1980 Donegal by-election

1980 Donegal by-election

← 1977 6 November 1980 1981 →
Turnout	60,077 (73.9%)
Coughlan Kelly Nominee Clement Coughlan Dinny McGinley Paddy Kelly Party Fianna Fáil Fine Gael Independent Fianna Fáil First preferences 23,456 20,022 14,198 Percentage 39.0% 33.3% 23.6% Final count 29,219 24,085 –
TD before election Joseph Brennan Ceann Comhairle TD after election Clement Coughlan Fianna Fáil

A Dáil by-election was held in the constituency of Donegal in Ireland on Thursday, 6 November 1980, to fill a vacancy in the 21st Dáil. It followed the death of the Ceann Comhairle Joseph Brennan on 13 July 1980.^[1][2]

A government motion to issue the writ of election to fill the vacancy was agreed by the Dáil on 16 October 1980.^[3] The by-election was won by Fianna Fáil candidate Clement Coughlan.^[4]

Coughlan died in a road traffic accident in early 1983, leading to the 1983 Donegal South-West by-election.