The 2nd Seanad was in office in 1938. An election to Seanad Éireann, the Senate of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament), took place in March 1938, following the coming into operation of the Constitution of Ireland in December 1937. The senators served until the close of poll for the 3rd Seanad, in July 1938.

Designation

The Seanad of the Irish Free State was abolished by the Constitution (Amendment No. 24) Act 1936, with its last meeting on 19 May 1936. The Free State Seanad was elected in stages and thus considered to be in permanent session. Although there were five Seanad elections held before its abolition, the First Seanad includes the entire period from 1922 to 1936.

A new Seanad Éireann was established under the 1937 Constitution, with elections following general elections to Dáil Éireann. To indicate continuity with its Free State predecessor, the first Seanad elected after 1937 is numbered as the Second Seanad. The election to the 2nd Seanad was elected under Article 53 of the Constitution, which provided that on the coming into operation of the Constitution, which took place on 29 December 1937, a general election for the Seanad would take place as if there had been a dissolution of the Dáil.Constitution of Ireland, Article 53.

Cathaoirleach

On 27 April 1938, Seán Gibbons (FF) was proposed by Helena Concannon (FF) and seconded by Margaret Mary Pearse (FF) for the position of Cathaoirleach. Séamus Ó hEocha (Ind) was proposed by Michael Hayes (FG) and seconded by Michael Tierney (FG) for the position. Gibbons was elected by a vote of 29 to 26.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1938-04-27/2/|title=Election of Cathaoirleach|work=Seanad Debates. Vol. 21 No. 1|date=27 April 1938|access-date=28 April 2024|archive-date=12 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212222958/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1938-04-27/2/|url-status=live}}

On 11 May 1938, Pádraic Ó Máille (FF), who had served as Leas-Cheann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from 1922 to 1927, was proposed by Seán Hayes (FF) and seconded by Peadar Toner Mac Fhionnlaoich (Ind) for the position of Leas-Chathaoirleach. Ó Máille was elected by a vote of 30 to 23.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1938-05-11/4/|title=Election of Leas-Chathaoirleach|work=Seanad Debates. Vol. 21 No. 2|date=11 May 1938|access-date=28 April 2024|archive-date=21 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521153533/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1938-05-11/4/|url-status=live}}

Composition of the 2nd Seanad

There are a total of 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 were elected on five vocational panels, 6 were elected from two university constituencies and 11 were nominated by the Taoiseach.

The following table shows the composition by party when the 2nd Seanad first met on 27 April 1938.

rowspan="2" colspan="2" {{diagonal split header 2\|Party\|Origin}} ! scope="col" colspan="5"\| Vocational panels ! rowspan="2"\| NUI ! rowspan="2"\| DU ! rowspan="2"\| Nominated ! rowspan="2" colspan="2"\| Total
class="wikitable"
scope="col" \|Admin ! scope="col" \|Agri ! scope="col" \|Cult & Educ ! scope="col" \|Ind & Comm ! scope="col" \|Labour
style="text-align:center" \| style="background-color: {{party color\|Fianna Fáil}}" \| \|align="left"\| Fianna Fáil	3	4	1	3	2	1	0	7	21	style="background-color: {{party color\|Fianna Fáil}}" \|
style="text-align:center" \| style="background-color: {{party color\|Fine Gael}}" \| \|align="left"\| Fine Gael	2	3	3	5	2	2	0	0	17	style="background-color: {{party color\|Fine Gael}}" \|
style="text-align:center" \| style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (Ireland)}}" \| \|align="left"\| Labour Party	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (Ireland)}}" \|
style="text-align:center" \| style="background-color: {{party color\|Independent politician}}" \| \|align="left"\| Independent	2	4	1	1	6	0	3	4	21	style="background-color: {{party color\|Independent politician}}" \|
style="text-align:center" !colspan="2"\| Total !! 7 !! 11 !! 5 !! 9 !! 11 !! 3 !! 3 !! 11 !! 60 !!

