It may have been a relatively quick election campaign overall but the last two days at the Aura Leisure Centre have been a marathon for many.
A total of 20 candidates were brave enough to put their name next to the ballot paper.
But after a weekend of tears, cheers, counts and lots of coffee, only five could be chosen to represent Donegal in the 34th Dail.
In the order they were elected, they are:
Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein), Padraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein), Pat the Cope Gallagher (Fianna Fail), Charles Ward (100% Redress) and Charlie McConalogue (Fianna Fáil).
And here’s a snapshot of the five.
Pearse Doherty
The poster boy for Sinn Fein, Pearse Doherty was the party’s first Senator but has gone on to much bigger things. A TD since 2010 as a result of the Donegal south-west by-election, Doherty makes no bones that he wants to be the country’s Minister for Finance. Married to Roisin, the couple have four sons. The 47-year-old former civil engineer topped the poll in the 2020 General Election being elected ion the first count. Born in Scotland to Irish parents, Doherty was raised in Gaoth Dobhair and has been a member of Sinn Féin since 1996. An avid music and GAA fan, the Irish-speaking public representative helps to run the very successful SULT musical festival in his hometown of Gaoth Dobhair each year. With a major national profile, there was no surprise that he has topped the poll again in his native Donegal.
Padraig Mac Lochlainn
The 51-year-old has been a TD for Sinn Fein in Donegal north-east since the 2020 general election. He was previously elected in 2011 but lost his side in the 2016 general election and became a Senator on the Industrial and Commercial Panel from 2016 to 2020 before regaining his Dail seat. Married to Sinead, Mac Lochlainn initially left school aged 14 before returning to adult education and previous worked as a painter and decorator. Born in Leeds in England, Mac Lochlainn returned to Buncrana with his family aged 10 and has lived there since. His father was a Provisional IRA volunteer who spent almost ten years in jail. While in jail, Mac Lochlainn was raised by his mother and grandmother as has described both women as “two strong, loving Traveller women.”
Pat the Cope Gallagher
Pat the Cope Gallagher
First elected to the Dail in 1981, the 76-year-old shocked many when he announced he was standing again in Donegal south-west. The term ‘veteran politician’ is an understatement when it comes to describing him. Educated at University College Galway, Gallagher first worked as a fish exporter fro his native Burtonport before becoming involve din local politics. Married to Ann, Gallagher first entered public life as a county councillor in Donegal in 1979 and was first elected as a TD in 1981. After a political career which has seen him serve as an MEP, Leas -Cheann Comhairle and Minister if State, Gallagher and his supporters were left shocked when he was ousted in the 2020 general election. Age is but a number for the Burtonport native and he has undertaken a 5km walk each day for the past five years.
Charles Ward
Defective blocks has been a huge issue in Donegal and Charles Ward is the man thousands of affected homeowners hope will be their voice in Dail Eireann. The married father-of-four hailed from Arranmore Island but has spent many years in Scotland. He now lives in the village of Drumkeen in east Donegal. He did contest the local elections last June but was not successful. However, four of his colleagues were more successful and sit on Donegal County Council. He is a member of the MICA Action Group and is a homeowner with a defective blocks. He is a healthcare worker but will now be putting the woes of people with defective homes at the top of his agenda in Leinster House.
Charlie McConalogue
The outgoing Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine has been a TD for Donegal north-east since 2011. Married with two sons, the 47-year-old comes from a farming background and was educated at UCD. He worked at Fianna Fáil headquarters for a number of years before returning to the family farm in Carndonagh following the death of this father. He decided to tip his toe in the political water becoming a county councillor in his native county in 2009. He rose through the political ranks once being elected a TD. He was the Fianna Fáil spokesperson on children before being appointed Minister of State at the Department of Justice in 2020 and in the same year was elevated to becoming the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
