# Donegal East (Dáil constituency)

Donegal East was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1937 to 1961. The constituency elected 4 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. It succeeded the constituency of Donegal. It was abolished under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1961, when it and Donegal West were replaced by the new constituencies of Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West.

## Boundaries

It consisted of the administrative county of Donegal except the portion thereof which was comprised in the county constituency of Donegal West.

## TDs

Teachtaí Dála (TDs) for Donegal East 1937–1961 :
| Key to parties  CnaT = Clann na Talmhan  FF = Fianna Fáil  FG = Fine Gael  Ind = Independent ||||||||||
| Dáil | Election | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) |
| 9th | 1937 | | John Friel (FF) | | Neal Blaney (FF) | | James Myles (Ind) | | Daniel McMenamin (FG) |
| 10th | 1938 | | John Friel (FF) | | Henry McDevitt (FF) | | James Myles (Ind) | | Daniel McMenamin (FG) |
| 11th | 1943 | | John Friel (FF) | | Neal Blaney (FF) | | William Sheldon (CnaT) | | Daniel McMenamin (FG) |
| 12th | 1944 | | John Friel (FF) | | Neal Blaney (FF) | | William Sheldon (Ind) | | Daniel McMenamin (FG) |
| 13th | 1948 | | John Friel (FF) | | Neal Blaney (FF) | | William Sheldon (Ind) | | Daniel McMenamin (FG) |
| 13th | 1948 by-election | | John Friel (FF) | | Neil Blaney (FF) | | William Sheldon (Ind) | | Daniel McMenamin (FG) |
| 14th | 1951 | | Liam Cunningham (FF) | | Neil Blaney (FF) | | William Sheldon (Ind) | | Daniel McMenamin (FG) |
| 15th | 1954 | | Liam Cunningham (FF) | | Neil Blaney (FF) | | William Sheldon (Ind) | | Daniel McMenamin (FG) |
| 16th | 1957 | | Liam Cunningham (FF) | | Neil Blaney (FF) | | William Sheldon (Ind) | | Daniel McMenamin (FG) |
| 17th | 1961 | Constituency abolished. See Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West | Constituency abolished. See Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West | Constituency abolished. See Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West | Constituency abolished. See Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West | Constituency abolished. See Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West | Constituency abolished. See Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West | Constituency abolished. See Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West | 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 East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Neil Blaney | 27.9 | 8,693 | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Liam Cunningham | 19.9 | 6,188 | 8,424 | | |
| | Independent | William Sheldon | 19.3 | 6,011 | 6,033 | 6,060 | 6,092 |
| | Fine Gael | Daniel McMenamin | 16.4 | 5,098 | 5,196 | 5,442 | 7,137 |
| | Independent | Frank Morris | 10.3 | 3,216 | 3,309 | 3,650 | 3,722 |
| | Fine Gael | Patrick Doherty | 6.2 | 1,914 | 1,933 | 1,969 | |
| Electorate: 42,751 Valid: 31,120 Quota: 6,225 Turnout: 72.8% ||||||||

### 1954 general election

1954 general election: Donegal East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Neil Blaney | 25.9 | 8,538 | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Daniel McMenamin | 19.2 | 6,330 | 6,399 | 6,405 | 6,762 | |
| | Independent | William Sheldon | 17.5 | 5,762 | 5,780 | 5,784 | 5,816 | 6,137 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Liam Cunningham | 16.3 | 5,359 | 7,061 | | | |
| | Fine Gael | James McEleney | 11.4 | 3,755 | 3,768 | 3,774 | 3,859 | 4,014 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Hugh McCauley | 7.7 | 2,526 | 2,652 | 3,099 | 3,160 | |
| | Independent | John Nugent | 2.1 | 700 | 715 | 718 | | |
| Electorate: 44,100 Valid: 32,970 Quota: 6,595 Turnout: 74.8% |||||||||

### 1951 general election

1951 general election: Donegal East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Neil Blaney | 30.0 | 10,325 | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Daniel McMenamin | 18.7 | 6,432 | 6,527 | 6,934 | |
| | Independent | William Sheldon | 17.5 | 6,016 | 6,035 | 6,087 | 7,084 |
| | Fianna Fáil | John Friel | 13.2 | 4,561 | 5,211 | 5,280 | 5,425 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Liam Cunningham | 9.3 | 3,214 | 5,845 | 5,947 | 6,009 |
| | Fine Gael | John McEleney | 8.7 | 3,020 | 3,035 | 3,123 | |
| | Labour | John Joseph Nugent | 2.5 | 868 | 895 | | |
| Electorate: 45,742 Valid: 34,436 Quota: 6,888 Turnout: 75.28% ||||||||

### 1948 by-election

Following the death of Fianna Fáil TD Neal Blaney, a by-election was held on 7 December 1948. The seat was won by the Fianna Fáil candidate Neil Blaney, son of the deceased TD.
1948 by-election: Donegal East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Neil Blaney | 55.5 | 19,570 |
| | Fine Gael | Joseph McGinley | 40.4 | 14,250 |
| | Clann na Poblachta | James O'Donnell | 4.0 | 1,435 |
| Electorate: 48,204 Valid: 35,255 Quota: 17,628 Turnout: 73.14% |||||