List of senators

{{Multi seat members begin

|constituency = Panel or constituency

|title = Senators elected at the April 1938 Seanad election

}}

{{Multi seat constituency

|name = Administrative Panel

|seats = 7

|member1 = {{sortname|Christopher|Byrne|dab=politician}}

|party1 = Fianna Fáil

|member2 = {{sortname|Thomas|Condon|dab=senator}}

|party2 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member3 = {{sortname|Michael|Hayes|dab=politician}}

|party3 = Fine Gael

|member4 = {{sortname|Richard|Mulcahy}}

|party4 = Fine Gael

|member5 = {{sortname|John|Newcome|dab=politician}}

|party5 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member6 = {{sortname|Margaret Mary|Pearse}}

|party6 = Fianna Fáil

|member7 = {{sortname|Thomas|Ruane}}

|party7 = Fianna Fáil

}}

{{Multi seat constituency

|name = Administrative Panel

|seats = 11

|member1 = {{sortname|Patrick|Baxter|dab=politician}}

|party1 = Fine Gael

|member2 = {{sortname|William|Caffrey}}

|party2 = Fine Gael

|member3 = {{sortname|Seán|Gibbons}}

|party3 = Fianna Fáil

|member4 = {{sortname|John Nassau|Greene}}

|party4 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member5 = {{sortname|Patrick|Kehoe}}

|party5 = Fianna Fáil

|member6 = {{sortname|Ross|McGillycuddy}}

|party6 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member7 = {{sortname|William|O'Callaghan|dab=politician}}

|party7 = Fine Gael

|member8 = {{sortname|Martin|O'Dwyer}}

|party8 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member9 = {{sortname|Pádraic|Ó Máille}}

|party9 = Fianna Fáil

|member10= {{sortname|William|Quirke}}

|party10 = Fianna Fáil

|member11= {{sortname|Michael|Twomey|dab=politician}}

|party11 = Independent politician (Ireland)

}}

{{Multi seat constituency

|name = Cultural and Educational Panel

|seats = 5

|member1 = {{sortname|Patrick|Doyle|dab=Irish politician}}

|party1 = Fine Gael

|member2 = {{sortname|Seán|O'Donovan}}

|party2 = Fianna Fáil

|member3 = {{sortname|Séamus|Ó hEocha}}

|party3 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member4 = {{sortname|Gearóid|O'Sullivan}}

|party4 = Fine Gael

|member5 = {{sortname|James|Parkinson|dab=Irish politician}}

|party5 = Fine Gael

}}

{{Multi seat constituency

|name = Industrial and Commercial Panel

|seats = 9

|member1 = {{sortname|Daniel|Corkery|dab=Irish republican}}

|party1 = Fianna Fáil

|member2 = {{sortname|James|Crosbie|dab=senator}}

|party2 = Fine Gael

|member3 = {{sortname|James G.|Douglas}}

|party3 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member4 = {{sortname|Michael|Hearne}}

|party4 = Fianna Fáil

|member5 = {{sortname|Cornelius|Kennedy}}

|party5 = Fine Gael

|member6 = {{sortname|John|MacLoughlin}}

|party6 = Fine Gael

|member7 = {{sortname|Linda|Kearns MacWhinney}}

|party7 = Fianna Fáil

|member8 = {{sortname|David|Madden|dab=politician}}

|party8 = Fine Gael

|member9 = {{sortname|Brian|O'Rourke|dab=politician}}

|party9 = Fine Gael

}}

{{Multi seat constituency

|name = Labour Panel

|seats = 11

|member1 = {{sortname|John|Butler|dab=Irish politician}}

|party1 = Fine Gael

|member2 = {{sortname|Michael|Conway|dab=senator}}

|party2 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member3 = {{sortname|John|Gaffney|dab=politician}}

|party3 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member4 = {{sortname|Frederick|Hawkins|dab=politician}}

|party4 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member5 = {{sortname|Seán|Hayes|dab=Tipperary politician}}

|party5 = Fianna Fáil

|member6 = {{sortname|Gilbert|Hughes}}

|party6 = Fianna Fáil

|member7 = {{sortname|James|Johnston|dab=Seanad Éireann member}}

|party7 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member8 = {{sortname|Thomas|McShea}}

|party8 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member9 = {{sortname|Seán|Milroy}}

|party9 = Fine Gael

|member10= {{sortname|James|Tunney|dab=Irish politician}}

|party10 = Labour Party (Ireland)

|member11= {{sortname|David|Walsh|dab=politician}}

|party11 = Independent politician (Ireland)

}}

{{Multi seat constituency

|name = Dublin University

|seats = 3

|member1 = {{sortname|Ernest|Alton}}

|party1 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member2 = {{sortname|Joseph|Johnston|dab=Irish politician}}

|party2 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member3 = {{sortname|Robert|Rowlette}}

|party3 = Independent politician (Ireland)

