There are a number of political parties in Ireland, and coalition governments are common. The two historically largest parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, arose from a split in the original Sinn Féin. Fine Gael is the successor of Cumann na nGaedheal, the faction that supported the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, while Fianna Fáil arose from members of the anti-Treaty faction who opposed Sinn Féin's abstensionism. The division on the Treaty had also caused the Irish Civil War (1922–23), leading to the difference between the parties being described as "Civil War politics", to distinguish it from a more common left-right political divide. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael together are sometimes pejoratively referred to as "FFG".[1][2]
As of 2023[update], Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin jointly have the greatest representation in Dáil Éireann, followed closely by Fine Gael in third position. The Green Party surpassed the Labour Party in 2020. The Labour Party was formed in 1912, and it had usually been the third party in parliamentary strength, though it is currently the fifth largest party in the Dáil, followed closely by the Social Democrats.
The Electoral Commission maintains a Register of Political Parties under the Electoral Reform Act 2022.[3] Before the establishment of the Commission 2023, the register was maintained by the Houses of the Oireachtas.[4] To register to contest national elections a party must have either at least one member in Dáil Éireann or the European Parliament, or 300 recorded members aged 18 or over. Parties that register only to contest elections in part of the state or in local elections need only 100 recorded members aged 18 or over. In either case, at least half of the recorded members must be on the register of electors.[5]
Political parties with representation at a local, national or European level
Parties and groupings represented in the Oireachtas
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil is the joint largest party in the Dáil and has the largest number of city and county council seats. It has been in government more than any other party: 1932–1948, 1951–1954, 1957–1973, 1977–1981, 1982, 1987–1994, and 1997–2011, and 2020 onwards. On all occasions up to 1989, it was in a single-party government; on all occasions since then it was the leading party in a coalition government. It is a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party and is led by TánaisteMicheál Martin.
It was founded in 1926 by Éamon de Valera in a split from Sinn Féin. When Sinn Féin refused to drop its abstentionist stand, de Valera led most of its TDs out of that party with a view toward republicanising the Free State from within. It was founded as a radical anti-Treaty party drawing support from small farmers and urban workers but has since become a party of the establishment. It was first elected to power in 1932 on a constitutional republican platform, promising to remove constitutional links with Britain and reduce poverty by creating employment. It oversaw much of the industrial development of the Republic and has consequently drawn support from all social classes, making it a classic populist party.[6][7][8]
Fianna Fáil has 36 TDs, 21 Senators, two MEPs and 276 councillors.
Sinn Féin is the joint largest party in the Dáil and the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly. The name Sinn Féin, meaning "ourselves" or "we ourselves", has been used by a number of political organisations in Ireland since 1905, when first used by Arthur Griffith. Sinn Féin was the party of separatism before Irish independence, and broke through in the Westminster election of 1918, where it won 73 of the 105 Irish seats.
The modern-day Sinn Féin party emerged in 1970 after a split in the party, and was often distinguished as Provisional Sinn Féin. It was closely linked to the Provisional Irish Republican Army. It is led by Mary Lou McDonald.
Sinn Féin has 36 TDs, four Senators, one MEP and 81 councillors in the Republic of Ireland.
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is the third largest party in the Dáil, the second largest party in local government in Ireland and has the largest delegation of MEPs from Ireland. It was founded in 1933 by a merger of Cumann na nGaedheal, which had supported the Treaty and formed the government between 1922 and 1932, the National Guard (popularly called the Blueshirts) and the small National Centre Party. It is a member of the centre-right European People's Party and is led by Simon Harris. Counting the tenure of predecessor Cumann na nGaedheal, Fine Gael has been in government in the periods 1922–1932, 1948–1951, 1954–1957, 1973–1977, 1981–1982, 1982–1987, 1994–1997, and 2011 to date. On each occasion from 1948 until 2016, it was the leading party of a coalition with the Labour Party, and in three of those cases also with other smaller parties. At the 2011 general election, Fine Gael became the largest party in the Oireachtas with 36.1% of the vote.
Fine Gael has 34 TDs, 16 Senators, five MEPs and 254 councillors.