### 1948 general election

1948 general election: Donegal East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Neal Blaney | 23.9 | 8,291 | | | | | |
| | Independent | William Sheldon | 16.8 | 5,820 | 5,832 | 5,838 | 5,908 | 6,181 | 6,515 |
| | Fine Gael | Daniel McMenamin | 16.5 | 5,733 | 5,785 | 5,807 | 7,521 | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | John Friel | 14.8 | 5,153 | 5,439 | 5,483 | 5,518 | 5,559 | 5,781 |
| | Fianna Fáil | James N. Doherty | 10.8 | 3,756 | 4,654 | 4,762 | 4,774 | 4,789 | 5,012 |
| | Clann na Poblachta | Seán McCool | 9.3 | 3,217 | 3,242 | 3,923 | 3,974 | 4,222 | |
| | Fine Gael | John McLoughlin | 5.5 | 1,912 | 1,918 | 1,932 | | | |
| | Clann na Poblachta | Hugh Diver | 2.4 | 833 | 901 | | | | |
| Electorate: 48,184 Valid: 34,715 Quota: 6,944 Turnout: 72.05% ||||||||||

### 1944 general election

1944 general election: Donegal East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Neal Blaney | 23.7 | 7,828 | | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | John Friel | 19.4 | 6,417 | 7,353 | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Daniel McMenamin | 18.6 | 6,126 | 6,181 | 6,212 | 7,717 | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Daniel McGlinchey | 12.0 | 3,974 | 4,179 | 4,811 | 4,929 | 4,966 | 5,048 |
| | Independent | William Sheldon | 11.8 | 3,887 | 3,895 | 3,903 | 3,954 | 4,346 | 6,598 |
| | Independent | James Myles | 8.8 | 2,904 | 2,916 | 2,966 | 3,009 | 3,161 | |
| | Fine Gael | James McCormack | 5.7 | 1,876 | 1,885 | 1,914 | | | |
| Electorate: 49,410 Valid: 33,012 Quota: 6,603 Turnout: 66.8% ||||||||||

### 1943 general election

1943 general election: Donegal East :
| 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 | Neal Blaney | 22.0 | 7,576 | | | | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Daniel McMenamin | 17.3 | 5,970 | 5,998 | 6,689 | 7,254 | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | John Friel | 17.2 | 5,916 | 6,418 | 6,586 | 6,825 | 6,858 | 7,253 | | |
| | Independent | James Myles | 10.4 | 3,595 | 3,599 | 3,676 | 3,735 | 3,762 | 3,795 | 3,807 | 3,851 |
| | Clann na Talmhan | William Sheldon | 9.8 | 3,373 | 3,378 | 3,588 | 3,687 | 3,771 | 3,946 | 3,949 | 4,167 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Daniel McGlinchey | 7.6 | 2,637 | 2,738 | 2,776 | 3,020 | 3,057 | 3,497 | 3,619 | |
| | Independent | Seán McCool | 5.7 | 1,961 | 1,976 | 2,041 | 2,554 | 2,635 | | | |
| | Labour | John McElhinney | 5.5 | 1,907 | 1,924 | 1,996 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Manus Harkin | 4.5 | 1,537 | 1,546 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 49,410 Valid: 34,472 Quota: 6,895 Turnout: 69.8% ||||||||||||

### 1938 general election

1938 general election: Donegal East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | Independent | James Myles | 20.9 | 7,846 | | | |
| | Fine Gael | Daniel McMenamin | 20.8 | 7,797 | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Henry McDevitt | 19.5 | 7,293 | 7,337 | 7,364 | 7,688 |
| | Fianna Fáil | John Friel | 17.4 | 6,526 | 6,533 | 6,547 | 6,850 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Neal Blaney | 17.0 | 6,368 | 6,402 | 6,423 | 6,615 |
| | Labour | Patrick Lynch | 4.4 | 1,642 | 1,908 | 2,148 | |
| Electorate: 48,507 Valid: 37,472 Quota: 7,495 Turnout: 77.3% ||||||||

### 1937 general election

1937 general election: Donegal East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Independent | James Myles | 22.4 | 8,090 | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | Neal Blaney | 21.8 | 7,876 | | | | |
| | Fianna Fáil | John Friel | 16.0 | 5,783 | 5,789 | 6,292 | 6,406 | 6,516 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Henry McDevitt | 14.1 | 5,093 | 5,099 | 5,230 | 5,285 | 5,341 |
| | Fine Gael | Daniel McMenamin | 13.4 | 4,836 | 5,486 | 5,505 | 9,791 | |
| | Fine Gael | John McLoughlin | 12.2 | 4,398 | 4,610 | 4,617 | | |
| Electorate: 48,975 Valid: 36,076 Quota: 7,216 Turnout: 73.7% |||||||||