Preliminary Census Reports makes interesting reading

The publication today of preliminary reports from the 2011 census provide some interesting statistics for county Donegal

The figure show for instance that the county’s population in 2011 stands at 160,927 – showing an increase of 13,663 or 9.3% on the 2006 census figure of 147,264.

Of that figure 80,411 are male, compared to 80,516 females.

Since 2006 the key changes in population in Donegal show 6,441 more males, 7,222 more females in the county as a whole.

One of the big questions after the numbers are crunched will focus on whether or not the county will continue to have six TDs when electoral reform measures are put in place.

One of the country’s top analysts Adrian Kavanagh, a lecturer in the Geography Department at NUI Maynooth has already tweeted that Donegal NE and SW are both too small now to remain as 3-seaters, but too large to become separate 5-seater, could be tricky

No doubt the number crunchers will be hard at work over the next few days on what this means for the country, and indeed perhaps for individual counties.

In the meantime I have included some of the key figures pertaining to Co Donegal in the tables below and all the figures can be found on www.cso.ie

Debates, debates and umm...debates

While the focus across the country today has been on the leaders debate on RTE last night, debates among the candidates in Donegal have kicked off in a big way this week.

Highland Radio who - over the years have set a high benchmark for superb election coverage from run-up to count-day - began their series of debates today hosted by Donal Kavanagh.

Four of the candidates from Donegal South-West were in studio today, with the remaining South-West candidates due to debate on Friday. 

And Highland have been extremely helpful to those who missed the debates at the time (like myself) by providing a play-back link on their web site here - Highland Debates

Tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday candidates from Donegal North-East will be in studio for the highland debates having already been in Carndonagh today for a debate in Inishowen on ICR the community radio station for the peninsula.

Ocean FM radio in Donegal South West are also running debates this week so the candidates from Donegal South West who were in studio in Letterkenny today will be back on air tomorrow (Wednesday) when Andrea Gilligan will anchor the Donegal South West election debate on Ocean FM on North West today from 9.00-12pm with all nine candidates.

If that weren’t enough candidates in both constituencies will also stand before members of Donegal Youth Council at debates in Letterkenny and Donegal Town to hear the concerns of the county’s young people and respond to their questions. Those debates kick-off in Donegal North East tonight and will be chaired by local journalist and blogger Paddy Duffy.

Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce has also organised debates for candidates in Donegal North East at 11am in the Station House Hotel on Friday 18^th February and they are keen to have members of the public come along.

And we're off...

If it seems like only a few weeks since we've had an election here in Donegal, well it's because...it's only a few weeks since we've had an election.

But the bye-election in Donegal South West before Christmas and the General Election to come following the dissolution of the Dáil on Tuesday - are two different ball games.

For a start, both constituencies will get to go the polls this time around and before a vote has been cast at all by the masses, the fun and games have begun in both constituencies with some public in-party squabbling.

In the South West, the Labour Party have re-iterated their support for Frank McBrearty as their candidate following claims last week by Thomas Pringle that he had been approached by Labour - and offered a Seanad seat if he would run.

That led to all sorts of claims and counter-claims over the week, but the local Labour Party were due to meet on Wednesday night to clear the air and get their head back in the game before the election race kicks off again.

There has been no news as yet from that meeting, but no doubt over the coming days something will emerge.

Meanwhile there are all sorts of fun and games in the Fianna Fáil camp Donegal North East. With the selection convention due to take place this Sunday night, an 'unofficial' convention held in Inishowen on Thursday night has selected councillor Charlie McConalogue as the peninsula's preferred candidate.

That convention was not attended by Senator Cecilia Keaveney who, it would appear, will no longer be a Fianna Fáil politician for long following the events of the past week.

But what will happen if party HQ - decide to run a single candidate? According to reports in Friday's Donegal News, Councillor McConalogue has the backing of Letterkenny FF supporters, suggesting a the rift between Niall Blaney and Fianna Fáil supporters in Donegal North East outside the Milford area.

If the party HQ choose Deputy Blaney as a single candidate - could he rely on FF support in Inishowen or would councillor McConalogue run as an independent?

Fine Gael's candidate in Donegal North East - Deputy Joe McHugh - is also based in the Milford Electoral Area - and while he has been selected by the party as their single candidate, reports on inishowennews.com recently suggested that Fine Gael members in the peninsula are also unhappy with this strategy and would like to see councillor John Ryan added to the ticket.

Sinn Féin have had no such controversies, Pearse Doherty following his romping success in the bye election will run again in South West, while the party will be very hopeful that Padraig Mac Lochlainn will take a second seat for them in the North East.

Throw into the mix suggestions that Brian O'Domhnaill could possibly pip Mary Coughlan in Donegal South West, the independent concerns of Thomas Pringle (SW), Betty Homes (NE), Ryan Stewart (NE) and Anne Sweeney (SW) and Jimmy Harte's switch to Labour in Donegal North-East and this has the makings of one very interesting general election in Donegal this time around.