Coalitions are typically formed of two or more parties always consisting of one of the two biggest parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, and one or more smaller parties or independent members of parliament.

Ireland has had consecutive coalition governments since the 1989 general election, excluding two brief Fianna Fáil minority administrations in 1994 and 2011 that followed the withdrawal of their coalition partners from government.

Before 1989, Fianna Fáil had opposed participation in coalition governments, preferring single-party minority government instead.

Irish coalition governments have traditionally been based on one of two large blocs in Dáil Éireann: either Fianna Fáil in coalition with smaller parties or independents, or Fine Gael and the Labour Party in coalition, sometimes with smaller parties.

The only exception to these traditional alliances was the first Government of the 27th Dáil, comprising Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party, which ruled between 1993 and 1994.

The Government of the 31st Dáil, though a traditional Fine Gael – Labour coalition, resembles a grand coalition, due to the collapse of Fianna Fáil to third place among parties in Dáil Éireann.

Canada, Ireland, and Portugal had right-wing political parties that defied categorization: the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ; Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Progressive Democrats in Ireland ; and the Social Democratic Party of Portugal.

In the past Dublin city was regarded as a stronghold for Fianna Fáil, however following the Irish local elections, 2004 the party was eclipsed by the centre-left Labour Party.

* Dick Roche ( Fianna Fáil, Ireland )

* Máire Geoghegan-Quinn ( Fianna Fáil, Ireland ): European Commissioner for Science and Research

Fine Gael is generally considered to be more on the political right in comparison to its more centrist rival, Fianna Fáil, but Fine Gael has never governed Ireland without the Labour Party, a social-democratic party on the centre-left of Irish politics.

This strategy was criticised by Fianna Fáil Minister for Children, Barry Andrews.

At the 2009 Local elections held on 5 June 2009, Fine Gael won 556 seats, surpassing Fianna Fáil which won 407 seats, and making Fine Gael the largest party of local government nationally.

Lowry, currently an independent TD, supported the Fianna Fáil – Green Party government in Dáil Éireann until March 2011.

Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party, more commonly known as Fianna Fáil () is a centrist to centre-right Irish republican and conservative political party in Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926.

Historically, Fianna Fáil has been seen as to the left of Fine Gael and to the right of the Labour Party and is generally seen as a classic " catch all " populist party-representing a broad range of people from all social classes with the belief in the coincidence of economic growth and social progress.

Fianna Fáil has led governments including parties of the centre-left ( Labour and the Green Party ) and of the centre-right ( the now-defunct Progressive Democrats ) and is often seen as a pragmatic party of the establishment.

Since the formation of the first Fianna Fáil government on 9 March 1932, the party has been in power for 61 of the last 79 years.

Fianna Fáil joined the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party on 16 April 2009, and has sat in its associated Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group in the European Parliament since the 2009 European elections.

Although the posts of leader and party president of Fianna Fáil are separate, with the former elected by the Parliamentary Party and the latter elected by the Ardfheis ( thus allowing for the posts to be held by different people, in theory ), in practice they have always been held by the one person.

The chart below shows a timeline of Fianna Fáil leaders and the Presidents of the Executive Council and Taoiseach.

The left bar shows all the leaders of Fianna Fáil, and the right bar shows the corresponding make-up of the Irish government at that time.

Due to deadlocked negotiations for government which stemmed in part from Labour Party's refusal to be part of a coalition which would include the liberal conservative Progressive Democrats and due to John Bruton ruling out Labour's preference for Democratic Left to be included in the government, the Labour Party chose to enter into a new coalition with Fianna Fáil.

Although considered ideologically close to the PDs, and a personal friend of its erstwhile leader, Mary Harney, McCreevy chose to remain a member of Fianna Fáil, where he would eventually serve in joint FF-PD Governments.

It is thought that Haughey chose not to do so but instead to go into a historic coalition because of poor opinion polls showing his Fianna Fáil party would lose seats in a second General Election.

* June 26 – Bertie Ahern is appointed as the 10th Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland and Mary Harney is appointed as the 16th, and first female, Tánaiste, after their parties, Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats respectively, win the 1997 General Election.

Three candidates had been nominated in the 1990 presidential election: the then Tánaiste, Brian Lenihan from Fianna Fáil ( widely viewed as the certain winner ), Austin Currie from Fine Gael and Mary Robinson from Labour.

He was a founder-member of Fianna Fáil in 1926, and served as Minister for Industry and Commerce, Minister for Supplies and Tánaiste in successive Fianna Fáil governments.

A Fianna Fáil – Labour Party government came to power with Reynolds returning as Taoiseach and Dick Spring of Labour becoming Tánaiste.

Harney served as Tánaiste ( deputy prime minister ) from May 1997 until September 2006 after a return to government with Fianna Fáil.

George Colley ( 18 October 1925 – 17 September 1983 ) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, who served in a wide number of Cabinet positions, most notably as Minister for Finance and Tánaiste.

Fianna Fáil leader Albert Reynolds remained as Taoiseach, and Labour Party leader Dick Spring became Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Brian Patrick Lenihan ( 17 November 1930 – 1 November 1995 ) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, who served in a range of cabinet positions, most notably as Tánaiste ( deputy Prime Minister ), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Justice.

In 1987 Fianna Fáil returned to power and Lenihan was for the third and final time appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs, with the additional post of Tánaiste ( deputy prime minister ).

This time he faced former Fianna Fáil Tánaiste and minister, Erskine H. Childers.

Tánaiste Mary Coughlan described the purpose of the meeting as a fundraiser for Fianna Fáil.

Raymond ( Ray ) MacSharry ( born 29 April 1938 ) is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician, who served in a range of cabinet positions, most notably as Tánaiste, Minister for Finance and European Commissioner.

Fianna Fáil returned to government following the February 1982 general election and MacSharry was promoted to the positions of Tánaiste and Minister for Finance.

In 1983 MacSharry resigned from the Fianna Fáil front bench due to a telephone-tapping controversy, when it was revealed that as Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, he had borrowed police tape recorders to secretly record conversations with a cabinet colleague.

Mary Coughlan ( born 28 May 1965 ) is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as the Tánaiste ( Deputy Prime Minister ) of Ireland and as a Teachta Dála ( TD ) for the Donegal South – West constituency from 1987 – 2011.

Lenihan is the son of former Fianna Fáil Tánaiste Brian Lenihan, Snr.

* 10 January – Seán MacEntee, founder member of Fianna Fáil and former Tánaiste, dies aged 94.

* 10 January – Seán MacEntee, Fianna Fáil TD and Tánaiste from 1959 to 1965 ( born 1889 ).

* 18 May-Frank Aiken, Fianna Fáil TD and founding member, Cabinet Minister and Tánaiste ( born 1898 ).

* 17 September-George Colley, Fianna Fáil TD, held six Ministerial posts including Tánaiste ( born 1925 ).

* 28 May-Mary Coughlan, former Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Donegal South – West

* 29 April-Ray MacSharry, Tánaiste, Fianna Fáil TD, Cabinet Minister and European Commissioner.

* 18 October-George Colley, Fianna Fáil TD, held six Ministerial posts including Tánaiste ( died 1983 ).