Thegovernment of the 1st Dáil was theexecutive of theunilaterally declaredIrish Republic. At the1918 general election to Westminster, candidates forSinn Féin stood on anabstentionist platform, declaring that they would not remain in theParliament of the United Kingdom but instead form a unicameral, revolutionary parliament for Ireland calledDáil Éireann.

The first meeting of theFirst Dáil was held on 21 January 1919 in the Round Room of theMansion House in Dublin and made aDeclaration of Independence. It also approved theDáil Constitution. Under Article 2 of this Constitution, there would be aministry of Dáil Éireann led by a President, with five Secretaries leading government departments. There were two ministries of Dáil Éireann during the First Dáil. The1st ministry (22 January to 1 April 1919) was led byCathal Brugha and lasted for 69 days; it was formed when a large number of those elected for Sinn Féin were in prison. The2nd ministry (1 April 1919 to 26 August 1921) was led byÉamon de Valera, leader of Sinn Féin, and lasted for 878 days.

Government of the 1st Dáil 1st ministry
Date formed	22 January 1919
Date dissolved	1 April 1919
People and organisations
President of Dáil Éireann	Cathal Brugha
Totalno. of members	4
Member party	Sinn Féin
Status in legislature	Government
History
Election	1918 general election
Legislature term	1st Dáil
Successor	2nd ministry

The 1st ministry was a temporary cabinet headed byCathal Brugha, becauseÉamon de Valera, the leader ofSinn Féin, was in prison at the time.^[1]

Government of the 1st Dáil 2nd Ministry
Date formed	1 April 1919
Date dissolved	26 August 1921
People and organisations
President of Dáil Éireann	Éamon de Valera
Deputy President	Arthur Griffith(from June 1919)
Totalno. of members	12(inc. 4 non-members of the cabinet)
Member party	Sinn Féin
Status in legislature	Government
History
Legislature term	1st Dáil
Predecessor	1st ministry
Successor	3rd ministry

On 1 April 1919, the 1st ministry resigned.^[2] On a motion proposed byCathal Brugha and seconded byPádraic Ó Máille,Éamon de Valera was declared elected asPresident of Dáil Éireann (Príomh Aire).^[3] The Constitution was amended to allow for up to nine members of the ministry, as well as the President.^[4] The following day, he formed the 2nd ministry.Countess Markievicz became the first Irish female cabinet minister. She served until 26 August 1921, and the next woman appointed to cabinet wasMáire Geoghegan-Quinn, who was appointed asMinister for the Gaeltacht in 1979.

De Valera travelled to theUnited States in June 1919, and by letter requested that Arthur Griffith be appointed as Deputy President in his absence and that Ernest Blythe take a place at cabinet.^[5] De Valera resumed his position in the Dáil on 25 January 1921.^[6]

In May 1921, the Dáil passed a resolution declaring thatelections to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland would be used as the election for theSecond Dáil.^[21]

Themembers of the 2nd Dáil first met on 16 August 1921.^[22] The outgoing ministry did not resign immediately. On 26 August 1921,Éamon de Valera resigned as president.^[23] De Valera was then re-elected, taking the new title of President of the Republic, and formed the3rd ministry of Dáil Éireann.

• Dáil Éireann
• Government of Ireland
• Politics of the Republic of Ireland
• 1918 United Kingdom general election

• 1st Dáil
• Governments of Ireland
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• Cabinets disestablished in 1919

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