W. T. Cosgrave

W. T. Cosgrave
Cosgrave, circa 1930s
1st President of the Executive Council
In office 6 December 1922 – 9 March 1932
Governors‑General	Tim Healy James McNeill
Vice President	Kevin O'Higgins Ernest Blythe
Preceded by	Michael Collins (as Chairman of the Provisional Government)
Succeeded by	Éamon de Valera
Leader of the Opposition
In office 9 March 1932 – 11 January 1944
President	Douglas Hyde
Taoiseach	Éamon de Valera
Preceded by	Éamon de Valera
Succeeded by	Richard Mulcahy
Leader of Fine Gael
In office 20 June 1934 – 30 May 1944
Preceded by	Eoin O'Duffy
Succeeded by	Richard Mulcahy
Leader of Cumann na nGaedheal
In office 20 April 1923 – 15 May 1933
Preceded by	New office
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Chairman of the Provisional Government
In office 22 August 1922 – 6 December 1922
Preceded by	Michael Collins
Succeeded by	Office abolished
President of Dáil Éireann
In office 9 September 1922 – 6 December 1922
Preceded by	Arthur Griffith
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Minister for Finance
In office 17 July 1922 – 21 September 1923
President	Michael Collins
Preceded by	Michael Collins
Succeeded by	Ernest Blythe
Minister for Local Government
In office 2 April 1919 – 22 August 1922
President	Michael Collins
Preceded by	New office
Succeeded by	Ernest Blythe
Teachta Dála
In office September 1927 – May 1944
Constituency	Cork Borough
In office May 1921 – September 1927
Constituency	Carlow–Kilkenny
In office December 1918 – May 1921
Constituency	Kilkenny North
Member of Parliament
In office August 1917 – December 1918
Constituency	Kilkenny City
Personal details
Born	William Thomas Cosgrave (1880-06-05)5 June 1880 The Liberties, Dublin, Ireland
Died	16 November 1965(1965-11-16) (aged 85) The Liberties, Dublin, Ireland
Resting place	Goldenbridge Cemetery, Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland
Political party	Fine Gael
Other political affiliations	Sinn Féin (1905–22) Cumann na nGaedheal (1923–33)
Spouse	Louisa Flanagan ​ ​ (m. 1919; died 1959)​
Relations	Liam T. Cosgrave (grandson) Vera Cosgrave (daughter-in-law)
Children	2, including Liam
Education	St. Joseph's School, Marino
Military service
Allegiance	Irish Republic
Years of service	1913–16
Rank	Captain
Battles/wars	Easter Rising
Cosgrave's voice (2:30) Speech recorded 1931, for British Movietone

William Thomas Cosgrave (5 June 1880 – 16 November 1965) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as the president of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932, leader of the Opposition in both the Free State and Ireland from 1932 to 1944, leader of Fine Gael from 1934 to 1944, founder and leader of Fine Gael's predecessor, Cumann na nGaedheal, from 1923 to 1933, chairman of the Provisional Government from August 1922 to December 1922, the president of Dáil Éireann from September 1922 to December 1922, the minister for Finance from 1922 to 1923 and minister for Local Government from 1919 to 1922. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1921 to 1944. He was a member of parliament (MP) for the Kilkenny North constituency from 1918 to 1922.^[1]

While Cosgrave never officially held the office of Taoiseach (the title of Ireland's prime minister, created in 1937), Ireland considers him to be its first Taoiseach due to having been the Free State's first head of government. His son, Liam, served as Taoiseach from 1973 to 1977.