Date formed 30 August 1922 Head of government W. T. Cosgrave Total no. of ministers 11 | Date dissolved 6 December 1922 Head of state George V Member parties Sinn Féin (Pro-Treaty) | |
The 3rd Dáil was elected at the 1922 general election on 16 June 1922 and lasted 437 days.
Contents
2nd Provisional Government
The 2nd Provisional Government (30 August 1922 – 6 December 1922) was formed by Pro-Treaty faction of Sinn Féin. It came to office following the election of the Third Dáil on 16 June 1922. The cabinet came to an end when it was superseded by a new cabinet, the 1st Executive Council of the Irish Free State.
Its formation brought to an end the anomalous system of dual administration that had existed since January, of government under two cabinets simultaneously, the 4th Ministry under Arthur Griffith, and the 1st Provisional Government under Michael Collins. Following the death of Collins and Griffith in August 1922, W. T. Cosgrave decided to merge the two administrations, with himself as head of both. The new cabinet was therefore both the 2nd Provisional Government and the 5th Ministry, while Cosgrave was officially both Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State and President of the Republic. Both cabinets were finally, formally abolished when the new Constitution of the Irish Free State came into force in December.
1st Executive Council of the Irish Free State
The 1st Executive Council of the Irish Free State (6 December 1922 – 19 September 1923) was formed by Pro-Treaty faction of Sinn Féin, which later became the Cumann na nGaedheal party. The Constitution of the Irish Free State came into force in December 1922 and under its terms the Second Provisional Government was replaced by the Executive Council.
However elections were not held for the 4th Dáil until August 1923 and so the membership of the 1st Executive Council closely reflected that of the Second Provisional Government of Southern Ireland that had preceded it. The 1st Executive Council was replaced by the 2nd Executive Council shortly after the 1923 general election.
The government positions are listed in alphabetical order, rather than in terms of seniority.