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.

The current government consists of Fine Gael and the Labour Party.

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 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.

With the advent of a Provisional IRA ceasefire and the beginning of what became known as the Peace Process during the 1990s, the official view of the Rising became more positive and in 1996 an 80th anniversary commemoration at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin was attended by the Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael, John Bruton.

Fine Gael ( – meaning " Family " or " Tribe of the Irish ") is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland.

The party has a membership of over 35, 000, and is presently the senior partner governing in a coalition with the Labour Party, with the Fine Gael party leader Enda Kenny serving as Taoiseach.

Fine Gael was founded on 8 September 1933 following the merger of its parent party Cumann na nGaedheal, the National Centre Party and the National Guard, popularly known as the " Blueshirts " ( a name still used colloquially to refer to the party ).

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.

Fine Gael describes itself as a " party of the progressive centre " conforming strongly to the ideals of Christian democracy and compassionate centrism, and is often seen as being moderate on social issues but conservative as regards economics.

The party's youth wing, Young Fine Gael, was formed in 1977, and has approximately four thousand members.

Fine Gael is a founding member of the European People's Party and a member of the Centrist Democrat International.

Michael Collins ( Irish leader ) | Michael Collins, founding father of the pro-Treaty movement that would become Fine Gael.

Although Ireland's political spectrum was traditionally divided along Civil War lines, rather than the traditional European left-right spectrum, Fine Gael is described generally as a centre-right, Christian democratic party, with a focus on law and order, enterprise and reward, and fiscal rectitude.

As the descendant of the pro-Treaty factions in the Irish Civil War, Fine Gael has a strong affinity with Michael Collins and his legacy.

Fine Gael has, since its inception, portrayed itself as a party of fiscal rectitude and minimal government interference in economics, advocating pro-enterprise policies.

In spite of this perceived opposition to Fine Gael from the left of the Irish political spectrum, the party, due to Dáil arithmetic, has never entered into national government without the backing of the Labour Party.

The release of equity through the sale of the various state resources, including electricity generation services belonging to the ESB, Bord na Móna and Bord Gáis, in combination with use of money in the National Pensions Reserve Fund, is the means by which Fine Gael is proposing to fund its national stimulus package.

The plan is a seen at being the basis of a Fine Gael program for government.

Fine Gael is seen as being a constitutional party, with members and public representatives always showing considerable deference to the institutional organs of the Irish state.

Former Fine Gael logo until April 2009. Fine Gael was traditionally conservative in social matters for most of the twentieth century, due to the conservative Christian ethos of Irish society during this time.

Seen as being the longer term contribution to Fine Gael's economic plan, it has been publicised in combination with a more short term policy proposal from FG TD, Dr. Leo Varadkar.

Mayo TD Enda Kenny was elected leader of Fine Gael in a secret ballot of the parliamentary party on 5 June 2002.

Following the 2011 general election, the constituency elected two TDs for the Fine Gael party ( centre right ), and one TD each for Fianna Fáil ( centre to centre-right ), the Labour Party ( centre left ) and Sinn Féin ( left wing ).

Cosgrave's son, Liam, succeeded his father as a TD in 1944 and went on to become leader of Fine Gael from 1965 to 1977 and Taoiseach from 1973 to 1977.

The following year, however, he was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Cumann na nGaedheal ( later Fine Gael ) TD.

He remained on as a TD until 1969 when he retired from politics, being succeeded by Garret FitzGerald as Fine Gael TD for Dublin South – East.

The First Inter-Party Government, made up of Fine Gael, the Labour Party, National Labour Party, Clann na Talmhan, Clann na Poblachta and others, was formed under Fine Gael TD John A. Costello.

His father Ned ( or Eamonn Ó Cuagain as he sometimes preferred to be known ) was active in the Volunteers during the War of Independence and later went on to be the first Deputy Commissioner of the newly-established Garda Síochána, then a Fine Gael TD for the Kilkenny constituency.

FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD in 1969.

O ' Malley joined with Fianna Fáil members Mary Harney, Bobby Molloy and Pearse Wyse, Fine Gael TD Michael Keating and former Fine Gael activist Michael McDowell, to set up the new party.

Mary Mitchell O ' Connor ( PD Councillor 2004 – 08 ) was elected in Dún Laoghaire for Fine Gael, Ciarán Cannon ( PD Senator 2007 – 09 / Party leader 2008 – 09 ) was elected in Galway East for the same party, while Noel Grealish ( PD TD 2002 – 09 / Caretaker leader 2009 ) was re-elected as an independent TD for Galway West.

Doyle was first elected as a Fine Gael TD to Dáil Éireann at the November 1982 general election, where his party constituency colleague was party leader ( and after the election Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald ).

Frances Fitzgerald dramatically lost the party's only seat at the 2002 general election, leaving Fine Gael for the first time in the constituency's history without a Fine Gael TD even though commentators regarded Dublin South – East as " natural Fine Gael " electoral territory.

