The Ministers And Secretaries Act , 1924 assigned the minister the additional title of '' Commander-in-Chief '' as the ''Chairman of the Council of Defence''. The Defense Act, 1954 removed this title as a result of the reconstitution of the Council of Defense.
#
| Name
| Took Office
| Left Office
| Party
|
|---|
| 1. | Richard Mulcahy ''(1st time)'' 1 | January 22 , 1919 | April 1 , 1919 | Sinn Féin
| | 2. | Cathal Brugha 2 | April 1 , 1919 | January 9 , 1922 | Sinn Féin
| | Richard Mulcahy ''(2nd time)'' | January 10 , 1922 | March 19 , 1924 | Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin
| | 3. | W.T. Cosgrave ''(acting)'' | March 20 , 1924 | November 21 , 1924 | Pro-Treaty Sinn Féin
| | 4. | Peter Hughes | November 21 , 1924 | June 23 , 1927 | Cumann Na NGaedhael
| | 5. | Desmond FitzGerald | June 23 , 1927 | March 9 , 1932 | Cumann Na NGaedhael
| | 6. | Frank Aiken | March 9 , 1932 | September 8 , 1939 | Fianna Fáil
| | 7. | Oscar Traynor ''(1st time)'' | September 8 , 1939 | February 18 , 1948 | Fianna Fáil
| | 8. | Thomas F. O'Higgins | February 18 , 1948 | March 7 , 1951 | Fine Gael
| | 9. | Seán MacEoin ''(1st time)'' | March 7 , 1951 | June 13 , 1951 | Fine Gael
| | Oscar Traynor ''(2nd time)'' | June 13 , 1951 | June 2 , 1954 | Fianna Fáil
| | Seán MacEoin ''(2nd time)'' | June 2 , 1954 | March 20 , 1957 | Fine Gael
| | 10. | Kevin Boland | March 20 , 1957 | October 11 , 1961 | Fianna Fáil
| | 11. | Gerald Bartley | October 11 , 1961 | April 21 , 1965 | Fianna Fáil
| | 12. | Michael Hilliard | April 21 , 1965 | July 2 , 1969 | Fianna Fáil
| | 13. | Jim Gibbons | July 2 , 1969 | May 9 , 1970 | Fianna Fáil
| | 14. | Jerry Cronin | May 9 , 1970 | March 14 , 1973 | Fianna Fáil
| | 15. | Paddy Donegan | March 14 , 1973 | December 2 , 1976 | Fine Gael
| | 16. | Liam Cosgrave ''(acting)'' | December 2 , 1976 | December 16 , 1976 | Fine Gael
| | 17. | Oliver J. Flanagan | December 16 , 1976 | July 5 , 1977 | Fine Gael
| | 18. | Bobby Molloy | July 5 , 1977 | December 11 , 1979 | Fianna Fáil
| | 19. | Pádraig Faulkner | December 12 , 1979 | October 15 , 1980 | Fianna Fáil
| | 20. | Sylvester Barret | October 15 , 1979 | June 30 , 1981 | Fianna Fáil
| | 21. | James Tully | June 30 , 1981 | March 9 , 1982 | Labour
| | 22. | Paddy Power | March 9 , 1982 | December 14 , 1982 | Fianna Fáil
| | 23. | Patrick Cooney | December 14 , 1982 | February 14 , 1986 | Fine Gael
| | 24. | Paddy O'Toole | February 14 , 1982 | March 10 , 1987 | Fine Gael
| | 25. | Michael J. Noonan | March 10 , 1987 | July 12 , 1989 | Fianna Fáil
| | 26. | Brian Lenihan | July 12 , 1989 | October 31 , 1990 | Fianna Fáil
| | 27. | Charles Haughey ''(acting)'' | November 1 , 1990 | February 5 , 1991 | Fianna Fáil
| | 28. | Brendan Daly | February 5 , 1991 | November 14 , 1991 | Fianna Fáil
| | 29. | Vincent Brady | November 14 , 1991 | February 11 , 1992 | Fianna Fáil
| | 30. | John P. Wilson | February 11 , 1992 | January 12 , 1993 | Fianna Fáil
| | 31. | David Andrews ''(1st time)'' 3 | January 12 , 1993 | December 15 , 1994 | Fianna Fáil
| | 32. | Hugh Coveney 3 | December 15 , 1994 | May 23 , 1995 | Fine Gael
| | 33. | Seán Barret 3 | May 23 , 1995 | June 26 , 1997 | Fine Gael
| | 34. | David Andrews ''(2nd time)'' | June 26 , 1997 | October 8 , 1997 | Fianna Fáil
| | 25. | Michael Smith | October 8 , 1997 | September 29 , 2004 | Fianna Fáil
| | 26. | Willie O'Dea | September 29 , 2004 | | Fianna Fáil
| | |
#On the first occasion he served as defence minister, Mulcahy bore the title of ''Minister for National Defence''.
#Brugha bore the title of ''Secretary of State for Defence''.
#As ''Minister for Defence and the Marine''.
|
