# Donegal–Leitrim (Dáil constituency)

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 as TDs) to the Dáil, on the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

## History and boundaries

The constituency was created under the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1969, and first used at the 1969 general election to the 19th Dáil. It was used again for the 1973 general election to the 20th Dáil.
The constituency was used for one electoral revision only, being 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–Leitrim constituency.
It was defined in the 1969 Act as:
       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, Malin Beg, 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 :
| Key to parties  FF = Fianna Fáil  FG = Fine Gael ||||||||
| Dáil | Election | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) | Deputy (Party) |
| 19th | 1969 | | Cormac Breslin (FF) | | Joseph Brennan (FF) | | Patrick O'Donnell (FG) |
| 19th | 1970 by-election | | Cormac Breslin (FF) | | Joseph Brennan (FF) | | Patrick Delap (FF) |
| 20th | 1973 | | Cormac Breslin (FF) | | Joseph Brennan (FF) | | James White (FG) |
| 21st | 1977 | Constituency abolished. See Donegal and Sligo–Leitrim | Constituency abolished. See Donegal and Sligo–Leitrim | Constituency abolished. See Donegal and Sligo–Leitrim | Constituency abolished. See Donegal and Sligo–Leitrim | Constituency abolished. See Donegal and Sligo–Leitrim | 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.
* ↑ Breslin was Ceann Comhairle from 1967 to 1973. As outgoing Ceann Comhairle, he was automatically re-elected at the 1969 and 1973 general elections.

## Elections
### 1973 general election

1973 general election: Donegal–Leitrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Cormac Breslin | N/A | Returned automatically | Returned automatically | Returned automatically | Returned automatically | Returned automatically |
| | Fianna Fáil | Joseph Brennan | 36.4 | 10,240 | | | | |
| | Fine Gael | James White | 25.3 | 7,122 | 7,174 | 7,190 | 7,838 | 10,523 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Patrick Delap | 18.3 | 5,146 | 5,886 | 5,893 | 6,533 | 6,842 |
| | Fine Gael | Francis Cunningham | 11.0 | 3,103 | 3,140 | 3,174 | 3,571 | |
| | Sinn Féin (Official) | Séamus Rodgers | 8.6 | 2,436 | 2,453 | 2,495 | | |
| | Independent | Kathleen Diskin | 0.4 | 122 | 126 | | | |
| Electorate: 38,540 Valid: 28,169 Quota: 9,390 Turnout: 73.1% |||||||||
* ↑ As outgoing Ceann Comhairle, Breslin was returned automatically under Article 16.6 of the Constitution and the Electoral Act 1963.

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

### 1969 general election

1969 general election: Donegal–Leitrim :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 |
| | Fianna Fáil | Cormac Breslin | N/A | Returned automatically | Returned automatically |
| | Fianna Fáil | Joseph Brennan | 50.7 | 14,108 | |
| | Fine Gael | Patrick O'Donnell | 29.3 | 8,141 | 9,432 |
| | Independent | Eunan Curristan | 14.0 | 3,883 | 6,340 |
| | Labour | George Hunter | 3.2 | 883 | 1,265 |
| | Labour | Maeve Gilmartin | 2.8 | 789 | 1,498 |
| Electorate: 38,599 Valid: 27,804 Quota: 9,269 Turnout: 72.0% ||||||
* ↑ As outgoing Ceann Comhairle, Breslin was returned automatically under Art. 16.6 of the Constitution and the Electoral Act 1963, as adapted by the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1969. He was elected again as Ceann Comhairle on 2 April 1969, leaving the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party.