2014 Donegal County Council election

An election to all 37 seats on Donegal County Council took place on 23 May 2014 as part of the 2014 Irish local elections. County Donegal was divided into 5 local electoral areas to elect councillors for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV). In addition, the town councils of Ballyshannon, Bundoran and Letterkenny were all abolished.

2014 Donegal County Council election

← 2009 23 May 2014 2019 →

All 37 seats on Donegal County Council
19 seats needed for a majority
Turnout58.1% [1]
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Fianna Fáil Sinn Féin Fine Gael
Seats won 11 9 6
Seat change +1 +5 -2

  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Party Labour Independent
Seats won 1 10
Seat change -1 +5

Map showing the area of Donegal County Council

Council control before election

Fianna Fáil

Council control after election

Fianna Fáil

The arrest of one candidate was ordered ahead of the election.[2][3]

Gary Doherty of Sinn Féin and independent Frank McBrearty Jnr, a former county mayor and formerly of Labour, were the first candidates to be elected. Both were elected on the first count in the Stranorlar Electoral Area.[4] Another candidate Ian McGarvey, who went into the election as Ireland's oldest Mayor, was re-elected in the Letterkenny Electoral Area.[5] The count concluded in Letterkenny in the early hours of Monday 26 May, when Mick Quinn of Sinn Féin narrowly triumphed over independent Donal Cullen just after 5 am.[6] Independents did well, according to local media in the Donegal LEA at the expense of both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and would increase their representation by 5 overall on the council.[7] Overall while Fianna Fáil made gains in Letterkenny and Glenties they lost a seat in Donegal compared to 2009. Michael Farren retained a solitary seat for Labour in Inishowen. Fine Gael lost 2 seats overall in the Donegal and Inishowen LEAs. Sinn Féin won a second seat in each LEA except Donegal.[8]

Results by party

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Results published here. (archive link)

Party Seats ± 1st pref FPv% ±%
Fianna Fáil 11 +1 21,069 29.1%
Sinn Féin 9 +5 14,204 19.6%
Fine Gael 6 -2 11,351 15.7%
Labour 1 -1 2,723 3.8%
Independent 10 +5 21,258 29.4%
Total 37 +8 72,306 100.0%

Results by local electoral area

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^ *: Outgoing councillor.

Donegal

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Donegal: 6 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Independent Niamh Kennedy 12.52 1,738 1,742 1,755 1,790 1,838 1,886 1,940 2,174        
Fianna Fáil Sean McEniff[*] 11.83 1,642 1,643 1,671 1,686 1,739 1,748 1,890 1,896 1,897 1,906 1,913 2,244  
Independent Tom Conaghan 11.38 1,580 1,581 1,597 1,648 1,652 1,801 1,920 1,943 1,948 2,117      
Independent John Campbell[*] 8.78 1,219 1,221 1,237 1,259 1,272 1,320 1,370 1,441 1,475 1,671 1,706 1,744 1,752
Fianna Fáil Brendan Byrne[*] 7.90 1,096 1,096 1,098 1,103 1,107 1,116 1,207 1,380 1,441 1,584 1,599 1,624 1,639
Sinn Féin Noel Jordan 7.84 1,088 1,088 1,101 1,112 1,122 1,162 1,194 1,219 1,242 1,355 1,366 1,827 1,888
Fine Gael Barry O'Neill[*] 7.65 1,062 1,064 1,072 1,089 1,125 1,141 1,163 1,227 1,235 1,542 1,566 1,703 1,785
Sinn Féin Michael McMahon 6.99 970 973 1,026 1,036 1,159 1,166 1,195 1,202 1,206 1,211 1,211    
Fine Gael John Boyle[*] 6.39 887 887 888 897 897 913 931 1,125 1,178        
Fine Gael John McNulty 5.88 816 816 822 827 828 839 845            
Fianna Fáil Michael Naughton 4.25 590 591 604 621 628 651              
Independent Jonathan Kennedy 2.71 376 376 381 407 412                
Independent Joseph McNulty 2.56 356 364 376 379                  
Independent Bernie Mulhern 1.62 225 225 235                    
Independent Laurence McManus 1.51 209 211                      
Independent Patricia McCafferty 0.19 27                        
Electorate: 22,050   Valid: 13,881 (62.95%)   Spoilt: 132   Quota: 1,984   Turnout: 14,014 (63.55%)  

