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1985 Donegal County Council election
Reference material by Wikipedia contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
Part of the 1985 Irish local elections
April 2021
April 2021
1985 Donegal County Council election Ireland Parliamentary no yes 1979 Donegal County Council election 1979 1991 Donegal County Council election 1991 All 29 seats on Donegal County Council 20 June 1985 Fianna Fáil 11 Fine Gael 9 1 Independent Fianna Fáil 5 1 Sinn Féin 2 1 Workers' Party (Ireland) 1 Donegal Progressive Party 1 Donegal in Ireland.svg 300px Area of Donegal County Council
An election to all 29 seats on Donegal County Council took place on 20 June 1985 as part of the 1985 Irish local elections. County Donegal was divided into six local electoral areas (LEAs) 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). This term was extended for a further year, to 1991.Local Elections (Specification of Local Election Year) Order 1990 1990 104 si 30 April 1990 In February 1985 the County and County Borough Commission recommended that membership in Donegal County Council be increased, resulting in the available seats increasing to 29.Local Elections, 1985 Election Results and Transfer of Votes in respect of each County, and County Borough Council and Election Statistics relating to all local authorities Stationery Office Dublin Department of the Environment 28 October 2019 Oireachtas August 1986 vii (9 in PDF) Introduction: Electoral Area Boundaries Commission https://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Library2/DL035931.pdf#page=9 Both commissions reported in February, 1985. The County and County Borough Commission recommended that the membership of the following county councils should be increased: Clare (one extra), Cork (two extra), Donegal (one extra)...
Results by party
Party Seats ± 1st pref First preference votes FPv% First preference votes percentageLocal Elections, 1985 Election Results and Transfer of Votes in respect of each County, and County Borough Council and Election Statistics relating to all local authorities Stationery Office Dublin Department of the Environment 28 October 2019 Oireachtas August 1986 253 (267 in PDF) Table B Local Elections, 1985 https://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Library2/DL035931.pdf#page=267 ±% Fianna Fáil1122,25935.94% 4.14% Fine Gael9 118,34729.62% 0.23% Independent Fianna Fáil5 110,59717.1% 0.35% Sinn Féin2 14,2906.93% 1.93% Donegal Progressive Party 1 1,506 2.46% 0.36% Workers' Party (Ireland)11,3522.2% 1.39% Labour Party (Ireland)0 425 0.7%— Independent politician (Ireland)0 13,1655.55% 0.82%Total29 157,013100.00%—
Results by local electoral area
Sitting in italics
Buncrana
Buncrana: 6 seatsLocal Elections, 1985 Election Results and Transfer of Votes in respect of each County, and County Borough Council and Election Statistics relating to all local authorities Stationery Office Dublin Department of the Environment 28 October 2019 Oireachtas August 1986 28-29 (40-41 in PDF) Donegal County Council: Buncrana Local Electoral Area https://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Library2/DL035931.pdf#page=40
10
Fianna Fáil
Hugh Conaghan TD*
1,977
Fine Gael
Bernard McGuinness*
1,681
1,709
1,713
1,722
1,879
Sinn Féin
Eddie Fullerton*
1,384
1,400
1,419
1,526
1,546
1,548
1,651
1,677 1,843
Fianna Fáil
Denis McGonagle
1,218
1,242
1,255
1,269
1,278
1,280
1,421
1,425 1,716
1,735
Fine Gael
Seamus Gill
975
987
993
1,041
1,143
1,160
1,274
1,578 1,603
1,613
Independent Fianna Fáil
Paddy Keaveney*
927
934
941
1,056
1,107
1,111
1,132
1,302 1,577
1,601
Fianna Fáil
Seán McBride*
905
908
936
958
973
974
1,202
1,270 1,306
1,314
Independent Fianna Fáil
Albert Doherty
787
861
866
967
980
980
1,020
1,034
Fianna Fáil
Bríd Bonner
640
652
752
810
825
826
Fine Gael
Harry Gillen
618
629
630
641
773
846
851
Fine Gael
Kenneth Weir
565
581
584
587
Independent Fianna Fáil
Helen Doherty
547
552
564
Labour Party (Ireland)
Martin Robins
223
10
19,273
12,447 (64.58%)
207