Alan Dukes ( born 20 April 1945 ) is a former Irish politician who served as leader of the Fine Gael political party and Teachta Dála ( TD ) for Kildare and Kildare South.

Fine Gael chose Austin Currie TD as their candidate.

Bruton was narrowly elected to Dáil Éireann in the 1969 general election as a Fine Gael TD for Meath.

The previously supportive Independent Socialist TD, Jim Kemmy, voted against the Budget, which proposed among other things the introduction of VAT on children's shoes, thus causing the Dáil to be dissolved and Fine Gael to lose power.

Fine examples may be found in the church music of Giacomo Carissimi ; and the English vocal solos of Henry Purcell ( such as Mad Tom and Mad Bess ) show the utmost that can be made of this archaic form.

Throughout his entire career, Taylor has produced albums for countless bands and artists including Randy Stonehill, Riki Michele, Tom Howard, The Altar Boys, Crystal Lewis and Wild Blue Yonder, Jacob's Trouble, Scaterd Few, Deliverance, Mercy River, Starflyer 59's Leave Here a Stranger, Fine China's You Make Me Hate Music, Mortal, Poor Old Lu, Tourniquet, Rich Young Ruler, Derri Daugherty, an assortment of children's records including the MegaMouth series and the Harry Whodunit?

However Fine Gael, which was confident that its prospective candidate, Tom O ' Higgins, would win the 1973 presidential election ( he had almost defeated de Valera in 1966 ) turned down the offer.

Fine Gael chose a young Teachta Dála and barrister, Tom O ' Higgins ( nephew of Kevin O ' Higgins ) to run against de Valera.

It suffered an early electoral defeat in the 1973 presidential election, when Fine Gael candidate Tom O ' Higgins was defeated by the Fianna Fáil candidate, Erskine H. Childers, who became President of Ireland.

To the surprise of many Fitzgerald excluded Richie Ryan, Richard Burke and Tom O ' Donnell, former Fine Gael stalwarts, from the cabinet.

After attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Chicago in 1913, he was a staff artist with the Chicago Herald ( 1914 – 18 ), where he drew the Sunday kids ' page Tom, Dick and Harry and another strip, Mrs. Pippin's Husband.

* The Australian / Vogel Literary Award: Tom Flood, Oceana Fine

Fine Gael decided to run one of its younger TDs, Tom O ' Higgins against him.

A partially deaf Fine Gael minister, Tom O ' Donnell, misheard a journalist's question asking about the decision of a local council to propose that Mrs. Childers be elected president.

Additionally, many years later Frank Dunlop made allegations before the planning tribunal that he had informed Bruton about demands for a £ 250, 000 bribe made to him by a Fine Gael Dublin councillor, Tom Hand, in order to rezone the Quarryvale development.

Bruton vehemently denied this and Fine Gael counsel told the Planning Tribunal in 2003: " I refute entirely Mr Dunlop's contention that he advised me then of the alleged demand made to him by the late Tom Hand ".

She made a guest appearance on The Nanny as Coach Stone, Maggie's ( Nicholle Tom ) tyrannical gym teacher, whom Fran Fine ( Fran Drescher ) also remembered from her school as Ms. Wickavich.

* Tom Enright, former Fine Gael TD for Laois – Offaly

In Professor Tom Garvin's review of the 1950s ' News from a New Republic ', he comes in for praise as a moderniser and Garvin places him with a cross party group including Daniel Morrissey of Fine Gael and William Norton of the Labour Party as well as Sean Lemass of Fianna Fáil who were pushing a modernising agenda

The kalimba / mbira features extensively in the work of English composer and performer Tom Green both as Another Fine Day and with The Orb.

* Fine Feathered Friend a Tom and Jerry short.

The three TDs who won seats in the Dáil following the 2011 General Election were Tom Hayes ( Fine Gael ) who has served in the post since 2001, Mattie McGrath ( now an Independent ) and Séamus Healy ( Workers and Unemployed Action Group ), who regained the seat that he lost to Fianna Fáil's Martin Mansergh in the 2007 election.

* 25 February – Tom O ' Higgins, barrister and judge, Irish Chief Justice, Fine Gael TD and twice defeated Irish presidential candidate ( born 1916 ).

Thomas G. ( Tom ) O ' Donnell ( born 30 August 1926 ) is a former Irish Fine Gael politician.

" Tom " Fitzpatrick ( 14 February 1918 – 2 October 2006 ) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from 1982 to 1987.

Born in Birr, County Offaly, she is the daughter of Tom Enright, who served as a Fine Gael TD and Senator for over thirty years until his retirement in 2002.

However a political dispute, in which a partially deaf Fine Gael minister in the National Coalition government, Tom O ' Donnell, misheard a journalist's question about Mrs Childers and confirmed that she would be the next president ; this led the plan to collapse.