}}

{{Multi seat constituency

|name = National University of Ireland

|seats = 3

|member1 = {{sortname|Henry|Barniville}}

|party1 = Fine Gael

|member2 = {{sortname|Helena|Concannon}}

|party2 = Fianna Fáil

|member3 = {{sortname|Michael|Tierney|dab=politician}}

|party3 = Fine Gael

}}

{{Multi seat constituency

|name = Nominated by the Taoiseach

|seats = 11

|member1 = {{sortname|Robert|Farnan|dab=physician}}

|party1 = Fianna Fáil

|member2 = {{sortname|T. V.|Honan}}

|party2 = Fianna Fáil

|member3 = {{sortname|Douglas|Hyde}}

|party3 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member4 = {{sortname|Sir John|Keane|Sir John Keane, 5th Baronet}}

|party4 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member5 = {{sortname|Margaret L.|Kennedy}}

|party5 = Fianna Fáil

|member6 = {{sortname|Peadar Toner|Mac Fhionnlaoich}}

|party6 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member7 = {{sortname|William|Magennis}}

|party7 = Independent politician (Ireland)

|member8 = {{sortname|Frank|MacDermot}}

|party8 = Fianna Fáil

|member9 = {{sortname|Maurice George|Moore}}

|party9 = Fianna Fáil

|member10= {{sortname|David|Robinson|dab=Irish politician}}

|party10 = Fianna Fáil

|member11= {{sortname|Matthew|Stafford|dab=politician}}

|party11 = Fianna Fáil

}}{{end}}

Changes

{{Constituency changes

|date = 4

|month = May

|year = 1938

|con = Nominated by the Taoiseach

|gain =

|loss = Independent politician

|note = Douglas Hyde elected as President of Ireland{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1938-05-11/2/|title=Uachtarán na hEireann do Thogha|work=Seanad Debates. Vol. 21 No. 2|date=11 May 1938|access-date=18 December 2023|archive-date=21 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521154827/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1938-05-11/2/|url-status=live}}

}}

{{Constituency changes

|date = 10

|month = May

|year = 1938

|con = Nominated by the Taoiseach

|gain = Independent politician

|loss =

|note = Patrick Keohane nominated to replace Douglas Hyde{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1938-05-11/3/|title=Seanadóir d'Ainmniú|work=Seanad Debates. Vol. 21 No. 2|date=11 May 1938|access-date=18 December 2023|archive-date=16 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516192347/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1938-05-11/3/|url-status=live}}

}}

{{Constituency changes

|date = 17

|month = June

|year = 1938

|con = Administrative Panel

|gain =

|loss = Fine Gael

|note = Richard Mulcahy elected to the 10th Dáil at the 1938 general election{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1938-07-06/2/|title=Announcement of Casual Vacancy in Seanad|work=Seanad Debates. Vol. 21 No. 5|date=6 July 1938|access-date=18 December 2023|archive-date=5 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005051028/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1938-07-06/2/|url-status=live}}

}}{{end}}

References

External links

{{cite web|url=http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=1&HouseNum=2&disp=mem|title=2nd Seanad|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=23 November 2009}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/find/?debateType=seanad&datePeriod=term&term=%2Fie%2Foireachtas%2Fhouse%2Fseanad%2F2|title=2nd Seanad|work=Oireachtas Debates|accessdate=18 December 2023}}

rowspan="2" colspan="2" {{diagonal split header 2\|Party\|Origin}} ! scope="col" colspan="5"\| Vocational panels ! rowspan="2"\| NUI ! rowspan="2"\| DU ! rowspan="2"\| Nominated ! rowspan="2" colspan="2"\| Total
class="wikitable"
scope="col" \|Admin ! scope="col" \|Agri ! scope="col" \|Cult & Educ ! scope="col" \|Ind & Comm ! scope="col" \|Labour
style="text-align:center" \| style="background-color: {{party color\|Fianna Fáil}}" \| \|align="left"\| Fianna Fáil	3	4	1	3	2	1	0	7	21	style="background-color: {{party color\|Fianna Fáil}}" \|
style="text-align:center" \| style="background-color: {{party color\|Fine Gael}}" \| \|align="left"\| Fine Gael	2	3	3	5	2	2	0	0	17	style="background-color: {{party color\|Fine Gael}}" \|
style="text-align:center" \| style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (Ireland)}}" \| \|align="left"\| Labour Party	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	style="background-color: {{party color\|Labour Party (Ireland)}}" \|
style="text-align:center" \| style="background-color: {{party color\|Independent politician}}" \| \|align="left"\| Independent	2	4	1	1	6	0	3	4	21	style="background-color: {{party color\|Independent politician}}" \|
style="text-align:center" !colspan="2"\| Total !! 7 !! 11 !! 5 !! 9 !! 11 !! 3 !! 3 !! 11 !! 60 !!