Labour Party (Ireland)

The Labour Party (Irish: Páirtí an Lucht Oibre) is the third largest political party in the Republic of Ireland. In 1912 James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien established the Irish Labour party as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. This party would represent the workers in the expected Dublin Parliament under the Third Home Rule Act 1914. However, after the defeat of the trade unions in the Dublin Lockout of 1913 the labour movement was weakened, and the emigration of James Larkin in 1914 and the execution of James Connolly in 1916 further damaged it.

Leaders of the Labour Party

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LeaderYearsPeriod as Tánaiste

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Thomas Johnson1922-1927

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Thomas J. O'Connell1927-1932

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William Norton1932-19601948-1951, 1954-1957

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Brendan Corish1960-19771973-1977

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Frank Cluskey1977-1981

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Michael O'Leary1981-19821981-1982

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Dick Spring1982-19971982-1986, 1992-1997

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Ruairí Quinn1997-2002

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Pat Rabbitte2002-

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