Secretaries and Secretaries General of the Department of External Affairs / Foreign Affairs / Foreign Affairs and Trade since 1922

• Joseph P. Walshe (acting): 1 September 1922 – 7 August 1927
• Joseph P. Walshe: 8 August 1927 – 6 May 1946
• Frederick H. Boland: 7 May 1946 – 25 September 1950
• Sean Nunan: 26 September 1950 – 22 May 1955
• Seán Murphy: 23 May 1955 – 30 November 1957
• Con Cremin: 1 December 1957 – 6 January 1963
• Hugh McCann: 7 January 1963 – 9 April 1974
• Paul Keating: 10 April 1974 – 24 February 1977
• Robert McDonagh: 25 February 1977 – 31 August 1978
• Andrew O’Rourke: 1 September 1978 – 26 October 1981
• Seán Donlon: 27 October 1981 – 1 March 1987
• Noel Dorr: 2 March 1987 – 30 June 1995
• Padraig MacKernan: 1 July 1995 – 6 July 2001
• Dermot Gallagher: 7 July 2001 – 24 January 2009
• David Cooney: 25 January 2009 – 29 April 2014
• Niall Burgess: 30 April 2014 – Present