Want to learn more about how our Parliament works and its history and buildings? Discover the origins of the Oireachtas, what it does and how Members are elected. You can also explore the buildings and find out how to arrange a visit to the Oireachtas.
Teachers and students
Learning or teaching about Ireland’s Parliament? Our educational videos and lesson plans can help you get started.
Visit the Oireachtas
Leinster House is open to visitors Monday to Friday by guided tour only. It’s a fascinating glimpse of the day to day work of the Parliament as well as a chance to look around a beautiful, historic building. Here’s how to arrange your visit.
How Parliament works
The Oireachtas is the only body that has the power to make laws for Ireland. Find out how the Oireachtas makes these laws, what else it does, how its Members are elected and the rules it has to keep.
Dáil 100
In January 2019, and throughout the year, we will commemorate the centenary of the First Dáil.
On 21 January 1919, the First Dáil held its first public sitting. The elected members who gathered there declared Ireland to be a Republic and a sovereign independent state.
From LSE Library collection, [TWL.2002.588]
Vótáil 100
In 2018, we commemorate the centenary of the parliamentary vote for women in Ireland.
1918 was the first time Irish women were permitted by law to vote and stand in parliamentary elections. In the same year, Countess de Markievicz became the first woman to win a seat in a parliamentary election in Ireland.
To mark the centenary, we are hosting a programme of events that will highlight the history of the suffrage movement and its leaders in Ireland and the impact of wider voting rights.
History and buildings
Discover the history of Parliament in Ireland, from its very beginnings. Find out about the buildings and the collection of historical documents. Get the latest updates on the restoration of Georgian Leinster House.
Glossary
Do you know your Order Papers from your Standing Orders? Decode parliamentary jargon with our A to Z guide.
Booklet
Know your Parliament
Confused by parliamentary jargon? Find out everything you need to know about the Oireachtas in our Brief Guide to How Your Parliament Works.