Glenties

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Glenties: 6 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Fianna Fáil Seamus O Domhnaill[*] 14.64 1,889                  
Sinn Féin Marie Therese Gallagher[*] 13.60 1,754 1,792 1,794 1,816 1,890          
Fianna Fáil Enda Bonner 9.64 1,244 1,266 1,270 1,280 1,310 1,422 1,476 1,478 1,518 1,669
Sinn Féin John O Fearraigh 9.51 1,227 1,230 1,239 1,269 1,270 1,431 1,616 1,628 1,864  
Independent Micheál Cholm MacGiolla Easbuig 8.57 1,106 1,118 1,120 1,146 1,160 1,227 1,341 1,346 1,413 1,612
Fine Gael Terence Slowey[*] 7.17 925 931 931 1,025 1,104 1,106 1,163 1,169 1,211 1,399
Fianna Fáil Ian Molloy 6.94 895 901 903 906 1,119 1,139 1,149 1,160 1,182 1,273
Labour Seamus Rodgers 5.75 742 762 764 797 858 886 1,009 1,019 1,096  
Independent Michael McClafferty 5.59 721 726 736 868 888 903 962 963    
Independent Padraig Doherty[*] 5.04 650 661 664 736 745 832        
Independent Brian Carr 4.26 550 555 555 560            
Fianna Fáil Hughie MacGiolla Bhride 4.23 546 548 551 565 567          
Fine Gael John Curran 3.91 504 504 513              
Direct Democracy Joe McCarron 1.13 146                  
Electorate: 22,325   Valid: 12,899 (57.78%)   Spoilt: 136   Quota: 1,843   Turnout: 13,035 (58.39%)  

Inishowen

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Inishowen: 9 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Fianna Fáil Martin McDermott 12.51 2,002                      
Sinn Féin Jack Murray[*] 9.23 1,476 1,483 1,499 1,546 1,553 1,582 1,591 1,594 1,706      
Sinn Féin Albert Doherty 8.75 1,399 1,459 1,463 1,483 1,486 1,511 1,636          
Fianna Fáil Paul Canning[*] 8.24 1,318 1,334 1,336 1,342 1,346 1,406 1,422 1,423 1,436 1,436 1,462 1,466
Independent Nicholas Crossan 7.83 1,252 1,258 1,284 1,327 1,430 1,441 1,506 1,510 1,652      
Fine Gael Bernard McGuinness[*] 7.38 1,180 1,271 1,278 1,287 1,310 1,340 1,488 1,499 1,519 1,523 1,726  
Fianna Fáil Rena Donaghey[*] 7.12 1,139 1,184 1,193 1,207 1,264 1,368 1,406 1,409 1,473 1,477 1,536 1,539
Labour Martin Farren[*] 6.49 1,038 1,051 1,054 1,064 1,068 1,199 1,219 1,223 1,256 1,258 1,403 1,427
Fine Gael John Ryan[*] 6.33 1,013 1,017 1,027 1,052 1,147 1,155 1,176 1,177 1,207 1,213 1,360 1,452
Sinn Féin Ciaran McLaughlin 6.13 980 989 1,009 1,034 1,063 1,074 1,093 1,096 1,224 1,268 1,307 1,310
Fine Gael Mickey Doherty[*] 3.99 638 652 654 676 686 754 800 803 819 820    
People Before Profit Joe Murphy 3.76 601 609 655 711 724 738 785 788        
Independent Patrick McCarroll 3.47 555 595 612 648 654 671            
Fianna Fáil Mary McCauley 3.23 516 592 596 602 605              
Fine Gael Peter McLaughlin 2.24 359 362 369 374                
Independent Ryan Stewart 2.08 332 340 361                  
Direct Democracy Eilis Haden 0.66 106 107                    
Independent Paul Ferguson 0.58 93                      
Electorate: 30,653   Valid: 15,997 (52.19%)   Spoilt: 212   Quota: 1,600   Turnout: 16,209 (52.88%)  

