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1920 Donegal County Council election

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1920 Donegal County Council election

← 1914 26 May 1920 1925 →

All 20 seats on Donegal County Council
11 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Sinn Féin Irish Nationalist Irish Unionist
Seats won 14 4 2

Map showing the area of Donegal County Council

Council control after election

Sinn Féin

An election to Donegal County Council took place on Wednesday 26 May 1920 as part of that year's Irish local elections. 45 councillors were elected from 10 electoral divisions by PR-STV voting for a five-year term of office.[1]

Sinn Féin won a majority of the seats,[1] and won majorities in 6 of the 10 voting areas.[2]

The vote was largely characterised by poor turnout, with less than 50% of the electorate voting. Buncrana, Letterkenny, and Milford saw particularly poor turnout. At one station in Rathmullan only 3 of the areas 140 voters turned out. Donegal Town saw better turnout.[1]

The total number of invalid votes for the county stood at 9,193.[1]

At the first sitting of the new council, on Friday 18 June, the council voted to recognise the First Dáil.[1]

Following the election Peter J. Ward (Sinn Féin) was elected chairman. Thomas McFadden (Unionist) was elected vice-chairman.[3]

Results by party

[edit]
Party Seats ± First Pref. votes FPv% ±%
Sinn Féin 14
Irish Nationalist 4
Irish Unionist 2
Independent 0
Totals 20 100%

[1]

Results by local electoral area

[edit]

Buncrana

[edit]
Buncrana/Inishowen - 4 seats[1][4]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Sinn Féin P. H. Doherty
Sinn Féin Frank J. Langan
Sinn Féin Michael Bonner
Sinn Féin James McNally
Irish Unionist Joseph MacArthur J.P. (incumbent) Defeated
Irish Nationalist Bernard Browne Defeated
Ind. Nationalist James P. McIvor J.P. Defeated
Quota:  

Donegal

[edit]
Donegal - 5 seats[4][5]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Sinn Féin Peter J. Ward MP
Irish Unionist James Sproule Myles
Sinn Féin Patrick Berry
Sinn Féin Henry Joseph Kelly
Sinn Féin Thomas McShane
Irish Nationalist Hugh O'Donnell Defeated
Electorate: -   Valid: ~8,893   Spoilt: ~300   Quota: -   Turnout: 9,193  

Glenties

[edit]

Letterkenny

[edit]
Letterkenny - 4 seats[1][4][6]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Sinn Féin John O'Flaherty
Sinn Féin James McCool
Sinn Féin James McFadden
Irish Unionist James Clarke
Ind. Nationalist Francis Callahan J.P. (incumbent) Defeated
Irish Unionist Major John Rikv, J.P. Defeated
Quota:  

Milford

[edit]
Milford - 7 seats[1]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Sinn Féin Thomas McElhinney
Sinn Féin Neil Murray
Irish Nationalist M. A. McCreadie
Irish Nationalist J. B. O'Donnell
Sinn Féin William McGarvey
Irish Nationalist E. Friel
Irish Nationalist Christy Lavey
Quota:  

District results

[edit]

Donegal Town

[edit]
Donegal Town - 5 seats[1]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Sinn Féin James McGahern
Sinn Féin John McDermott
Irish Unionist John Stevenson
Irish Nationalist Edward Melly
Irish Nationalist Michael Dunnion
Quota:  

Dunfanaghy

[edit]
Dunfanaghy - 4 seats[1]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Sinn Féin Hugh Duffy
Sinn Féin C. McLaughlin
Sinn Féin Shane McNulty
Irish Nationalist John McNulty
Quota:  

Dunkineely

[edit]
Dunkineely - 4 seats[1]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Sinn Féin Patrick Barry
Sinn Féin A. F. Gallagher
Sinn Féin Charlie Keeny
Irish Nationalist Thomas McShane
Quota:  

Laghey

[edit]
Laghey - 5 seats[1]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Sinn Féin Hugh Gallagher
Sinn Féin Daniel Gallagher
Irish Unionist James Harron
Irish Nationalist Jacob Gorman
Irish Unionist William John Shaw
Quota:  

Letterkenny Rural

[edit]
Letterkenny Rural - 5 seats[1]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Sinn Féin N. Kelly
Irish Unionist Robert Roulstone
Irish Nationalist J. E. Sweeney
Sinn Féin John Mullan
Sinn Féin Patrick McGrenra
Quota:  

Mountcharles

[edit]
Mountcharles - 4 seats[1]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Sinn Féin Bernard Friel
Sinn Féin Charles McDaid
Sinn Féin Paddy Gallagher
Sinn Féin James Boyle
Quota:  

Rathmullan

[edit]
Rathmullan - 3 seats[1]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Irish Nationalist Edward Deeney
Irish Nationalist James Green
Irish Nationalist Patrick Loughrey
Quota:  

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Ó Duibhir, Liam (2009). The Donegal Awakening: Donegal & the War of Independence. Mercier Press Ltd. pp. 137–138. ISBN 9781856356329.
  2. ^ Duibhir, Liam (2011). Donegal & the Civil War: The Untold Story. p. 23. ISBN 9781856357203.
  3. ^ Belfast News-Letter - Saturday 19 June 1920: Donegal County Council, Released Hunger Striker Elected Chairman
  4. ^ a b c https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001480/19200529/049/0005 Londonderry Sentinel, 29 May 1920, page 5
  5. ^ Derry Journal - Friday 28 May 1920 pg.5, THE DONEGAL ELECTIONS, EXTRAORDINARY APATHY OF VOTERS
  6. ^ Derry Journal - Friday 16 April 1920 (list of candidates)