Cathaoirleach is the title of the chairman (or speaker

Speaker (politics)

The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...

) of Seanad Éireann

Seanad Éireann

Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...

, the sixty-member upper house of the Oireachtas

Oireachtas

The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...

, the legislature of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. The current Cathaoirleach is Senator Paddy Burke

Paddy Burke

Patrick "Paddy" Burke is an Irish Fine Gael politician and is a member of Seanad Éireann since February 1993.Burke was a member of Mayo County Council from 1979 until the abolition of the dual mandate in 2003...

. The Cathaoirleach is the sole judge of order and has a range of powers and functions namely:

• Calls on members to speak and all speeches must be addressed to the Chair.
• Puts such questions to the House as are required, supervises Divisions and declares the results.
• Has authority to suppress disorder, to enforce prompt obedience to Rulings and may order members to withdraw from the House or name them for suspension by the House itself for a period.
• In the case of great disorder can suspend or adjourn the House.

The Cathaoirleach's deputy is the Leas-Chathaoirleach. The current Leas-Chathaoirleach is Denis O'Donovan

Denis O'Donovan

Denis O'Donovan is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and a member of Seanad Éireann on the Agricultural Panel.A native of Bantry, he was elected to Cork County Council in 1985, and re-elected in 1991 and 1999. He was nominated by the Taoiseach to the Seanad in 1989...

.

The Cathaoirleach is also an ex-officio member of the Presidential Commission

Presidential Commission (Ireland)

The Presidential Commission is the collective vice-presidency of Ireland.-Membership:Three members serve on the Presidential Commission.* Chief Justice – President of the Supreme Court* Ceann Comhairle – Presiding officer of Dáil Éireann...

, the collective vice-presidency of Ireland.

Other uses

The term Cathaoirleach is also used in a generic sense for chairs of various organisations and local authorities

Local government in the Republic of Ireland

Local government functions in the Republic of Ireland are mostly exercised by thirty-four local authorities, termed county or city councils, which cover the entire territory of the state. The area under the jurisdiction of each of these authorities corresponds to the area of each of the 34 LAU I...

. Many voluntary organisations, associations and clubs also employ this term, for example, Cathaoirleach of the Board of Directors of the Genealogical Society of Ireland.