Letterkenny

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Letterkenny: 10 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Fianna Fáil Liam Blaney[*] 9.33 1,763                                
Fianna Fáil Ciaran Brogan[*] 8.98 1,698 1,701 1,707 1,718 1,718 1,730                      
Independent John O'Donnell 8.95 1,692 1,697 1,708 1,721                          
Independent Ian McGarvey[*] 7.08 1,338 1,345 1,352 1,366 1,367 1,403 1,424 1,424 1,447 1,478 1,504 1,541 1,648 1,744      
Fianna Fáil James Pat McDaid 6.95 1,314 1,321 1,328 1,331 1,331 1,340 1,373 1,373 1,430 1,459 1,496 1,645 1,759        
Sinn Féin Gerry McMonagle[*] 6.42 1,213 1,214 1,232 1,249 1,249 1,272 1,280 1,280 1,307 1,312 1,372 1,414 1,441 1,530 1,533 1,546 1,552
Independent Michael McBride 6.02 1,138 1,141 1,144 1,160 1,161 1,181 1,203 1,204 1,231 1,268 1,289 1,330 1,456 1,522 1,533 1,633 1,698
Sinn Féin Mick Quinn 5.69 1,076 1,078 1,085 1,090 1,090 1,106 1,118 1,118 1,122 1,132 1,144 1,157 1,212 1,244 1,254 1,297 1,304
Independent Dessie Shiels 5.05 955 956 969 993 993 1,019 1,056 1,056 1,120 1,151 1,229 1,300 1,381 1,514 1,522 1,555 1,573
Fine Gael Jimmy Kavanagh 4.74 896 896 900 920 920 942 984 985 1,050 1,177 1,224 1,283 1,347 1,587 1,590 1,977  
Independent Donal Cullen 4.67 883 887 903 914 914 928 960 962 973 984 999 1,010 1,032 1,074 1,077 1,224 1,258
Fine Gael Noel McBride[*] 4.38 828 830 833 836 836 847 872 874 879 944 952 972 1,012 1,038 1,040    
Independent Pascal Blake[*] 3.43 648 649 658 676 676 698 723 723 767 803 853 913 957        
Independent Charlie McClafferty 3.21 607 608 615 624 624 630 659 661 716 749 772 800          
Fianna Fáil John Watson 2.54 480 483 489 495 495 505 526 527 547 570 622            
Letterkenny Residents Party Tom Crossan 2.26 428 429 441 457 457 467 487 488                  
Independent David Fisher 2.20 415 415 429 446 446 465 497 497 522 537              
Fine Gael Grace Boyle 2.19 413 414 417 422 422 461 490 491 503                
Labour Christy Galligan 1.99 377 378 381 385 385 419                      
Labour Siobhan McLaughlin 1.79 338 338 352 353 353                        
Independent Peter Cutliffe 1.15 218 219 225                            
People Before Profit Billy Banda 0.97 183 183                              
Electorate: 31,406   Valid: 18,901 (60.18%)   Spoilt: 163   Quota: 1,719   Turnout: 19,064 (60.70%)  

Tom Crossan had been elected for the Letterkenny Residents Party at the 2009 Letterkenny Town Council election. Following his failure to be elected to Donegal County Council, the party dissolved and in December 2014, the acting registrar of political parties proposed to cancel the party's registration.[9] It was not included in the February 2015 register.[10]

