Donegal–Leitrim (Dáil constituency)

Donegal–Leitrim
Former Dáil constituency
Former constituency
Created1969
Abolished1977
Seats3
Local government areas
Created from
Replaced by

Donegal–Leitrim was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1969 to 1977. The constituency elected 3 deputies (Teachtaí Dála, commonly known as TDs) to the Dáil, on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

History and boundaries

The constituency was created under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1969, and first used at the 1969 general election to the 19th Dáil. It was used again for the 1973 general election to the 20th Dáil.

The constituency was used for one electoral revision only, being abolished under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1974. The areas in County Donegal were mostly incorporated into the new Donegal constituency, while the more northerly Leitrim territories and the southern area of Donegal (around Bundoran and Ballyshannon), were incorporated into the substantially revised Sligo–Leitrim constituency.

It was defined in the 1969 Act as:[1]

"In the administrative county of Donegal, the district electoral divisions of:
Ballintra, Ballyshannon Rural, Ballyshannon Urban, Bundoran Rural, Carrickboy, Cavangarden, Cliff, in the former Rural District of Ballyshannon;
Ballintra, Binbane, Bonnyglen, Clogher, Corkemore, Donegal, Dunkineely, Eanymore, Grousehall, Haugh, Inver, Laghy, Lough Eask, Pettigoe. Tantallon Tawnawully, Templecarn, Tullynaught, in the former Rural District of Donegal;
Magheraclogher (with the exception of the townland of Glentornan), Meenaclalp in the former Rural District of Dunfanaghy.
Annagary, Aran, Ardara, Crovehy, Crowkeeragh, Crownarad, Dawros, Doocharry, Dunglo, Fintown, Glencolmcille, Glengesh, Glenleheen, Glenties, Graffy, Inishkeel Kilcar, Kilgoly, Killybegs, Largymore, Letter macaward, Maas, Maghery, Malin Beg, Mulmosog, Rutland, Tieveskeelta, in the former Rural District of Glenties;
Altnapaste, Castlefinn, Cloghan, Cloghard Convoy (with the exception of the townlands of Aughagault, Aughagault Big, Breen, Drumkeen, Mullaghfin, Stralongford, Treantaboy), Dooish, Gleneely, Goland, Killygordon, Knock, Stranorlar, Urney West, and the townlands of:
Aghawee, Ardnaglass, Ballybogan, Camus, Churchtown, Gortin South, Gortnavilly, Legnabraid, Tirkeeran, Untshinagh Lower, Unshinagh Upper, in the district electoral division of Clondeigh South; Ardvarnock Glebe, Deerpark, Flemingstown, Kiltole Tullydonnell Lower, Tullydonnell Upper, in the district electoral division of Figart; in the former Rural District of Stranorlar;
and the urban district of Bundoran;

and, in the administrative county of Leitrim, the district electoral divisions of:

Aghalateeve, Aghanlish, Aghavoghill, Gubacreeny, Kinlough, Melvin, Tullaghan, in the former Rural District of Kinlough;
Ballaghameehan, Belhavel, Cloonclare, Cloonlogher, Drumahaire, Glenade, Glenaniff, Glenboy, Glencar, Glenfarn, Killarga, Kiltyclogher, Lurganboy, Manorhamilton, Munakill, Sramor in the former Rural District of Manorhamilton."

TDs

Teachtaí Dála (TDs) for Donegal–Leitrim 1969–1977[2]
Key to parties
Dáil Election Deputy
(Party)		 Deputy
(Party)		 Deputy
(Party)
19th 1969[3] Cormac Breslin[a]
(FF) 		Joseph Brennan
(FF) 		Patrick O'Donnell
(FG)
1970 by-election[4] Patrick Delap
(FF)
20th 1973[5] James White
(FG)
21st 1977 Constituency abolished. See Donegal and Sligo–Leitrim

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.

  1. ^ Breslin was Ceann Comhairle from 1967 to 1973. As outgoing Ceann Comhairle, he was automatically re-elected at the 1969 and 1973 general elections.

Elections

1973 general election

1973 general election: Donegal–Leitrim[5][6]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Fianna Fáil Cormac Breslin[a] N/A Returned automatically
Fianna Fáil Joseph Brennan 36.4 10,240        
Fine Gael James White 25.3 7,122 7,174 7,190 7,838 10,523
Fianna Fáil Patrick Delap 18.3 5,146 5,886 5,893 6,533 6,842
Fine Gael Francis Cunningham 11.0 3,103 3,140 3,174 3,571  
Sinn Féin (Official) Séamus Rodgers 8.7 2,436 2,453 2,495    
Independent Kathleen Diskin 0.4 122 126      
Electorate: 38,540   Valid: 28,169   Quota: 9,390   Turnout: 73.1%  
  1. ^ As outgoing Ceann Comhairle, Breslin was returned automatically under Article 16.6 of the Constitution and the Electoral Act 1963.[7]

1970 by-election

Following the death of Fine Gael TD Patrick O'Donnell, a by-election was held on 2 December 1970. The seat was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate Patrick Delap.

1970 Donegal-Leitrim by-election: Donegal–Leitrim[8]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1
Fianna Fáil Patrick Delap 53.0 15,485
Fine Gael James White 44.2 12,926
Labour Maeve Gilmartin 2.8 804
Electorate: 38,605   Valid: 29,215   Quota: 14,608   Turnout: 75.68%  

1969 general election

1969 general election: Donegal–Leitrim[3][8]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2
Fianna Fáil Cormac Breslin[a] N/A Returned automatically
Fianna Fáil Joseph Brennan 50.7 14,108  
Fine Gael Patrick O'Donnell 29.3 8,141 9,432
Independent Eunan Curristan 14.0 3,883 6,340
Labour George Hunter 3.2 883 1,265
Labour Maeve Gilmartin 2.8 789 1,498
Electorate: 38,599   Valid: 27,804   Quota: 9,269   Turnout: 72.0%  
  1. ^ As outgoing Ceann Comhairle, Breslin was returned automatically under Art. 16.6 of the Constitution and the Electoral Act 1963, as adapted by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1969.[9] He was elected again as Ceann Comhairle on 2 April 1969, leaving the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ Electoral (Amendment) Act 1969, Schedule: Constituencies (No. 3 of 1969, Schedule). Act of the Oireachtas. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 19 September 2010.
  2. ^ Walker, Brian M, ed. (1992). Parliamentary election results in Ireland, 1918–92. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0-901714-96-8. ISSN 0332-0286.
  3. ^ a b "General election 1969: Donegal–Leitrim". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  4. ^ "By-election 1970: Donegal–Leitrim". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  5. ^ a b "General election 1973: Donegal–Leitrim". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  6. ^ "20th Dáil 1973 general election results" (PDF). Houses of the Oireachtas. October 1973. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  7. ^ Electoral Act 1963, s. 14: Re-election of outgoing Ceann Comhairle (No. 19 of 1963, s. 14). Enacted on 12 July 1963. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
  8. ^ a b Gallagher, Michael (2009). Irish Elections 1948–77: Results and Analysis Sources for the Study of Irish Politics 2. Routledge. ISBN 9781138973343.
  9. ^ Electoral (Amendment) Act 1969, s. 5: Re-election of outgoing Ceann Comhairle (No. 3 of 1969, s. 5). Enacted on 26 March 1969. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
  10. ^ "Election of Ceann Comhairle – Dáil Éireann (19th Dáil) – Vol. 241 No. 1". Houses of the Oireachtas. 2 April 1969. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.