Leader of Fine Gael

In September 1933, Cumann na nGaedheal, the National Centre Party and the National Guard (previously called the Army Comrades Association better known as The Blueshirts) merged to form Fine Gael – the United Ireland party. Eoin O'Duffy, leader of the National Guard, though not a member of the Oireachtas, became the first party leader, with former President of the Executive Council W. T. Cosgrave serving as parliamentary leader. The merger brought together two strands of Irish nationalism, namely the pro-treaty wing of revolutionary Sinn Féin and the old Home Rule party represented by James Dillon and the National Centre Party. In reality, the new party was a larger version of Cumann na nGaedheal, the party created in 1923 by the pro-Treaty leaders of the Irish Free State under W. T. Cosgrave.

Cosgrave retired as leader before the 1944 general election, and was succeeded by Richard Mulcahy. Mulcahy was then a member of the Seanad, so Tom O'Higgins acted as parliamentary party leader. After the 1948 general election the First Inter-Party Government was formed, but Clann na Poblachta (under former anti-Treaty IRA Chief of Staff Seán MacBride) was opposed to Mulcahy because of his role as Chief of Staff of the Irish Army in the execution of republicans during the Irish Civil War. Mulcahy stepped aside, former Attorney General John A. Costello becoming Taoiseach; Mulcahy served instead as Minister for Education. Between 1948 and 1959, Costello served as parliamentary party leader. Mulcahy retired as leader in 1959, and was replaced by James Dillon. After defeat in the 1965 general election, Dillon resigned and was replaced by Liam Cosgrave, son of W. T. Cosgrave. Liam Cosgrave served as Taoiseach from 1973 to 1977. Cosgrave resigned after the Fine Gael–Labour Party government lost power at the 1977 general election.

Garret FitzGerald succeeded him as leader, and served as Taoiseach from June 1981 to March 1982 and from December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald resigned in 1987 after losing that year's general election, and was replaced by Alan Dukes. After Fine Gael failure in the 1989 general election and the 1990 presidential election, Dukes was replaced by John Bruton in 1990. Following the collapse of the Fianna Fáil–Labour Party government in 1994, Bruton become Taoiseach serving from 1994 to 1997 in a Rainbow coalition with the Labour Party and Democratic Left. Bruton was deposed from the leadership in 2001, in favour of Michael Noonan; this was due in part to fears that Fine Gael would suffer severe losses at the 2002 general election. However, Noonan failed to live up to expectations, and the party suffered an even greater collapse than had been expected under Bruton. Having gone into the election expecting to increase its seat count from 54 to 60, it won only 31 seats. On the night of the election Noonan resigned as leader after just over a year in office, triggering the third leadership contest in the history of the party. Four candidates put their names forward for the leadership, with Enda Kenny emerging as the victor after a secret ballot.

Like other Irish political parties, most notably Fianna Fáil, the Leader of Fine Gael has the power to dismiss or appoint their Deputy and to dismiss or appoint parliamentary party members to frontbench positions. When Fine Gael is in opposition the Leader would usually act as the Leader of the Opposition, and chair the Opposition front bench. Conversely, when the party is in government, the Leader would usually become Taoiseach, as well as appointing the cabinet.

The Deputy leader of Fine Gael is a senior politician within the Fine Gael political party in Ireland. The post is currently held by Simon Coveney, who was appointed deputy on 13 June 2017.

Like other political party leaders, the leader of Fine Gael has the power to appoint or dismiss their deputy. The position is not an elected one and is largely honorific.

Name	Portrait	Constituency	Term of Office		Office(s)
Tom O'Higgins		Dublin County South	20 April 1972	14 September 1977
Peter Barry		Cork South-Central	14 September 1977	26 March 1987	Spokesperson on Economic Affairs and Public Services Minister for the Environment Minister for Foreign Affairs Tánaiste
John Bruton		Meath	26 March 1987	20 November 1990	Spokesperson on Industry and Commerce Spokesperson on Education
Peter Barry		Cork South-Central	14 January 1991	5 February 1993	Spokesperson on Industry and Commerce
Nora Owen		Dublin North	3 March 1993	9 February 2001	Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs Minister for Justice Spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Jim Mitchell		Dublin Central	9 February 2001	17 May 2002	Spokesperson on Finance
Richard Bruton		Dublin North-Central	12 June 2002	14 June 2010	Spokesperson on Finance
James Reilly		Dublin North	1 July 2010	16 May 2017	Spokesperson on Health Minister for Health Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Senator
Simon Coveney		Cork South-Central	13 June 2017	Incumbent	Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Tánaiste

• History of Fine Gael
• Leader of Fianna Fáil
• Leader of the Labour Party (Ireland)
• Leader of Sinn Féin