by Evelyn Cullen
Topping the poll in Milford LEA with 1,739 first preference votes and getting elected to Donegal County Council on the 4th count with a total of 2,074 votes, community worker Declan Meehan’s work in Donegal County Council will no doubt be an extension of the community work that he already does every day in his profession as Milford & District Resource Centre manager.
Meehan more than tripled his vote from 2019 when he ran but failed to take a seat, but he was never discouraged and said he got working the very next day on his campaign. He ran a campaign that focused on community development, social inclusion and as the first openly gay councillor in Donegal he also champions LGBTQ+ issues with pride.
Amid jubilant scenes in the aura leisure centre on Sunday night Meehan said ‘What I really love to do is work in the community and I’ll continue to do that as a councillor on the ground every day’.
The other two seats in the Milford Electoral area were taken by sitting councillors Liam Blaney, Fianna Fáil and Pauric McGarvey, Independent. Meehan replaces former councillor John O’Donnell, Independent, who lost his seat after a disappointing performance.
A tight battle was fought in the Letterkenny Electoral Area for the last seat with not one but two recounts being called, one late on Sunday night by Aontú candidate Mary T. Sweeney and again on Monday evening by Kevin Bradley, Independent. However both lost out to the last seat which was scooped up by Donal Coyle, Fianna Fáil.
The New Donegal Council of 37 seats is made up as follows:
Number of seats by party
| Fianna Fail | 10 |
| Sinn Fein | 10 |
| 100% Redress | 4 |
| Fine Gael | 3 |
| Independent | 9 |
| Labour | 1 |
Number of Seats By Constituency LEA
| Letterkenny | 7 |
| Milford | 3 |
| Carndonagh | 4 |
| Buncrana | 5 |
| Lifford Stranorlar | 6 |
| Donegal South | 6 |
| Glenties | 6 |
Poll toppers by constituency
| Letterkenny | Donal Mandy Kelly (Fianna Fáil) |
| Milford | Declan Meehan (Independent) |
| Carndonagh | Ali Farren (100% Redress) |
| Buncrana | Jack Murray (Sinn Fein) |
| Lifford Stranorlar | Martin Scanlon (Independent) |
| Donegal South | Micheál Noughton (Fianna Fáil) |
| Glenties | Micheál Cholm Mac Giolla Easpaig |
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