The first settlers in Ireland arrived in 8000 BC, by 431 AD we'd managed to set up some kingdoms and everyone was having a laugh. By 1922 AD the joke had worn a bit thin and we decided to give up on the feudal kings and queens (and foreign parliaments) and try running the thing ourselves.
I don't have any particularly strong feelings on the subject, but I can understand people at the time thought it was important. I'd be happiest with as little bureaucratic interference in my life as possible.
Still, it's interesting to think about these things. How far away are we from the old lords and heirs?
Here are the current Irish government ministers. All democratically elected, many have held their seats continuously since the 1980s — presumably their constituents are pleased with the job they're doing and are happy to re-elect them whenever they get the chance.
I'm not suggesting anyone inherited a seat, but how many stepped in after a family member? Brian Cowen took his first seat in the Dáil aged 24 after his father, Bernard Cowen TD, passed away. As far as I can tell, he's held that seat since, happy constituents all round.
I don't know a whole lot about politics, but here's the lineage of the first 15 people in that list. Please let me know if I've got anything wrong.
Current Ministers
- Brian Cowen
Took his dad's, Bernard Cowen, seat in 1984 after he died.
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Mary Coughlan
Took her seat aged only 21 after her dad, Cathal Coughlan, died in 1986.
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Brian Lenihan, Jr.
Following his grandfather and his father's footsteps into the Dáil. Mary O'Rourke TD is his aunt, Conor Lenihan TD is his brother.
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Mary Harney
No family seat.
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Noel Dempsey
No family seat.
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Dermot Ahearn
No family seat, (no relation).
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Micheál Martin
No family seat.
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Martin Cullen
No family seat.
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Éamon Ó Cuív
No family seat.
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Mary Hanafin
Daughter of Senator Des Hanafin, brother of Senator John Gerard Hanafin.
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Willie O'Dea
No family seat. Just one bad-ass former accountant.
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John Gormley
No family seat.
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Eamon Ryan
No family seat.
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Brendan Smith
No family seat.
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Batt O'Keefe
No family seat. His proper name is "Bartholomew" by the way, it's not a poorly concealed secret crime-fighting identity.
4 out of 15 doesn't seem so bad, under 27% — though 3 of those 4 make up the top 3 in the list. I wonder what it's like for the entire Dáil? It'd be nice to find out if your incumbent is generational at the next election. I haven't looked very hard but this article on Families in the Oireachtas might be a start.