Stranorlar

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Stranorlar: 6 seats
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Sinn Féin Gary Doherty[*] 18.51 1,967                
Independent Frank McBrearty Jnr[*] 14.97 1,591                
Fianna Fáil Patrick McGowan[*] 13.30 1,414 1,439 1,444 1,452 1,491 1,509 1,619    
Fianna Fáil Gerry Crawford[*] 11.48 1,220 1,247 1,247 1,265 1,277 1,285 1,332 1,371 1,393
Fine Gael Martin Harley[*] 10.69 1,136 1,153 1,159 1,165 1,222 1,250 1,315 1,334 1,421
Sinn Féin Liam Doherty 9.92 1,054 1,356 1,357 1,372 1,390 1,447 1,474 1,482 1,559
Fine Gael Bert Galbraith 6.53 694 701 705 713 719 720 724 724 730
Independent Seamus Kee 4.08 430 474 476 482 498 539 549 552 619
Independent Alan McMenamin 2.94 312 319 330 335 351 395 419 424  
Fianna Fáil Claudia Kennedy 2.85 303 309 311 313 340 350      
People Before Profit Charlotte (Charlie) McDyer 2.23 237 247 252 255 262        
Labour Brian McCrea 2.15 228 234 234 235          
Independent Tim Meehan 0.36 38 39              
Electorate: 19,396   Valid: 10,628 (54.79%)   Spoilt: 147   Quota: 1,519   Turnout: 10,775 (55.55%)  

Changes

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Co-options

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Party Outgoing LEA Reason Date Co-optee
Sinn Féin Mick Quinn Letterkenny Health issues.[11] 27 March 2017 Adrian Glackin[12]
Fianna Fáil Sean McEniff Donegal Death.[13] 21 April 2017 Micheál Naughton[14]
Fine Gael John Ryan Inishowen Work commitments.[15] 15 May 2018 Mickey Doherty[16]
Independent John Campbell Donegal Personal reasons.[17] 8 January 2019 Seamus Maguire[18]

References

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  1. ^ "2014 Local Elections". electionsireland.org. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Arrest of council candidate ordered". The Irish Times. 17 May 2014. Archived from the original on 9 March 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  3. ^ "Arrest of Donegal local election candidate ordered". Irish Independent. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  4. ^ Doherty, Diarmaid (25 May 2014). "Doherty and McBrearty first councillors elected". Donegal Democrat. Archived from the original on 9 March 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  5. ^ "More stories to emerge from Local Elections". RTÉ News. 24 May 2014. Archived from the original on 9 March 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Independents Day! Sinn Féin also double seats as Fianna Fáil hold firm – Bad day for Fine Gael". Donegal Daily. 26 May 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  7. ^ Daly, Michael (24 May 2014). "The Donegal Electoral Area Independents to the fore". Donegal Democrat. Archived from the original on 9 March 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  8. ^ "Donegal Council Elections". Irish Independent. 24 May 2014. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  9. ^ "Register of Political Parties" (PDF). Iris Oifigiúil. 2014 (103): 3016. 26 December 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Register of Political Parties 9 February 2015" (PDF). Oireachtas. 9 February 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  11. ^ Farrar, Carolyn (28 March 2017). "Donegal councillor to step down". Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  12. ^ Staff Reporter (29 May 2017). "Cllr. Adrian Glackin takes his seat on Donegal County Council". Donegallive. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  13. ^ Clancy, Paddy (21 April 2017). "Hotelier, politician and 'Mr Bundoran', Seán McEniff, dies aged 81". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  14. ^ Magee, Declan (24 July 2017). "Micheál Naughton takes seat on Donegal County Council". Donegallive. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  15. ^ McLaughlin, Rachel (28 May 2018). "A fond farewell as John Ryan retires from Donegal County Council". Donegal Daily. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  16. ^ Staff Reporter (23 July 2018). "Councillor Mickey Doherty glad to be back in council". Donegallive. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  17. ^ Pringle, Thomas. "Campbell resigns from Donegal County Council". thomaspringle.ie. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  18. ^ Magee, Declan (3 February 2019). "New councillor, Seamus Maguire, takes his seat on Donegal County Council". Donegallive. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
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