1,779
12,654
Donegal
Donegal: 6 seatsLocal Elections, 1985 Election Results and Transfer of Votes in respect of each County, and County Borough Council and Election Statistics relating to all local authorities Stationery Office Dublin Department of the Environment 28 October 2019 Oireachtas August 1986 34 (46 in PDF) Donegal County Council: Donegal Local Electoral Area https://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Library2/DL035931.pdf#page=46
8
Fianna Fáil
Cathal Coughlan TD*
2,975
Fine Gael
Frank O'Kelly*
1,687
1,719
1,733
1,763
1,833
Fianna Fáil
Sean McEniff
1,631
1,785
1,800
1,851
Fine Gael
Colm Gallagher*
1,274
1,410
1,413
1,414
1,592
1,688
1,689
1,694
Fianna Fáil
James McBrearty*
1,183
1,331
1,334
1,337
1,465
1,555
1,561
1,562
Fine Gael
Padraig Carr
1,021
1,042
1,042
1,047
1,494
1,551
1,554
1,559
Sinn Féin
Anthony O'Malley-Daly
1,012
1,071
1,083
1,109
1,149
Fine Gael
Tommy Murphy*
924
996
997
1,002
Fianna Fáil
Peter Kennedy
837
1,357
1,360
1,362
1,390
1,565
1,570
Independent politician (Ireland)
Michael Mulhern
142
145
156
Independent politician (Ireland)
Bernard Mangan
65
73
8
17,721
12,751 (71.95%)
115
1,822
12,866
Glenties
Glenties: 6 seatsLocal Elections, 1985 Election Results and Transfer of Votes in respect of each County, and County Borough Council and Election Statistics relating to all local authorities Stationery Office Dublin Department of the Environment 28 October 2019 Oireachtas August 1986 30-31 (42-43 in PDF) Donegal County Council: Glenties Local Electoral Area https://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Library2/DL035931.pdf#page=42
10
Fianna Fáil
Pat The Cope Gallagher TD*
2,095
Independent Fianna Fáil
Paddy Delap*
1,394
1,406
1,438
1,468
1,486
1,502
1,667 1,678
1,681
1,964
Workers' Party (Ireland)
Seamus Rogers*
1,352
1,390
1,448
1,500
1,515
1,728
1,800 2,055
Independent Fianna Fáil
John Kelly*
1,089
1,092
1,113
1,159
1,272
1,279
1,295 1,306
1,311
1,324
Fine Gael
Maureen Doohan
1,071
1,073
1,079
1,080
1,174
1,220
1,244 1,255
1,261
1,674
Fine Gael
Connell Boyle
1,068
1,074
1,080
1,113
1,117
1,215
1,216 1,433
1,466
1,671
Independent politician (Ireland)
Michael Lynch
1,011
1,014
1,020
1,049
1,051
1,056
1,057
Fianna Fáil
Sean McNelis*
1,005
1,032
1,036
1,176
1,216
1,231
1,402 1,723
1,781
1,794
Fine Gael
Fred Coll*
988
992
1,004
1,005
1,008
1,090
1,185 1,195
1,200
Fianna Fáil
Sean Hanrai O Gallchoir
647
682
720
725
854
875
Fine Gael
Pat Gallagher
586
610
610
614
620
Fianna Fáil
Hugh McGarvey
485
503
509
513
Independent Fianna Fáil
John McLoone
376
378
383
Sinn Féin
Breandan O Rahallai
264
266
10
19,700
13,431 (68.18%)
146
1,919
13,577
Letterkenny
Letterkenny: 7 seatsLocal Elections, 1985 Election Results and Transfer of Votes in respect of each County, and County Borough Council and Election Statistics relating to all local authorities Stationery Office Dublin Department of the Environment 28 October 2019 Oireachtas August 1986 32-33 (44-45 in PDF) Donegal County Council: Letterkenny Local Electoral Area https://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Library2/DL035931.pdf#page=44
11
Fianna Fáil
Patrick McGowan*
1,778
1,785
1,837
Fine Gael
Paddy Harte TD*
1,563
1,581
1,589
1,617
1,653
1,690
1,808
1,867
Donegal Progressive Party
William Buchanan*
1,506
1,518
1,524
1,531
1,538
1,541
1,591
1,626
1,627
1,629
1,629
Fianna Fáil
Bernard McGlinchey*
1,380
1,393
1,402
1,487
1,583
1,755
1,862
Sinn Féin
Liam McElhinney
1,321
1,343
1,378
1,392
1,412
1,469
1,606
1,707
1,710
1,716 1,718
Fine Gael
J.J. Reid*
1,091
1,109
1,161
1,174
1,205
1,231
1,251
1,329
1,345
1,346 1,361
Independent Fianna Fáil
Danny Harkin
1,088
1,092
1,113
1,129
1,234
1,543
1,660
1,829
Fine Gael
Laurence Blake
1,057
1,092
1,098
1,139
1,154
1,241
1,279
1,299
1,303
1,314 1,316
Independent politician (Ireland)
Charles Meehan
853
857
868
888
896
913
Fianna Fáil
Michael Gamble
832
835
844
867
963
968
986
Independent Fianna Fáil
James Larkin
756
772
777
800
814
Fianna Fáil
Jackie Harris
447
453
462
486
Fianna Fáil
Brian Grieve
333
340
342
Independent politician (Ireland)