List of office-holders

No.	Name	Entered Office	Left Office	Party
1.	Lord Glenavy James Campbell, 1st Baron Glenavy James Henry Mussen Campbell, 1st Baron Glenavy PC was an Irish lawyer, politician in the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and later in the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State...	6 December 1922	6 December 1928		Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
2.	Thomas Westropp Bennett Thomas Westropp Bennett Thomas Westropp Bennett was an Anglo-Irish Catholic politician in the Irish Free State.Born on his father's estate in Ballymurphy, County Limerick he was the eldest son of Captain Thomas Westropp Bennett, a gentleman-farmer, Crimean War veteran and retired Captain in the 39th regiment of the...	6 December 1928	19 May 1936		Cumann na nGaedheal
3.	Seán Gibbons Seán Gibbons Séan Francis Gibbons was an Irish politician who sat as Cumann na nGaedheal TD in the 1920s and as a Fianna Fáil TD in the 1930s...	27 April 1938	8 September 1943		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
4.	Seán Goulding Seán Goulding Seán Goulding was a Fianna Fáil politician from County Waterford in Ireland. He was a Teachta Dála from 1927 to 1937, then a senator from 1938 to 1954, serving as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann from 1943 to 1948....	8 September 1943	21 April 1948		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
5.	Timothy O'Donovan Timothy O'Donovan Timothy Joseph O'Donovan was a Farmers' Party and Fine Gael politician from County Cork in Ireland. He was a Teachta Dála from 1923 to 1944, then a senator from 1944 until his death, serving as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann from 1948 to 1951.O'Donovan was elected at the 1923 general election to...	21 April 1948	14 August 1951		Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
6.	Liam Ó Buachalla Liam Ó Buachalla Liam Ó Buachalla was a Fianna Fáil politician from County Galway in Ireland. He was a senator from 1939 to 1969, and was twice elected as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann....  (1st time)	14 August 1951	22 July 1954		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
7.	Patrick Baxter Patrick Baxter Patrick Francis Baxter was an Irish politician from County Cavan. He was a Teachta Dala in the 1920s, and later a senator for over 25 years, serving as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann from 1954 to 1957....	22 July 1954	22 May 1957		Clann na Talmhan Clann na Talmhan Clann na Talmhan , abbreviated CnaT, was an Irish agrarian political party active between 1939 and 1965.- Formation and Growth :Clann na Talmhan was founded on 29 June 1939 in Athenry, County Galway, in the wake of the breakdown of unification talks between the Irish Farmers Federation and...
	Liam Ó Buachalla Liam Ó Buachalla Liam Ó Buachalla was a Fianna Fáil politician from County Galway in Ireland. He was a senator from 1939 to 1969, and was twice elected as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann....  (2nd time)	22 May 1957	5 November 1969		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
8.	Michael Yeats Michael Yeats William Michael Yeats was an Irish barrister and Fianna Fáil politician.He was educated in Trinity College, Dublin and was an officer in The Hist...	5 November 1969	3 January 1973		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
9.	Micheál Cranitch Micheál Cranitch Mícheál C. Cranitch was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann in 1973....	3 January 1973	1 June 1973		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
10.	James Dooge James Dooge James Clement Dooge was an Irish politician, engineer, climatologist, hydrologist and academic. Dooge had a profound effect on the debate on climate change, in the world of hydrology and in politics in the formation of the European Union.Dooge lived a multifaceted existence with his roles...	1 June 1973	27 October 1977		Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
11.	Séamus Dolan Séamus Dolan Séamus Dolan was a Fianna Fáil politician from County Cavan in Ireland. He was a Teachta Dála from 1961 to 1965, and a senator from 1965 to 1969 and from 1973 to 1982...	27 October 1977	8 October 1981		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
12.	Charles McDonald Charles McDonald (Irish politician) Charles "Charlie" McDonald is a former Fine Gael politician from County Laois in Ireland. He was a senator from 1961 to 1973 and from 1977 to 1992 , a Teachta Dála from 1973 to 1977, and a Member of the European Parliament from 1973 to 1979.A farmer before entering politics, he...	8 October 1981	13 May 1982		Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
13.	Tras Honan Tras Honan Tras Honan is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician from Ennis in County Clare who served as a senator for 15 years and was elected to the position of Cathaoirleach on two occasions,...  (1st time)	13 May 1982	23 February 1983		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
14.	Patrick J. Reynolds Patrick J. Reynolds Patrick Joseph "P.J." Reynolds was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served three terms in Dáil Éireann and five in Seanad Éireann, where he was Cathaoirleach for four years.- Family and early life :...	23 February 1983	25 April 1987		Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
	Tras Honan Tras Honan Tras Honan is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician from Ennis in County Clare who served as a senator for 15 years and was elected to the position of Cathaoirleach on two occasions,...  (2nd time)	25 April 1987	1 November 1989		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
15.	Seán Doherty	1 November 1989	23 January 1992		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
16.	Seán Fallon Sean Fallon (politician) Seán Fallon was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician from Athlone in County Westmeath.A member of Westmeath County Council and Athlone Urban District Council for nearly forty years from 1967, he was a senator from 1981 to 1995, and Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann from 1992 until his death.He was first...	23 January 1992	12 July 1995		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
17.	Liam Naughten Liam Naughten Liam Naughten was an Irish Fine Gael politician, who was a TD for the constituency of Roscommon from 1982 to 1989, and also served as a Senator....	12 July 1995	16 November 1996		Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
18.	Brian Mullooly Brian Mullooly Brian Mullooly is a former Irish Fianna Fáil party politician.He was born in Strokestown, County Roscommon, and educated at Summershill College, Sligo and at St. Patricks Teacher Training College in Dublin. He worked as a national school teacher before becoming involved in politics...  (1st time)	16 November 1996	27 November 1996		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
19.	Liam T. Cosgrave Liam T. Cosgrave Liam Thomas Cosgrave is a former Fine Gael politician in the Republic of Ireland.Coming from a political family, he is the son of former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave and grandson of the first President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State W. T...	27 November 1996	17 September 1997		Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
	Brian Mullooly Brian Mullooly Brian Mullooly is a former Irish Fianna Fáil party politician.He was born in Strokestown, County Roscommon, and educated at Summershill College, Sligo and at St. Patricks Teacher Training College in Dublin. He worked as a national school teacher before becoming involved in politics...  (2nd time)	17 September 1997	12 September 2002		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
20.	Rory Kiely Rory Kiely Rory Kiely is a former Irish Fianna Fáil party politician.Kiely was an unsuccessful candidate for the Dáil in the 1969 general election for the Limerick West. Kiely was first elected in 1977, to the 14th Seanad. He was re-elected by the Agricultural Panel to every subsequent Seanad, except for the...	12 September 2002	13 September 2007		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
21.	Pat Moylan Pat Moylan Pat Moylan is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician and member of Seanad Éireann.Born in Banagher, County Offaly, where he still lives, he is married with three sons and one daughter....	13 September 2007	25 May 2011		Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
22.	Paddy Burke Paddy Burke Patrick "Paddy" Burke is an Irish Fine Gael politician and is a member of Seanad Éireann since February 1993.Burke was a member of Mayo County Council from 1979 until the abolition of the dual mandate in 2003...	25 May 2011	Incumbent		Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...