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Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Minister for Foreign Affairs is one of the most important ministerial positions in the Irish cabinet. The current Minister for Foreign Affairs is Brian Cowen. He has overall responsibility for the conduct of Ireland's relations with other States. The Minister is assisted by two Ministers of State: Dick Roche who has reponsibility for European Affairs, and Count Plunkett January 22, 1919 August 26, 1921 Sinn Féin 2.Arthur Griffith (1st time) August 22, 1921 January 9, 1922 Sinn Féin 3.George Gavan Duffy January 10, 1922 July 25, 1922 Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin Arthur Griffith (2nd time) July 26, 1922 August 12, 1922 Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin 4.Michael Hayes August 21, 1922 September 9, 1922 Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin 5.Desmond FitzGerald August 30, 1922 June 23, 1927 Cumann na nGaedhael 6.Kevin O'Higgins June 23, 1927 July 10, 1927 Cumann na nGaedhael 7.W.T. Cosgrave (acting) July 10, 1927 October 11, 1927 Cumann na nGaedhael 8.Patrick McGilligan October 11, 1927 March 9, 1932 Cumann na nGaedhael 9.Eamon de Valera¹ March 9, 1932 February 18, 1948 Fianna Fáil 10.Seán MacBride February 18, 1948 June 13, 1951 Clann na Poblachta 11.Frank Aiken (1st time) June 13, 1951 June 2, 1954 Fianna Fáil 10.Liam Cosgrave June 2, 1954 March 20, 1957 Fine Gael Frank Aiken (2nd time) March 20, 1957 July 2, 1969 Fianna Fáil 12.Patrick Hillery July 2, 1969 March 3, 1971 Fianna Fáil

Minister for Foreign Affairs 1971-present

#	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Party
	Patrick Hillery	March 3, 1971	January 3, 1973	Fianna Fáil
13.	Brian Lenihan (1st time)	January 3, 1973	March 14, 1973	Fianna Fáil
14.	Garret FitzGerald	March 14, 1973	July 5, 1977	Fine Gael
15.	Michael O'Kennedy	July 5, 1977	(December 11, 1979	Fianna Fáil
	Brian Lenihan (2nd time)	December 12, 1979	June 30, 1981	Fianna Fáil
16.	John Kelly2	June 30, 1981	October 21, 1981	Fine Gael
17.	James Dooge	October 21, 1981	March 9, 1982	Fine Gael
18.	Gerard Collins (1st time)	March 9, 1982	December 14, 1982	Fianna Fáil
19.	Peter Barry3	December 14, 1982	March 10, 1987	Fine Gael
	Brian Lenihan (3rd time)	March 10, 1987	July 12, 1989	Fianna Fáil
	Gerard Collins (2nd time)	July 12, 1989	February 11, 1992	Fianna Fáil
20.	David Andrews (1st time)	February 11, 1992	(January 12, 1993	Fianna Fáil
21.	Dick Spring (1st time)	January 12, 1993	November 17, 1994	Labour
22.	Albert Reynolds (acting)	November 18, 1994	December 15, 1994	Fianna Fáil
.	Dick Spring (2nd time)	December 15, 1994	June 26, 1997	Labour
23.	Ray Burke	June 26, 1997	October 7, 1997	Fianna Fáil
	David Andrews (2nd time)	October 8, 1997	January 27, 2000	Fianna Fáil
24.	Brian Cowen	January 27, 2000	(still in office)	Fianna Fáil

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.

See also

• Irish cabinets since 1919

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