The National Partyfounded, then lost, by Justin Barrett

I. Founding (2016)

Mr Barrett founded the National Party in November 2016 and served as its president. The party registered, contested elections, and built the small organisational footprint described in the reporting below. The Journal Wikipedia

II. The removal (2023)

In July 2023 Mr Barrett was removed as president by his deputy, James Reynolds, who set out his reasons in an open letter published on the party's own website. Among the reasons cited were “a fanciful belief in an impending economic Armageddon which would inexplicably propel the National Party to power” and the use, by Mr Barrett, of party funds to buy himself a €13,000 car after Gardaí seized his original vehicle for being driven on a learner's permit. Mr Barrett denied the removal. National Party (open letter) The Journal

III. The disputed “meetings” (2024)

In September 2024 a purported meeting of the National Party — attended, in person, by one person — passed a motion to “remove” Mr Barrett. The Electoral Commission ruled that particular meeting invalid on procedural grounds. The Journal RTÉ News The Irish Times

IV. The Electoral Commission ruling (2025)

In September 2025 the Electoral Commission rejected Mr Barrett's appeal, confirming the legitimacy of the National Party's October 2024 AGM and his removal as leader. The Register of Political Parties was updated on 24 September 2025. The party's registered leader is Patrick Quinlan. Electoral Commission Wikipedia

So the plain answer to the question most readers arrive with — is Justin Barrett the leader of the National Party? — is no. He founded it; he led it from 2016 to 2023; he was removed; the State's electoral regulator has confirmed as much. He now leads a separate, smaller organisation, Clann Éireann.