Donegal West (Dáil constituency)

Donegal West
Donegal West
Former Dáil constituency
Former constituency
Created	1937
Abolished	1961
Seats	3
Local government area	County Donegal
Replaced by	Donegal North-East; Donegal South-West;

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 FF = Fianna Fáil FG = Fine Gael
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]
13th	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]
Party		Candidate	1st Pref	%	Seat	Count
	Fine Gael	Patrick O'Donnell	6,208	27.7	1	1
	Fianna Fáil	Joseph Brennan	6,153	27.5	2	1
	Fianna Fáil	Cormac Breslin	3,711	16.6	3
	Fianna Fáil	Seán Ó Cinnéide	3,560	15.9
	Fine Gael	Robert Gardiner	2,759	12.3
Electorate: ? Valid: 22,391 Quota: 5,598 Turnout:

1954 general election

1954 general election: Donegal West^[10]^[12]
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
Party		Candidate	FPv%	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
Party		Candidate	FPv%	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
Party		Candidate	FPv%	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
Party		Candidate	FPv%	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	1st Pref	%	Seat
	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
Party		Candidate	FPv%	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	1st Pref	%	Seat
	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
Party		Candidate	FPv%	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%

References

^ ^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.
^ Walker, Brian M, ed. (1992). Parliamentary election results in Ireland, 1918–92. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0-901714-96-8. ISSN 0332-0286.
^ ^a ^b "General election 1937: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
^ ^a ^b "General election 1938: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
^ ^a ^b "General election 1943: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 30 January 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
^ ^a ^b "General election 1944: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
^ "General election 1948: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
^ "By-election 1949: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
^ "General election 1951: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
^ ^a ^b "General election 1954: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
^ ^a ^b "General election 1957: Donegal West". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gallagher, Michael (2009). Irish Elections 1948–77: Results and Analysis Sources for the Study of Irish Politics 2. Routledge. ISBN 9781138973343.
^ ^a ^b At both the 1938 and 1944 elections, only three candidates were nominated, so no ballot was held.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gallagher, Michael (1993). Irish Elections 1922-44: Results and Analysis. PSAI Press. ISBN 0951974815.