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Donegal
Dáil constituency
Location of Donegal within Ireland
Major settlements	Ballybofey Buncrana Donegal Killybegs Letterkenny Lifford Stranorlar
Current constituency
Created	2016
Seats	5
TDs	Pearse Doherty (SF)   Pat "the Cope" Gallagher (FF)   Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (SF)   Charlie McConalogue (FF)   Charles Ward (100%R)
Local government area	County Donegal
Created from	Donegal North-East Donegal South-West
EP constituency	Midlands–North-West

Donegal is a parliamentary constituency which has been represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas, since the 2016 general election. The constituency elects five deputies (Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs) on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

It covers County Donegal with the exception of nine southern electoral divisions which are part of the neighbouring Sligo–Leitrim constituency.

History and boundaries

1921 to 1937

The constituency was created in 1921 by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 as a 6-seat constituency for the Southern Ireland House of Commons and a two-seat constituency for the United Kingdom House of Commons at Westminster, taking in the whole of County Donegal in north-west Ireland, succeeding the former Westminster constituencies of East Donegal, North Donegal, South Donegal and West Donegal. At the 1921 election for the Southern Ireland House of Commons, the six seats were won uncontested by Sinn Féin, who treated it as part of the election to the Second Dáil. It was never used as a Westminster constituency; under s. 1(4) of the Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922, no writ was to be issued "for a constituency in Ireland other than a constituency in Northern Ireland". Therefore, no vote was held in County Dublin at the 1922 United Kingdom general election on 15 November 1922, shortly before the Irish Free State left the United Kingdom on 6 December 1922.

Under the Electoral Act 1923, the constituency's boundaries remained unchanged, and were defined as "the administrative county of Donegal". However, its representation was increased from 6 to 8 seats. It was abolished by the Electoral (Revision of Constituencies) Act 1935, with effect from the 1937 general election. It was replaced by two new constituencies: the 4-seat Donegal East and the 3-seat Donegal West.

1977 to 1981

A Donegal constituency was re-established as a 5-seat constituency under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974, and used at the 1977 general election only. The revived constituency was short-lived, as under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1980, it was replaced by two new 3-seat constituencies, Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West.

Since 2016

In 2012 the Constituency Commission proposed that at the next general election, the constituencies of Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West should be replaced by a new constituency called Donegal. The report proposed changes to the constituencies of Ireland so as to reduce the total number of TDs from 166 to 158. The Donegal constituency was re-established by the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013, with effect from the 2016 general election.

The Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017 defines the constituency as:

"The county of Donegal, except the part thereof which is comprised in the constituency of Sligo–Leitrim."

The area of the county of Donegal within the Sligo–Leitrim constituency is:

"the electoral divisions of:

Ballintra, Ballyshannon Rural, Ballyshannon Urban, Bundoran Rural, Carrickboy, Cavangarden, Cliff, in the former Rural District of Ballyshannon;

Ballintra in the former Rural District of Donegal;

and Bundoran Urban"

The Constituency Review Report 2023 of the Electoral Commission recommended that no change be made at the next general election.

TDs

TDs 1921–1937

Note: The columns in this table are used only for presentational purposes, and no significance should be attached to the order of columns. For details of the order in which seats were won at each election, see the detailed results of that election.

TDs 1977–1981

Note: The columns in this table are used only for presentational purposes, and no significance should be attached to the order of columns. For details of the order in which seats were won at each election, see the detailed results of that election.

TDs since 2016

Note: The columns in this table are used only for presentational purposes, and no significance should be attached to the order of columns. For details of the order in which seats were won at each election, see the detailed results of that election.

Elections

 *: Outgoing TD

2024 general election

1. Gallagher is a member of People Before Profit.

2020 general election

2016 general election

1980 by-election

A by-election was held on 6 November 1980 to fill the vacancy caused by the death on 13 July 1980 of the Fianna Fáil TD Joseph Brennan. It was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate Clement Coughlan, who died in a road accident in early 1983, triggering a by-election in the Donegal South-West constituency.

1977 general election

1933 general election

1932 general election

September 1927 general election

June 1927 general election

1924 by-election

A by-election was held on 20 November 1924 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation on 1 August 1924 of the Cumann na nGaedheal TD Peter Ward. There were only two candidates, and the winner was the Cumann na nGaedheal candidate Denis McCullough.

1923 general election

The 1923 general election to the 4th Dáil was the first in the Donegal constituency where the number of candidates exceeded the number of seats. Under the Electoral Act 1923, Donegal's representation had been increased from six to eight seats, and these were contested by no less than 19 candidates.

1922 general election

As at the 1921 general election, Sinn Féin stood one candidate for every seat (except for two Dublin constituencies); the Treaty had divided the party between 65 pro-treaty candidates, 57 anti-treaty and 1 nominally on both sides. Unlike the elections a year earlier, other parties stood in most constituencies forcing single transferable vote elections, with Sinn Féin losing 30 seats.

