Longest-serving Senators
This is a list of current and former Senators who have served for at least 20 years in the Seanad, including both the Free State Seanad and the Seanad established under the 1937 Constitution. There was a 22-month gap between the abolition of the Free State Seanad in 1936 and the inauguration in 1938 of the 2nd Seanad, the first incarnation of the new body.
| Name | Party | First elected | Vacated seat | Years/Months | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Barniville | Fine Gael | 6 December 1922 | 23 September 1960 | 35 years, 11 months | Service interrupted by the abolition of the Free State Seanad | |
| Margaret Mary Pearse | Fianna Fáil | 27 April 1938 | 7 November 1968 | 30 years, 6 months | ||
| Eoin Ryan, Snr | Fianna Fáil | 22 May 1957 | 3 April 1987 | 29 years, 10 months | ||
| Liam Ó Buachalla | Fianna Fáil | 7 October 1939 | 24 July 1969 | 29 years, 9 months | ||
| Shane Ross | Independent | 8 October 1981 | 26 February 2011 | 29 years, 4 months | ||
| James G. Douglas | Independent | 6 December 1922 | 16 September 1954 | 28 years, 9 months | Service interrupted by the abolition of the Free State Seanad; Did not serve in 4th Seanad |
|
| Rory Kiely | Fianna Fáil | 27 October 1977 | 22 July 2007 | 28 years, 9 months | Did not serve in 16th Seanad | |
| Patrick McGowan | Fianna Fáil | 23 June 1965 | 3 October 1999 | 28 years, 5 months | Did not serve in 15th, 16th and 17th Seanad | |
| Des Hanafin | Fianna Fáil | 5 November 1969 | 26 June 2002 | 27 years, 10 months | Did not serve in 20th Seanad | |
| William Ryan | Fianna Fáil | 14 December 1961 | 5 July 1989 | 27 years, 6 months | ||
| Michael Hayes | Fine Gael | 27 April 1938 | 28 April 1965 | 27 years | ||
| Charles McDonald | Fine Gael | 14 December 1961 | 17 December 1992 | 26 years, 4 months | Did not serve in 13th Seanad | |
| John Counihan | Independent | 6 December 1922 | 25 July 1951 | 26 years, 3 months | Did not serve in 2nd Seanad | |
| David Norris† | Independent | 25 April 1987 | Incumbent | 26 years | ||
| Thomas Ruane | Fianna Fáil | 6 December 1934 | 28 April 1965 | 25 years, 9 months | Service interrupted by the abolition of the Free State Seanad; Did not serve in 4th and 6th Seanad |
|
| Patrick O'Reilly | Fianna Fáil | 18 August 1944 | 24 July 1969 | 24 years, 11 months | ||
| Seán O'Donovan | Fianna Fáil | 27 April 1938 | 24 July 1969 | 24 years, 10 months | Did not serve in 6th and 8th Seanad | |
| Mick Lanigan | Fianna Fáil | 27 October 1977 | 26 June 2002 | 24 years, 7 months | ||
| Joe O'Toole | Independent | 25 April 1987 | 29 April 2011 | 24 years | ||
| Donie Cassidy | Fianna Fáil | 13 May 1982 | 29 April 2011 | 24 years | Did not serve in 22nd Seanad from 2002 to 2007 | |
| Paschal Mooney† | Fianna Fáil | 25 April 1987 | Incumbent | 23 years, 3 months (as of Feb. 2013) |
Did not serve 2y, 6m from July 2007 to January 2010 | |
| James Parkinson | Cumann na nGaedheal | 6 December 1922 | 31 July 1947 | 22 years, 9 months | Service interrupted by the abolition of the Free State Seanad | |
| Patrick Baxter | Clann na Talmhan | 6 December 1934 | 3 April 1959 | 22 years, 5 months | Service interrupted by the abolition of the Free State Seanad | |
| John Butler | Labour Party | 27 April 1938 | 28 April 1965 | 22 years, 3 months | Did not serve in 9th Seanad | |
| Seán Hayes | Fianna Fáil | 27 April 1938 | 28 April 1965 | 22 years, 2 months | Did not serve in 4th and 6th Seanad | |
| William O'Callaghan | Independent | 27 April 1938 | 1 September 1961 | 22 years, 2 months | Did not serve in 4th Seanad | |
| James Tunney | Labour Party | 27 April 1938 | 1 September 1961 | 22 years, 2 months | Did not serve in 4th Seanad | |
| Thomas Foran | Labour Party | 28 November 1923 | 12 March 1948 | 22 years | Did not serve in 2nd Seanad | |
| Patrick Fitzsimons | Independent | 21 April 1948 | 30 March 1973 | 22 years | Did not serve in 8th Seanad | |
| Peter Lynch | Independent | 7 September 1938 | 1 September 1961 | 22 years | ||
| Sir John Keane | Independent | 6 December 1922 | 12 March 1948 | 21 years, 10 months | Did not serve in 1934–36 Seanad | |
| Francis O'Brien | Fianna Fáil | 1 October 1989 | 29 April 2011 | 21 years, 7 months | ||
| William Quirke | Independent | 6 December 1931 | 5 March 1955 | 21 years, 4 months | Service interrupted by the abolition of the Free State Seanad | |
| William Bedell Stanford | Independent | 21 April 1948 | 24 July 1969 | 21 years, 3 months | ||
| Michael Yeats | Fianna Fáil | 14 August 1951 | 12 March 1980 | 21 years | Did not serve in 8th and 9th Seanad | |
| James Dooge | Fine Gael | 14 December 1961 | 3 April 1987 | 20 years, 10 months | Did not serve in 14th Seanad | |
| Micheál Prendergast | Fine Gael | 22 July 1954 | 26 May 1977 | 20 years, 9 months | Did not serve from March 1973 to April 1975 | |
| Brian Mullooly | Fianna Fáil | 8 October 1981 | 26 June 2002 | 20 years, 8 months | ||
| Brendan Ryan | Independent | 13 May 1982 | 22 July 2007 | 20 years, 5 months | Did not serve in 20th Seanad | |
| Eddie Bohan | Fianna Fáil | 25 April 1987 | 22 July 2007 | 20 years, 2 months | ||
| Don Lydon | Fianna Fáil | 25 April 1987 | 22 July 2007 | 20 years, 2 months | ||
| Bernard McGlinchey | Fianna Fáil | 14 December 1961 | 21 December 1982 | 20 years, 2 months | Did not serve in 15th Seanad | |
| Patrick Quinlan | Independent | 22 May 1957 | 26 May 1977 | 20 years | ||
| Paddy Burke† | Fine Gael | 17 February 1993 | Incumbent | 20 years, 2 months | ||
| Feargal Quinn† | Independent | 17 February 1993 | Incumbent | 20 years, 2 months | ||
†Serving senator
Read more about this topic: Records Of Members Of The Oireachtas
Famous quotes containing the word senators:
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—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)