Constituency profile: Donegal

In 2011, Fianna Fáil’s Charlie McConalogue defied the national trend to become a new TD in Donegal while the Tánaiste Mary Coughlan lost her seat in the neighbouring constituency.

Mr McConalogue, who was educated in UCD, is now the party’s standard bearer in the constituency, but the presence of Pat “the Cope” Gallagher and John Ryan means there is a danger of the FF vote being split.

While Mr McConalogue should be returned, Mr Gallagher is by no means assured of a return to the Dáil and will be in a scramble with Independent TD Thomas Pringle and Sinn Féin’s Gary Doherty for the last seat.