Donegal West (Dáil constituency)

Donegal West
Former Dáil constituency
Former constituency
Created1937
Abolished1961
Seats3
Local government areaCounty Donegal
Replaced by

Donegal West was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1937 to 1961. 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

The constituency was created under the Electoral (Revision of Constituencies) Act 1935, for the 1937 general election to Dáil Éireann.[1] It succeeded the constituency of Donegal. It was abolished under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1961, when it and Donegal East were replaced by the new constituencies of Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West.

Boundaries

It consisted of the district electoral divisions of:

Annagry, Aran, Ardara, Ballintra (Ballyshannon), Ballintra, (Donegal), Ballyshannon Rural, Ballyshannon Urban, Binbane, Bonnyglen, Bundoran Rural, Carrickboy, Cavangarden, Cliff, Clogher, Corkermore, Cross Roads, Crovehy, Crowkeeragh, Crowarad, Dawros, Donegal, Doocharry, Dunfanaghy, Dungloe, Dunkineely, Dunlewy, Eanymore, Fintown, Glencolmcille, Glengesh, Glenleheen, Glenties, Gortahork, Graffy, Grousehall, Haugh, Inishkeel, Inver, Kilcar, Kilgoly, Killybegs, Laghey, Largymore, Lettermacward, Lough Eask, Maas, Magheraclogher, Maghery, Malin Beg, Meenaclady, Mountcharles, Mulmosog, Pettigo, Rutland, Tawnawully, Templecarn, Tieveskeelta, and Tullynaught,
and the Urban District of Bundoran in the administrative county of Donegal.[1]

TDs

Teachtaí Dála (TDs) for Donegal West 1937–1961[2]
Key to parties
Dáil Election Deputy
(Party)		 Deputy
(Party)		 Deputy
(Party)
9th 1937[3] Cormac Breslin
(FF) 		Brian Brady
(FF) 		Michael Óg McFadden
(FG)
10th 1938[4]
11th 1943[5]
12th 1944[6]
13th 1948[7]
1949 by-election[8] Patrick O'Donnell
(FG)
14th 1951[9] Joseph Brennan
(FF)
15th 1954[10]
16th 1957[11]
17th 1961 Constituency abolished. See Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West

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

1957 general election

1957 general election: Donegal West[11][12]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Fine Gael Patrick O'Donnell 27.7 6,208      
Fianna Fáil Joseph Brennan 27.5 6,153      
Fianna Fáil Cormac Breslin 16.6 3,711 3,743 4,228 4,525
Fianna Fáil Seán Ó Cinnéide 15.9 3,560 3,606 3,652 3,841
Fine Gael Robert Gardiner 12.3 2,759 3,291 3,315  
Electorate: 32,871   Valid: 22,391   Quota: 5,598   Turnout: 68.1%  

1954 general election

1954 general election: Donegal West[10][12]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2
Fianna Fáil Joseph Brennan 26.8 6,748  
Fine Gael Patrick O'Donnell 25.2 6,338  
Fine Gael John Barry 22.0 5,545 5,625
Fianna Fáil Cormac Breslin 14.1 3,548 6,123
Fianna Fáil Seán Kennedy 12.0 3,026  
Electorate: 34,018   Valid: 25,205   Quota: 6,302   Turnout: 74.1%  

1951 general election

1951 general election: Donegal West[12]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Fianna Fáil Joseph Brennan 29.8 8,023      
Fine Gael Patrick O'Donnell 23.3 6,294 6,304 6,461 6,501
Fine Gael Michael Óg McFadden 21.5 5,790 5,835 5,885 5,912
Fianna Fáil Cormac Breslin 14.3 3,856 4,999 7,724  
Fianna Fáil Seán Kennedy 11.2 3,008 3,090    
Electorate: 36,665   Valid: 26,971   Quota: 6,743   Turnout: 73.56%  

1949 by-election

Following the death of Fianna Fáil TD Brian Brady, a by-election was held on 16 November 1949. The seat was won by the Fine Gael candidate Patrick O'Donnell.

