# West Donegal (UK Parliament constituency)

West Donegal was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament from 1885 to 1922.
Prior to the 1885 United Kingdom general election the area was part of the Donegal constituency. From 1922, on the establishment of the Irish Free State, it was not represented in the UK Parliament.

## Boundaries

This constituency comprised the western part of County Donegal, consisting of the barony of Boylagh and that part of the barony of Kilmacrenan contained within the parishes of Clondahorky, Gartan, Kilmacrenan, Mevagh, Raymunterdoney and Tullaghobegly and the townlands of Ballybolander, Boheolan, Cabra Brook, Cabra Glebe, Carnatreantagh, Carrick, Carrickyscanlan, Cloncarney, Dromore, Drumcavany, Keeloges, Maghernagran, Pollans, Roshin, Stackarnagh, Temple Douglas, Treanbeg and Tullanascreen in the parish of Conwal.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Note |
| 1885, December 1 | Patrick O'Hea | Irish Parliamentary | Resigned |
| 1890, May 30 | James Joseph Dalton | Irish Parliamentary | Party split |
| 1890, December $^1$ | James Joseph Dalton | Irish National League | |
| 1892, July 11 | Timothy Daniel Sullivan | Irish National Federation | |
| 1900, October 3 | James Boyle | Irish Parliamentary | Resigned |
| 1902, April 25 | Hugh Alexander Law | Irish Parliamentary | |
| 1918, December 14 $^2$ | Joseph Sweeney | Sinn Féin | Did not take his seat at Westminster |
| 1922, October 26 | UK constituency abolished | UK constituency abolished | UK constituency abolished |
Note:-
* $^1$ Not an election, but the date of a party change. The Irish Parliamentary Party had been created in 1882, on the initiative of Charles Stewart Parnell's Irish National League. Both the IPP and the INL split into Parnellite and Anti-Parnellite factions, in December 1890. The Parnellites remained members of the Irish National League after the split and the Anti-Parnellites organised the Irish National Federation in March 1891. The two organisations and the United Irish League merged in 1900, to re-create the Irish Parliamentary Party.
* $^2$ Date of polling day. The result was declared on 28 December 1918, to allow time for votes cast by members of the armed forces to be included in the count.

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1 December 1885: Donegal West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Patrick O'Hea | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,377 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) |
General election 6 July 1886: Donegal West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Patrick O'Hea | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,377 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

By-election 30 May 1890: Donegal West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | J. J. Dalton | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,536 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |
General election 11 July 1892: Donegal West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish National Federation | Timothy Daniel Sullivan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,279 | | |
| | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary |
General election 18 July 1895: Donegal West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish National Federation | Timothy Daniel Sullivan | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,254 | | |
| | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 3 October 1900: Donegal West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | James Boyle | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,475 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |
By-election 25 April 1902: Donegal West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Hugh Law | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,303 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |
General election 20 January 1906: Donegal West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Hugh Law | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,958 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election 22 January 1910: Donegal West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Hugh Law | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,642 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |
General election 10 December 1910: Donegal West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Hugh Law | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,642 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |
General Election 14 December 1918: Donegal West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Sinn Féin | Joseph Sweeney | 6,712 | 62.0 | New |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Daniel McMenamin | 4,116 | 38.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,596 | 24.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,828 | 56.1 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,296 | | |
| | Sinn Féin hold | Sinn Féin hold | Swing | N/A | |