Green Party
The Green Party was established in 1981 and is allied to the European Green Party. The Green Party Northern Ireland voted in 2005 to become a region of the Irish Green Party, making it the second party to be organised on an all-Ireland basis. It has Northern Ireland members on the Irish Green Party national executive.
In the 2020 election, they became the fourth party in parliamentary strength. The Green Party has 12 TDs, five Senators, two MEPs and 45 councillors.[9]
Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social democratic party, founded in 1912 as part of the trade union movement, with which it maintains organisational links. For most of the history of the state, it was the third largest party, though it is currently in fifth position in parliamentary strength.
It has been in government in the periods 1948–1951, 1954–1957, 1973–1977, 1981–1982, 1982–1987, 1993–1994, 1994–1997, and 2011–2016. On each occasion, it was in coalition with Fine Gael, with the exception 1993 to 1994, when it was in coalition with Fianna Fáil. The Labour Party merged with the smaller Democratic Left party in 1999. It is a member of the Party of European Socialists and has been led by Ivana Bacik since 24 March 2022.
The Labour Party has seven TDs, four Senators and 55 councillors.
The Socialist Party (known as Militant Labour until 1996) was formed in 1989 by members of the Militant Tendency who were expelled from the Labour Party. Joe Higgins was its first member elected at national level. It was part of the United Left Alliance in the 2011 general election,[12] but that alliance disintegrated over the course of the following Dáil term. It now contests elections as part of People Before Profit–Solidarity.
Independents 4 Change has been registered as a political party since 2014. Its registered officer is MEP Mick Wallace. They have two MEPs and two councillors.
The Workers' Party is a Marxist–Leninist party allied with the international workers and communist parties. It is organised in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. A special Ardfheis in 1992 called to re-constitute the party and remove links with the Official IRA resulted in a split with the bulk of the parliamentary party and councillors leaving to form Democratic Left. Democratic Left voted to merge with the Labour Party in 1999. The Workers' Party has one councillor on Cork City Council.
Kerry Independent Alliance
The Kerry Independent Alliance (previously the South Kerry Independent Alliance) have one councillor on Kerry County Council. It is registered to contest elections for Dáil Éireann and in Killarney for local elections.
Republican Sinn Féin
Republican Sinn Féin were formed in 1986 by members of Sinn Féin who did not support the decision made at the party's ard fheis in that year to end its policy of abstentionism and to allow elected Sinn Féin TDs take their seats in Dáil Éireann.[15] They have one councillor, Tomás Ó Curraoin on Galway County Council. As the party is not registered, he is officially an independent councillor.
Independent Left
Independent Left have one councillor, former PBP member John Lyons, on Dublin City Council.[16] As the party is not registered, he is officially an independent councillor.
An Rabharta Glas
An Rabharta Glas is an eco-socialist party that was formed predominantly by former members of the Green Party in 2021. It has one councillor, Lorna Bogue (who was elected leader in November 2021) on Cork City Council. As the party is not registered, she is officially an independent councillor.
^The current party known as Sinn Féin broke from the party then known as Sinn Féin in 1970 and was initially commonly referred to as Provisional Sinn Féin.
^For the first twenty years of its existence, the Green Party did not have a national leader. Trevor Sargent was elected as the first national leader in 2001.
^The Workers' Party emerged as the majority faction from a split in Sinn Féin in 1970, becoming known as Official Sinn Féin. In the Republic of Ireland, it renamed itself as Sinn Féin The Workers' Party in 1977. In Northern Ireland, it continued with the Republican Clubs name used by Sinn Féin to escape a 1964 ban, and later as Workers Party Republican Clubs. Both sections adopted the current name in 1982.
^Originally registered as the Housing Rights and Reform Alliance; renamed the Reform Alliance in November 2021;[20] renamed Glór – Voice of the People in November 2023[21]
^Hayward, Katy; Murphy, Mary C., eds. (2013). "Ireland's EU Referendum Experience". The Europeanization of Party Politics in Ireland, North and South. Routledge. p. 26. ISBN9780955820373.
^Patterson, Henry (1988). "Fianna Fáil and the Working Class: The Origins of the Enigmatic Relationship". Saothar. 13. Irish Labour History Society: 81–88. JSTOR23196031.
^"Register of Political Parties"(PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 2021 (94): 1316. 23 November 2021. Archived(PDF) from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
