▁was ▁" re present ative ▁of ▁all ▁classes ", ▁though ▁it ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁described ▁as , ▁" the ▁most ▁curious ▁political ▁grouping ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Irish ▁state ". ▁M embers ▁included ▁William ▁Butler ▁Ye ats , ▁Oliver ▁St . ▁John ▁G og art y ▁and ▁General ▁Sir ▁Bry an ▁Mah on . ▁ ▁The ▁oppon ents ▁of ▁the ▁Ang lo - I r ish ▁Tre aty ▁also ▁opposed ▁the ▁new ▁Se an ad , ▁and ▁ 3 7 ▁of ▁the ▁sen ators ' ▁homes ▁were ▁bur nt ▁to ▁the ▁ground . ▁O thers ▁were ▁int im id ated , ▁kid n apped ▁or ▁almost ▁assass in ated . ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁first ▁Se an ad ▁greatly ▁influenced ▁the ▁gu iding ▁principles ▁and ▁legisl ative ▁found ations ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁state . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁C ath ao ir le ach ▁was ▁Lord ▁Glen avy , ▁formerly ▁the ▁Lord ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁of ▁Ireland ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 – 2 1 . ▁▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁election ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 5 ▁original ▁ 3 - year ▁seats ▁came ▁up ▁for ▁election ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 , ▁as ▁did ▁four ▁other ▁seats ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁filled ▁tempor arily ▁by ▁co - option . ▁The ▁ 1 9 ▁ret iring ▁members ▁were ▁automatically ▁el ig ible ▁for ▁re - e lection ; ▁another ▁ 1 9 ▁candidates ▁were ▁nominated ▁by ▁the ▁Se an ad ▁( by ▁the ▁single ▁transfer able ▁vote ▁from ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁ 2 9