Constituency Profile:
The constituency of Donegal North-East is the most northerly in the state and takes in the major town of Letterkenny, as well as the Inishowen and Fanad peninsulas.
Much of the population, which stood at 73,874 people in 2006, the date of the last census results, lives in the main urban areas of Letterkenny, Buncrana and Carndonagh. Many constituents also commute to work in the nearby city of Derry.
There has been a boundary revision since 2007, with a transfer of a population of 2,351 out of this constituency and into Donegal South-West. This means that all of the divisions in the old Stranorlar Rural District have now been transferred out of Donegal North-East.
Lower levels of educational attainment and higher levels of unemployment, especially among men, have traditionally been a feature in this constituency.
Many of the constituency’s biggest employers are based in Letterkenny, but the town has also been affected by cross-border shopping.
Constituency Boundaries: There has been a boundary revision since 2007. (See above)
Seats: Three
2007 Quota: 9,637
2011 Candidates
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Dara Blaney -
Dara Blaney is the youngest son of the late Neil T Blaney, TD for 44 years for Fianna Fáil and Independent Fianna Fáil. Blaney is contesting the election as part of the alliance of Independent candidates known as 'New Vision'. His brother, Eamon, is an Independent candidate for Dublin North East.
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Jimmy Harte - Labour Party
Jimmy Harte is a son of former Minister, Paddy Harte, a Fine Gael TD for this constituency from 1961 to 1997. He joined the Labour party from Fine Gael in May 2010.
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Betty Holmes - Independent
Newtowncunningham-based Betty Holmes is a health campaigner and Chairperson of Donegal Action for Cancer Care.
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Pádraig MacLochlainn - Sinn Féin
Pádraig MacLochlainn was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2002 and 2007 general elections. MacLochlainn was also Sinn Féin's candidate for the North-West constituency in the 2009 European elections. He has been a Councillor since 2004.
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Charlie McConalogue - Fianna Fáil
Charlie McConalogue is a 33 year-old Inishowen-based Councillor and first-time Dáil candidate. McConalogue was selected to run for Fianna Fáil following the shock late withdrawal of outgoing TD, Niall Blaney.
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Ian McGarvey - Independent
Ian McGarvey is running as an Independent candidate.
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Joe McHugh - Fine Gael
Joe McHugh was first elected to the Dáil in 2007, Milford-based McHugh is married to Olwyn Enright, the outgoing Fine Gael TD for Laois/Offaly, who is not standing in this election.
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Humphrey Murphy - Green Party
Humphrey Murphy is a first-time Dáil candidate.
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John Ryan - Fine Gael
John Ryan is a Councillor for Inishowen since 2009, Ryan is a first-time Dáil candidate. Ryan is one of two Fine Gael candidates in Donegal North-East - the other is outgoing TD, Joe McHugh.
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Dessie Shiels - Independent
Dessie Shiels is running as an Independent candidate.
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Ryan Stewart - Independent
Ryan Stewart is an independent candidate.
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Sitting TDs: Joe McHugh (FG), Niall Blaney (FF), Vacant Seat
Jim McDaid, elected for FF in 2007, resigned his seat in November 2010 and was not replaced.
TDs not seeking re-election: Niall Blaney (FF)
Sean Donnelly's analysis:
It is all change in this constituency with former Minister for Sport Dr James McDaid resigning his seat last November and Niall Blaney surprising many observers with his shock retirement on personal grounds just prior to the convention. Inishowen councillor Charlie McConalogue is now the sole Fianna Fáil candidate and will be battling for the final seat in this traditionally strong Fianna Fáil constituency which returned two Fianna Fáil and one Independent FF in both 1997 and 2002. Fine Gael was at the receiving end of this Fianna Fáil domination and Paddy Harte lost the seat he had held since 1961. In 2007, outgoing Senator Joe McHugh won back the Fine Gael seat. His seat looks secure despite having an Inishowen-based running mate John Ryan. Padraig MacLochlainn went close to a seat here the last time and is likely to go one better the next time to match Pearse Doherty in Donegal South West. Jimmy Harte failed to get the nomination from Fine Gael in 2007 and ran as an independent. The son of former long-serving deputy Paddy Harte is now the Labour Party candidate and is likely to improve considerably on the 2% achieved by Labour in 2007. MacLoughlin and McHugh look safe and the final seat will come down to a battle between Letterkenny-based Harte and McConalogue from Inishowen. The question is can Inishowen deliver two seats or can Harte take a seat for Letterkenny?
Sean Donnelly's prediction:
1FF, 1FG, 1SF. (Padraig MacLochlainn SF, Joe McHugh FG, Charlie McConalogue FF.) No Change.
2007 General Election:
The three Fianna Fáil candidates - Niall Blaney, Dr Jim McDaid and Cecilia Keaveney - split the vote almost evenly, but Dr McDaid and Mr Blaney attracted more transfers than Ms Keaveney and they eventually took the second and third seats.
The first seat in the constituency was taken by Fine Gael’s Joe McHugh, who got 22.6% of the first preference vote and was elected on the fifth count, shrugging off the expected challenge of former Fine Gael councillor Jimmy Harte, son of former Fine Gael TD Paddy Harte.
Many commentators had predicted that Sinn Féin would take a seat here in 2007, but Inishowen-based Pádraig MacLochlainn lost the race at the seventh count.
2002 Turnout: 63.4%
2007 Turnout: 68%
Oireachtas Constituency Information
Twitter hashtag: #dlne
