Main pic: A portrait of the late Neil T Blaney by Colin Farrell.
A Civic reception marking 100 years of the Blaney family representation on Donegal County Council will be held in Lifford tomorrow.
The family is extending an open invitation to everyone to attend the event, which will be held in the Council Chamber at 3pm.
The decision to host such a reception follows a motion tabled by Cllr. Donal Coyle at a recent meeting of the council, which was unanimously passed.
Neal Blaney was first elected to the council as Sinn Féin candidate in 1925 and served until 1948.
During this time he was the chairman from 1945 to 1948 while in 1927, he was elected as a Fianna Fáil candidate to Dáil Éireann, and was a TD until 1938.
He was then a senator from 1938 to 1943 when he was returned to the Dáil again and remained a TD until his death in 1948.
His son, Neil T. Blaney was elected to Donegal County Council after his father’s death in 1948 and remained on it until 1957. During this time, he was chairman from 1955 to 1957.
He was also elected to the Dáil in 1948 and was re-elected at every subsequent election and was a TD until his death in 1995.
In 1999, Niall Blaney was on the council from 1999 to 2003, and was elected as a TD serving from 2002 until 2011. Currently a senator, he was elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2024.
Liam Blaney took up a seat on the council in 2003, a position he has retained.
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