# 1920 Donegal County Council election

An election to Donegal County Council took place on Wednesday 26 May 1920 as part of that year's Irish local elections. 45 councillors were elected from 10 electoral divisions by PR-STV voting for a five-year term of office.
Sinn Féin won a majority of the seats, and won majorities in 6 of the 10 voting areas.
The vote was largely characterised by poor turnout, with less than 50% of the electorate voting. Buncrana, Letterkenny, and Milford saw particularly poor turnout. At one station in Rathmullan only 3 of the areas 140 voters turned out. Donegal Town saw better turnout.
The total number of invalid votes for the county stood at 9,193.
At the first sitting of the new council, on Friday 18 June, the council voted to recognise the First Dáil.
Following the election Peter J. Ward (Sinn Féin) was elected chairman. Thomas McFadden (Unionist) was elected vice-chairman.

## Results by party

| Party | Party | Seats | FPv% | ±% |
| | Sinn Féin | 14 | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | 4 | | |
| | Irish Unionist | 2 | | |
| | Independent | 0 | | |
| Totals | Totals | 20 | 100% | — |

## Results by local electoral area
### Buncrana

Buncrana/Inishowen - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Sinn Féin | P. H. Doherty | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Frank J. Langan | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Michael Bonner | | |
| | Sinn Féin | James McNally | | |
| | Irish Unionist | Joseph MacArthur J.P. (incumbent) | | Defeated |
| | Irish Nationalist | Bernard Browne | | Defeated |
| | Ind. Nationalist | James P. McIvor J.P. | | Defeated |
| Quota: ||||

### Donegal

Donegal - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Sinn Féin | Peter J. Ward MP | | |
| | Irish Unionist | James Sproule Myles | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick Berry | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Henry Joseph Kelly | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Thomas McShane | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | Hugh O'Donnell | | Defeated |
| Electorate: - Valid: ~8,893 Spoilt: ~300 Quota: - Turnout: 9,193 ||||

### Letterkenny

Letterkenny - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Sinn Féin | John O'Flaherty | | |
| | Sinn Féin | James McCool | | |
| | Sinn Féin | James McFadden | | |
| | Irish Unionist | James Clarke | | |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Francis Callahan J.P. (incumbent) | | Defeated |
| | Irish Unionist | Major John Rikv, J.P. | | Defeated |
| Quota: ||||

### Milford

Milford - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Sinn Féin | Thomas McElhinney | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Neil Murray | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | M. A. McCreadie | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | J. B. O'Donnell | | |
| | Sinn Féin | William McGarvey | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | E. Friel | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | Christy Lavey | | |
| Quota: ||||

## District results
### Donegal Town

Donegal Town - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Sinn Féin | James McGahern | | |
| | Sinn Féin | John McDermott | | |
| | Irish Unionist | John Stevenson | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | Edward Melly | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | Michael Dunnion | | |
| Quota: ||||

### Dunfanaghy

Dunfanaghy - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Sinn Féin | Hugh Duffy | | |
| | Sinn Féin | C. McLaughlin | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Shane McNulty | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | John McNulty | | |
| Quota: ||||

### Dunkineely

Dunkineely - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick Barry | | |
| | Sinn Féin | A. F. Gallagher | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Charlie Keeny | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | Thomas McShane | | |
| Quota: ||||

### Laghey

Laghey - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Sinn Féin | Hugh Gallagher | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Daniel Gallagher | | |
| | Irish Unionist | James Harron | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | Jacob Gorman | | |
| | Irish Unionist | William John Shaw | | |
| Quota: ||||

### Letterkenny Rural

Letterkenny Rural - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Sinn Féin | N. Kelly | | |
| | Irish Unionist | Robert Roulstone | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | J. E. Sweeney | | |
| | Sinn Féin | John Mullan | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick McGrenra | | |
| Quota: ||||

### Mountcharles

Mountcharles - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Sinn Féin | Bernard Friel | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Charles McDaid | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Paddy Gallagher | | |
| | Sinn Féin | James Boyle | | |
| Quota: ||||

### Rathmullan

Rathmullan - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 |
| | Irish Nationalist | Edward Deeney | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | James Green | | |
| | Irish Nationalist | Patrick Loughrey | | |
| Quota: ||||