Charles Long
267
274
Labour Party (Ireland)
Anne Wilkinson
202
11
22,176
14,474 (65.37%)
156
1,810
14,630
Milford
Milford: 4 seatsLocal Elections, 1985 Election Results and Transfer of Votes in respect of each County, and County Borough Council and Election Statistics relating to all local authorities Stationery Office Dublin Department of the Environment 28 October 2019 Oireachtas August 1986 Donegal County Council: Milford Local Electoral Area https://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Library2/DL035931.pdf#page=47 35 (47 in PDF)
6
Independent Fianna Fáil
Harry Blaney*
1,547
1,598
1,654
1,829
Fianna Fáil
Noel McGinley*
1,480
1,538 1,673
1,735 1,749
1,955
Fine Gael
Joachim Loughrey*
1,202
1,217
1,261
1,432 1,445
1,522
Independent Fianna Fáil
Edward O'Donnell
1,202
1,238
1,296
1,434 1,452
1,908
Fine Gael
William McCafferty*
976
987
1,013
1,103 1,109
1,154
Independent Fianna Fáil
Sean McGee
884
960
978
1,010 1,020
Independent politician (Ireland)
Elizabeth Grier
827
855
918
Fianna Fáil
Ronan Sweeney
411
413
Sinn Féin
Martin Monaghan
309
6
11,594
8,838 (76.23%)
89
1,768
8,927
Postal vote fraud
In late 2015, a previously-sealed National Archives paper revealed a voting fraud scheme occurring just prior to the election. In June 1985, a Garda investigation was launched following the secretary of Donegal County Council reporting irregularities. Of the 3,274 applications made for postal votes in the county, only 634 were considered to be compliant with application procedures. Various irregularities were found including: applications containing dubious signatures, a large numbers of applicants claiming to be employment in professions in far exceeding those known to be present in the area, a difference in ink used between filling out the form and signing, and a number of individuals witnessing multiple applications at the same time and place. While the irregularities occurred in all electoral areas, Glenties and Milford had the most.
When the returning officer for the county council returned certain forms requesting clarification he reported that some individuals stated they had no memory of making applications, others had returned their forms with a different professions to that state on the initial form, and many denied witnessing the signatures they were supposedly present for.
In one such case a member of the council approached a house from which a number of applications had supposedly came from, only to discover the house was occupied by students with no knowledge of the applications. The students did state however that they been approached by an unidentified male who advised they claim they had made the applications and that any voting cards issued to the house would be collected later. In another case, one person apparently presented nine different applications for approval.https://www.thejournal.ie/donegal-postal-voting-state-papers-2501348-Jan2016/ The great Donegal postal voting scam of 1985 Brennan Cianan 1 January 2016 1 February 2026 The Journalhttps://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-20373598.html National Archives 1985: 80% of Donegal postal vote applications invalid McCarthaigh Sean 30 December 2015 1 February 2026 Irish Examiner
The voting fraud scheme appeared to have been a failure, since only fully compliant applications were issued with voting cards. A government memo stated that the Gardaí intended to investigate the other 2,640 suspicious applications.
References
External links
Official websiteJuly 2021 InternetArchiveBot yes
Irelandelection.com results for 1985 Donegal County Council elections
Irishelectionliterature
http://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Library2/DL035931.pdf Department of the Environment, Ireland Local elections, 1985 : election results and transfer of votes in respect of each county, and county borough council : and election statistics relating to all local authorities Department of the Environment 2010-01-28 2019-10-28
Donegal
Category:Donegal County Council elections