry continued on as Foreign Minister in that shortlived Fine Gael cabinet.