In Donegal, Sinn Féin's six outgoing TDs from the 2nd Dáil were elected unopposed, Socialist Republican, Jack White having withdrawn his candidacy. Two had opposed the treaty, and four supported it; they are listed here in alphabetical order

1921 general election

At the 1921 general election to the 2nd Dáil, no seats were contested in the 26 counties which became the Irish Free State. In Donegal, six Sinn Féin candidates were nominated for the constituency's six seats. Major Robert L Moore, who had contested East Donegal in 1918, was selected as the Unionist candidate by 22 April 1921 but was described on 15 May 1921 as 'having at the last moment withdrawn'. No ballot was needed, and all six candidates were elected unopposed after the close of nominations on 24 May 1921. The 6 TDs elected are listed here in alphabetical order:

See also

• Dáil constituencies
• Elections in the Republic of Ireland
• Politics of the Republic of Ireland
• List of Dáil by-elections
• List of political parties in the Republic of Ireland

References

1. "Government of Ireland Act 1920: Fifth Schedule". legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
2. "Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922 (12 & 13 Geo. 5, c. 4)". Historical Documents. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012.
3. Electoral Act 1923, 8th Sch.: Constituencies (No. 12 of 1923, 8th Sch.). Act of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 4 October 2021.
4. Electoral (Revision of Constituencies) Act 1935, 1st Sch.: Revised constituencies (No. 5 of 1935, 1st Sch.). Act of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 4 October 2021.
5. Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974, Schedule: Constituencies (No. 7 of 1974, Schedule). Enacted on 7 May 1974. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
6. Electoral (Amendment) Act 1980, Schedule: Constituencies (No. 17 of 1980, Schedule). Enacted on 1 July 1980. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
7. "Constituency Commission Report 2012 – Donegal – Sligo – Leitrim – Cavan – Monaghan area" (PDF). Constituency Commission. 21 June 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
8. "Constituency Commission Report 2012 – Introduction and summary of recommendation" (PDF). Constituency Commission. 21 June 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 November 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
9. "Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2013: Schedule". Irish Statute Book. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
10. "Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017: Schedule". Irish Statute Book. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
11. "Constituency Review Report 2023" (PDF). Electoral Commission. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
12. ^ Walker, Brian M, ed. (1992). Parliamentary election results in Ireland, 1918–92. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0-901714-96-8. ISSN 0332-0286.
13. ^ "General election 1921: Donegal". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
14. ^ "General election 1922: Donegal". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
15. ^ "General election 1923: Donegal". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 3 September 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
16. ^ "By-election 1924: Donegal". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
17. ^ "General election June 1927: Donegal". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
18. ^ "General election September 1927: Donegal". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 1 September 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
19. ^ "General election 1932: Donegal". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
20. ^ "General election 1933: Donegal". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 3 September 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
21. ^ "General election 1977: Donegal". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 10 September 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
22. "By-election 1980: Donegal". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
23. ^ "General election 2016: Donegal". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 22 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
24. ^ "General election 2020: Donegal". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
25. ^ "General election 2024: Donegal". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
26. "General Election 2024 Results – Donegal". RTÉ News. December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
27. "General Election 2020 Results – Donegal". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
28. "Donegal Results 2020". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 9 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
29. "Donegal: 2020 General Election". Irelandelection.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
30. "Donegal Results 2016". Irelandelections.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
31. "Donegal Results 2016". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019.
32. Gallagher, Michael (2009). Irish Elections 1948–77: Results and Analysis Sources for the Study of Irish Politics 2. Routledge. ISBN 9781138973343.
33. "22nd Dáil 1981 general election results" (PDF). Houses of the Oireachtas. September 1981. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
34. "21st Dáil 1977 general election results" (PDF). Houses of the Oireachtas. February 1978. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
35. ^ Gallagher, Michael (1993). Irish Elections 1922-44: Results and Analysis. PSAI Press. ISBN 0951974815.
36. Arthur Mitchell, ‘White, James Robert (1879–1946)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
37. "The Evening Leader, Corning, NY, 22 April 1921, P2" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
38. "The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) May 15, 1921, Section One, Image 3". Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
39. "New-York tribune., May 14, 1921, Page 2, Image 2, citing Associated Press". Archived from the original on 15 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.

External links

• Oireachtas Constituency Dashboards
• Oireachtas Members Database

• Dáil constituencies
• Politics of County Donegal
• 1921 establishments in Ireland
• 1937 disestablishments in Ireland
• Constituencies established in 1921
• Constituencies disestablished in 1937
• 1977 establishments in Ireland
• 1981 disestablishments in Ireland
• Constituencies established in 1977
• Constituencies disestablished in 1981
• 2016 establishments in Ireland
• Constituencies established in 2016