1949 by-election: Donegal West[12]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2
Fianna Fáil Joseph Brennan 47.4 12,700 12,863
Fine Gael Patrick O'Donnell 42.1 11,256 13,634
Clann na Poblachta Alphonsus Canning 10.5 2,812  
Electorate: 37,541   Valid: 26,768   Quota: 13,385   Turnout: 71.30%  

1948 general election

1948 general election: Donegal West[12]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Fianna Fáil Brian Brady 24.0 6,262 6,280 6,364 6,795
Fianna Fáil Cormac Breslin 18.4 4,800 4,894 4,924 5,820
Fine Gael Michael Óg McFadden 17.7 4,627 4,722 6,761  
Independent Daniel C. Boyle 12.4 3,224 3,489 3,511  
Clann na Poblachta Joseph McDevitt 9.8 2,546 4,278 4,401 5,044
Fine Gael Christopher Gallagher 8.9 2,332 2,378    
Clann na Poblachta Hugh Duggan 8.9 2,314      
Electorate: 37,662   Valid: 26,105   Quota: 6,527   Turnout: 69.31%  

1944 general election

1944 general election: Donegal West[6][13][14]
Party Candidate FPv% % Seat Count
Fianna Fáil Brian Brady Unopposed N/A 1
Fianna Fáil Cormac Breslin Unopposed N/A 2
Fine Gael Michael Óg McFadden Unopposed N/A 3
Electorate: 39,192   Valid:   Quota:   Turnout:

1943 general election

1943 general election: Donegal West[5][14]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Fine Gael Michael Óg McFadden 26.4 6,873        
Fianna Fáil Brian Brady 24.9 6,495 6,525      
Fianna Fáil Cormac Breslin 21.4 5,581 5,596 5,602 5,720 5,871
Labour Daniel Boyle 13.3 3,458 3,577 3,578 4,198 4,876
Clann na Talmhan Hugh Callaghan 10.0 2,599 2,762 2,768 2,918  
Labour Joseph Doherty 4.0 1,041 1,075 1,075    
Electorate: 39,192   Valid: 26,047   Quota: 6,512   Turnout: 66.5%  

1938 general election

1938 general election: Donegal West[4][13][14]
Party Candidate FPv% % Seat Count
Fianna Fáil Brian Brady Unopposed N/A 1
Fianna Fáil Cormac Breslin Unopposed N/A 2
Fine Gael Michael Óg McFadden Unopposed N/A 3
Electorate: 38,072   Valid:   Quota:   Turnout:

1937 general election

1937 general election: Donegal West[3][14]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2
Fianna Fáil Brian Brady 28.9 7,833  
Fine Gael Michael Óg McFadden 26.8 7,250  
Fianna Fáil Cormac Breslin 23.3 6,311 7,354
Fine Gael John O'Donnell 21.1 5,712 5,725
Electorate: 38,532   Valid: 27,106   Quota: 6,777   Turnout: 70.4%  

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Electoral (Revision of Constituencies) Act, 1935: First Schedule (Revised constituencies)". Irish Statute Book database. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 17 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 1937: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  4. ^ a b "General election 1938: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  5. ^ a b "General election 1943: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 30 January 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  6. ^ a b "General election 1944: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  7. ^ "General election 1948: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  8. ^ "By-election 1949: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  9. ^ "General election 1951: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  10. ^ a b "General election 1954: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  11. ^ a b "General election 1957: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  12. ^ a b c d e Gallagher, Michael (2009). Irish Elections 1948–77: Results and Analysis Sources for the Study of Irish Politics 2. Routledge. ISBN 9781138973343.
  13. ^ a b At both the 1938 and 1944 elections, only three candidates were nominated, so no ballot was held.
  14. ^ a b c d Gallagher, Michael (1993). Irish Elections 1922-44: Results and Analysis. PSAI Press. ISBN 0951974815.