1920 Donegal County Council election

1920 Donegal County Council election
26 May 1920
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 Dáil Éireann.[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 ± First Pref. votes FPv% ±%
Sinn Féin 14
Irish Nationalist 4
Irish Unionist 2
Independent 0
Totals 20 100% —

[1]

Results by county electoral area

Buncrana

Buncrana/Inishowen - 4 seats[1][4]
PartyCandidateFPv%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)
Irish Nationalist Bernard Browne
Ind. Nationalist James P. McIvor J.P.

Donegal

Donegal - 5 seats[4][5]
PartyCandidateFPv%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
Electorate: -   Valid: ≈8,893   Spoilt: ≈300   Quota: -   Turnout: 9,193  

Letterkenny

Letterkenny - 4 seats[1][4][6]
PartyCandidateFPv%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)
Irish Unionist Major John Riky, J.P.

Milford

Milford - 7 seats[1]
PartyCandidateFPv%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

District council results

The county was split into urban and rural districts, each with a council. Rural district councils were elected on the same day as the county council. Most districts were split into multiple district electoral areas (DEAs). Each district council chairperson was ex officio a member of the county council.

Rural districts and DEAs in County Donegal, 1920[7]
Rural districtDistrict electoral areaDEA seatsTotal seats
BallyshannonBallyshannon Rural99
DonegalDonegal518
Dunkineely4
Laghy5
Mountcharles4
DunfanaghyDunfanaghy410
Gortahork6
GlentiesAnnagarry727
Ardara4
Dunglow6
Glencolumbkille4
Glenties3
Killybegs3
InishowenBuncrana Rural721
Carndonagh4
Malin4
Moville6
LetterkennyLetterkenny Rural813
Temple Douglas5
Londonderry No. 2Londonderry No. 2 Rural88
MilfordCarrickart519
Fanad4
Milford7
Rathmullan3
Strabane No. 2Castlefinn410
Raphoe6
StranorlarCloghan411
Stranorlar7

Donegal Rural District

Donegal DEA

Donegal Town - 5 seats[1]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1
Sinn Féin James McGahern
Sinn Féin John McDermott
Irish Unionist John Stevenson
Irish Nationalist Edward Melly
Irish Nationalist Michael Dunnion

Dunkineely DEA

Dunkineely - 4 seats[1]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1
Sinn Féin Patrick Barry
Sinn Féin A. F. Gallagher
Sinn Féin Charlie Keeny
Irish Nationalist Thomas McShane

Laghey DEA

Laghey - 5 seats[1]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1
Sinn Féin Hugh Gallagher
Sinn Féin Daniel Gallagher
Irish Unionist James Harron
Irish Nationalist Jacob Gorman
Irish Unionist William John Shaw

Mountcharles DEA

Mountcharles - 4 seats[1]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1
Sinn Féin Bernard Friel
Sinn Féin Charles McDaid
Sinn Féin Paddy Gallagher
Sinn Féin James Boyle

Dunfanaghy Rural District

Dunfanaghy DEA

Dunfanaghy - 4 seats[1]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1
Sinn Féin Hugh Duffy
Sinn Féin C. McLaughlin
Sinn Féin Shane McNulty
Irish Nationalist John McNulty

Letterkenny Rural District

Letterkenny Rural DEA

Letterkenny Rural - 5 seats[1]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1
Sinn Féin N. Kelly
Irish Unionist Robert Roulstone
Irish Nationalist J. E. Sweeney
Sinn Féin John Mullan
Sinn Féin Patrick McGrenra

Rathmullan DEA

Rathmullan - 3 seats[1]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1
Irish Nationalist Edward Deeney
Irish Nationalist James Green
Irish Nationalist Patrick Loughrey

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 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. 1 2 3 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)
  7. ↑ Local Government Board for Ireland (1921). "Appendix". [Forty-eighth] Annual Report [for year ending 31st March 1920]. Command papers. Vol. Cmd.1432. Dublin: HMSO. pp. 120–121. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
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