# 1985 Donegal County Council election

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.

## Results by party

| Party | Party | Seats | ± | 1st pref | FPv% | ±% |
| | Fianna Fáil | 11 | | 22,259 | 35.94% | 4.14% |
| | Fine Gael | 9 | 1 | 18,347 | 29.62% | 0.23% |
| | Independent Fianna Fáil | 5 | 1 | 10,597 | 17.1% | 0.35% |
| | Sinn Féin | 2 | 1 | 4,290 | 6.93% | 1.93% |
| | Donegal Progressive Party | 1 | | 1,506 | 2.46% | 0.36% |
| | Workers' Party | 1 | | 1,352 | 2.2% | 1.39% |
| | Labour | 0 | | 425 | 0.7% | — |
| | Independent | 0 | 1 | 3,165 | 5.55% | 0.82% |
| Total | Total | 29 | 1 | 57,013 | 100.00% | — |

## Results by local electoral area

* Sitting in italics

### Buncrana

Buncrana: 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 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 | Martin Robins | | 223 | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 19,273 Valid: 12,447 (64.58%) Spoilt: 207 Quota: 1,779 Turnout: 12,654 ||||||||||||||

### Donegal

Donegal: 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 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 | Michael Mulhern | | 142 | 145 | 156 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Bernard Mangan | | 65 | 73 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 17,721 Valid: 12,751 (71.95%) Spoilt: 115 Quota: 1,822 Turnout: 12,866 ||||||||||||

### Glenties

Glenties: 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 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 | 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 | 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 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 19,700 Valid: 13,431 (68.18%) Spoilt: 146 Quota: 1,919 Turnout: 13,577 ||||||||||||||

### Letterkenny

Letterkenny: 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 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 | 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 | Charles Long | | 267 | 274 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Labour | Anne Wilkinson | | 202 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 22,176 Valid: 14,474 (65.37%) Spoilt: 156 Quota: 1,810 Turnout: 14,630 |||||||||||||||

### Milford

Milford: 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 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 | Elizabeth Grier | | 827 | 855 | 918 | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Ronan Sweeney | | 411 | 413 | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Martin Monaghan | | 309 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 11,594 Valid: 8,838 (76.23%) Spoilt: 89 Quota: 1,768 Turnout: 8,927 ||||||||||