Donegal–Leitrim (Dáil Éireann constituency)

Donegal–Leitrim
Former Dáil Éireann Parliamentary constituency
1969–1977
Seats	3
County/City council	County Donegal County Leitrim

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 in English as TDs) to the Dáil, using the single transferable vote form of proportional representation (PR-STV).

History

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

Donegal–Leitrim was 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–Letrim.

Boundaries

Its territory did not change in the eight years of its existence, and was defined in the 1969 Act as being:^[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, Malinbeg, 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   CC = Ceann Comhairle ·   FF = Fianna Fáil ·   FG = Fine Gael
Dáil	Election	Deputy (Party)		Deputy (Party)		Deputy (Party)
19th	1969[3]		Joseph Brennan (FF)		Patrick O'Donnell (FG)		Cormac Breslin (CC)
	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.

Elections

1973 general election

1973 general election: Donegal–Leitrim[5]
Party		Candidate	1st Pref	%	Seat	Count
	Ceann Comhairle	Cormac Breslin	Automatically returned	N/A	1
	Fianna Fáil	Joseph Brennan	10,240	36.4	2
	Fine Gael	James White	7,122	25.3	3
	Fianna Fáil	Patrick Delap	5,146	18.3
	Fine Gael	Francis Cunningham	3,103	11.0
	Sinn Féin (Official)	Séamus Rodgers	2,436	8.7
	Independent	Kathleen Diskin	122	0.4
Electorate: ?   Valid: 28,169   Quota: 9,390   Turnout:

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.

Donegal-Leitrim by-election, 1970: Donegal–Leitrim[4]
Party		Candidate	1st Pref	%	Seat	Count
	Fianna Fáil	Patrick Delap	15,485	53.0	1	1
	Fine Gael	James White	12,926	44.2
	Labour Party	Maeve Gilmartin	804	2.8
Electorate: 38,605   Valid: 29,215   Quota: 14,608   Turnout: 75.7%

1969 general election

1969 general election: Donegal–Leitrim[3]
Party		Candidate	1st Pref	%	Seat	Count
	Ceann Comhairle	Cormac Breslin	Automatically returned	N/A	1	1
	Fianna Fáil	Joseph Brennan	14,108	50.7	2	1
	Fine Gael	Patrick O'Donnell	8,141	29.3	3
	Independent	Eunan Curristan	3,883	14.0
	Labour Party	George Hunter	883	3.2
	Labour Party	Maeve Gilmartin	789	2.8
Electorate: ?   Valid: 27,804   Quota: 9,269   Turnout:

See also

• Parliamentary constituencies in the Republic of Ireland
• Politics of the Republic of Ireland
• List of historic Dáil Éireann constituencies
• Elections in the Republic of Ireland

References

1. ^ "Electoral (Amendment) Act, 1969: (Constituencies)". Irish Statute Book database. http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1969/en/act/pub/0003/sched1.html. Retrieved 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. http://www.electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1969&cons=70. Retrieved 19 September 2010. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "By-election 1970: Donegal–Leitrim". ElectionsIreland.org. http://www.electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1969B&cons=70&ref=91. Retrieved 19 September 2010. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "General election 1973: Donegal–Leitrim". ElectionsIreland.org. http://www.electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1973&cons=70. Retrieved 19 September 2010. 

External links

• Oireachtas Members Database