The role of Chancellor of Ireland (formerly President until 2014) is an honorary role, the President appoints a Chancellor which is often the longest serving member of either house who then serves for 2 years although they can serve as many terms as they desire. The Chancellor performs many honorary duties like appointing Cabinet Members, setting Congressional and Senate meetings and swearing in the President and the Chief Justice. Upon their appointment to the post they renounce their seat and political affliction.
President (1924-2014)[]
The Original name of the post Chancellor was President but they had the exact same duties. This was changed upon the end of the Irish Monarchy when the office of Governor-General was given the rebranding of President and President was renamed to Chancellor.
| Name | Term | Notes | Mandate |
|---|---|---|---|
William T. Cosgrave (1890-1969) |
January 1, 1924
- January 1, 1964 |
First President. Father of Governor-General Liam Gosgrave. | 1924
1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 |
Patrick Hillery (1923-2008) |
January 1, 1964
- January 1, 1970 |
First President from the Senate | 1964
1966 1968 |
Mike Mansfield (1903-1990) |
January 1, 1970
- January 1, 1974 |
Met with IRA leaders to negotiate the release of Derry | 1970
1972 |
Nicholas Clooney (1934) |
January 1, 1974
- January 1, 1984 |
Father of Academy Award Winning Actor George Clooney | 1974
1976 1978 1980 1982 |
Seamus Mallon (1936) |
January 1, 1984
- January 1, 1994 |
First President from the High Court | 1984
1986 1988 1990 1992 |
Henry Burton (1940) |
January 1, 1994
- January 1, 1998 |
First President to serve non-consecutive terms | 1994
1996 |
Isaac Herzog (1960) |
January 1, 1998
- January 1, 2000 |
First President to come from outside of the Senate, High Court or Congress.
Son of President Chaim Herzog. |
1998 |
|
Henry Burton (1940) |
January 1, 2000
- January 1, 2006 |
First President to serve non-consecutive terms | 2000
2002 2004 |
Mary O’Dowd (1955) |
January 1, 2006
- January 1, 2014 |
First Female President. Last President. Oversaw the establishment of the Chancellery. | 2006
2008 2010 2012 |
Chancellor (Since 2015)[]
After the renouncement of the Monarchy and the Presidency being moved up and this post becoming the Chancellor the mandate was moved to odd numbers which left the office vacant for a year which lead to first President Pierce Brosnan being sworn in by the Lord-Mayor of Dublin.
| Name | Term | Notes | Mandate |
|---|---|---|---|
Oisin Klarence (1963) |
January 1, 2015
- January 1, 2017 |
First Chancellor. | 2015 |
Kathrine Finnegan (1963) |
January 1, 2017
- January 1, 2019 |
First Female Chancellor. | 2017 |
Rebecca O’Neill (1970) |
January 1, 2019
- January 1, 2021 |
First openly Homosexual Chancellor. | 2019 |
|
Kathrine Finnegan (1963) |
January 1, 2021
- Incumbent |
First Female Chancellor to serve non-consecutive terms. | 2021 |