1920 Donegal County Council election

1920 Donegal County Council election
All 20 seats on Donegal County Council; 11 seats needed for a majority
	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

Party		Seats	FPv%	±%
	Sinn Féin	14
	Irish Nationalist	4
	Irish Unionist	2
	Independent	0
Totals		20	100%	—

^[1]

Results by local electoral area

Buncrana

Buncrana/Inishowen - 4 seats^[1]^[4]
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
Party		Candidate	FPv%	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

Donegal - 5 seats^[4]^[5]
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
Party		Candidate	FPv%	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

Letterkenny

Letterkenny - 4 seats^[1]^[4]^[6]
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
Party		Candidate	FPv%	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

Milford - 7 seats^[1]
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
Party		Candidate	FPv%	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

Donegal Town

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

Dunfanaghy

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

Dunkineely

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

Laghey

Laghey - 5 seats^[1]
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
Party		Candidate	FPv%	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

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

Mountcharles

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

Rathmullan

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

References

^ ^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.
^ Duibhir, Liam (2011). Donegal & the Civil War: The Untold Story. p. 23. ISBN 9781856357203.
^ Belfast News-Letter - Saturday 19 June 1920: Donegal County Council, Released Hunger Striker Elected Chairman
^ ^a ^b ^c https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001480/19200529/049/0005 Londonderry Sentinel, 29 May 1920, page 5
^ Derry Journal - Friday 28 May 1920 pg.5, THE DONEGAL ELECTIONS, EXTRAORDINARY APATHY OF VOTERS
^ Derry Journal - Friday 16 April 1920 (list of candidates)

[137-38-1] ^ ^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

[LS_29_May-4] ttps://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001480/19200529/049/0005 Londonderry Sentinel, 29 May 1920, page 5

[DJ_28_May-5] Derry Journal - Friday 28 May 1920 pg.5, THE DONEGAL ELECTIONS, EXTRAORDINARY APATHY OF VOTERS

[DJ_16_April-6] Derry Journal - Friday 16 April 1920 (list of candidates)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

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