He led Donegal to their first All Ireland in 1992.
And now he has helped Fianna Fáil to a seat on Donegal County Council. All-Ireland winning GAA captain Anthony Molloy won a seat for Fianna Fáil in the Glenties Electoral area.
In the same constituency, the outgoing Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Seamus O'Domhnaill lost his seat for Fianna Fáil.
It was a strong performance by Fianna Fáil, taking 12 seats as Sinn Féin took 10 seats.
Controversial Donegal county councillor John O’Donnell topped the poll in his electoral area.
The Independent politician was embroiled in controversy after the Standards in Public Office found against him following an RTÉ Investigates programme.
Councillor O’Donnell was filmed for the programme holding discussions with an undercover reporter claiming to be a wind farm investor.
When he asked by the “reporter” if he could help with the zoning of land, he said he could “lobby the other councillors to be more supportive of wind farm development”.
However, councillor O’Donnell said he was entrapped by the reporter. He was recently censored by Donegal County Council after 20 county councillors attended a specially-convened meeting of the council to discuss the SIPO findings. The council did not have the power to expel Councillor O’Donnell but it did stop him from addressing the council and also prevented him from sitting on any committees apart from one.
He was recently approached by RTÉ again to give an interview, but he refused to speak saying the people would decide his future on May 24th.
Cllr O’Donnell received a loud cheer when he arrived at the Aura Leisure Centre in Letterkenny on Saturday after being returned to Donegal County Council. Among the first to greet Mr O’Donnell was his mother Ann.
“The people have spoken and I’m delighted with the outcome,” he said. “It’s an absolutely resounding victory. There is a lot of joy and it’s very emotional. I always said that I’d let the people of Milford decide and let them speak.”
(First preference votes: candidates elected in bold)
Buncrana: 5 seats
Paul Canning (Fianna Fáil) - 1,720 (elected count 1)
Rena Donaghey (Fianna Fáil) - 1,436 (elected count 1)
Jack Murray (Sinn Féin) - 1,414 (elected count 1)
Nicholas Crossan (Ind) - 1,183 (elected count 8)
Terry Crossan (Sinn Féin) - 808 (elected count 9)
Mickey Doherty (Fine Gael) - 532
Frankie Lavelle (Ind) - 373
Michelle McKenna (Fine Gael) - 318
Joe Murphy (Aontú) - 304
Sinéad Stewart (Ind) - 289
Mark McKinney (Ind) - 92
Carndonagh: 4 seats
Martin McDermott (Fianna Fáil) - 2,501 (elected count 1)
Martin Farren (Labour) - 1,383 (elected count 3)
Albert Doherty (Sinn Féin) - 1,151 (elected count 3)
Bernard McGuinness (Fine Gael) - 1,043 (elected count 6)
Marie Duffy (Fianna Fáil) - 627
Tracy Cullen (Ind) - 282
Mary Rose Doherty (Aontú) - 195
Arthur Desmond McGuinness (Ind) - 54
Donegal: 6 seats
Niamh Kennedy (Independent) - 1,540 (elected count 11)
Noel Jordan (Sinn Féin) - 1,535 (elected count 12)
Michéal Naughton (Fianna Fáil) - 1,192 (elected count 14)
Barry Sweeny (Fine Gael) - 1,116 (elected count 14)
Tom Conaghan (Independent) - 944 (elected count 14)
Michael McMahon (Sinn Féin) - 900 (elected count 14)
John McNulty (Fine Gael) - 978
Billy Grimes (Independent) - 868
Seamus Maguire (Independent) - 868
John J Boyle (Fine Gael) - 791
Pauric Kennedy (Independent) - 735
Philip McGlynn (Fianna Fáil) - 521
Eimear McGuinness (Fianna Fáil) - 497
Roger Meehan (Fianna Fáil) - 483
Diarmaid Doherty (Independent) - 389
Seán Ó Beirne (Independent) - 325
Cyril Brennan (Solidarity-People Before Profit) - 284
Valerie McNulty (Independent) - 194
Justin Coughlin (Independent) - 138
Glenties: 6 seats
Micheál Choilm Mac Giolla Easbuig (Ind) - 2,007 (elected count 1)
John Sheamuis Ó Fearraigh (Sinn Féin)- 1,429 (elected count 8)
Marie Therese Gallagher (Sinn Féin) - 1,089 (elected count 9)
Noreen McGarvey (Fianna Fáil) - 1,018 (elected count 9)
Michael McClafferty (Fine Gael) - 1,012 (elected count 9)
Anthony Molloy (Fianna Fáil) - 916 (elected count 9)
Séamus O'Domhnaill (Fianna Fáil) - 979
Brian Carr (Sinn Féin) - 922
Enda Bonner (Fianna Fáil) - 893
Liam Whyte (Ind) - 822
Evelyn Sweeney (Fine Gael) - 724
Séamus Rodgers (Labour Party) - 544
Liam Mulligan (Aontú) - 349
Letterkenny: 7 seats
Ciarán Brogan (Fianna Fáil) - 1,570 (elected count 1)
Jimmy Kavanagh (Fine Gael) - 1,233 (elected count 7)
Donal Coyle (Fianna Fáil) - 1,192 (elected count 9)
Michael McBride (Ind) - 1,141 (elected count 8)
Kevin Bradley (Ind) - 993 (elected count 9)
Manus Mandy Kelly (Fianna Fáil) - 906 (elected count 9)
Gerry McMonagle (Sinn Féin) - 839 (elected count 9)
Mary T Sweeney (Aontú) - 856
Adrian Glackin (Sinn Féin) - 799
Bernie Moran (Fine Gael) - 741
Thoiba Ahmed (Ind) - 525
Charlie McClafferty (Ind) - 459
Cathal McGlynn (Ind) - 251
Finnian O'Donnell (Ind) - 201
Lifford-Stranorlar: 6 seats
Martin Harley (Fine Gael) - 1,688 (elected count 1)
Patrick McGowan (Fianna Fáil) - 1,606 (elected count 1)
Gary Doherty (Sinn Féin) - 1,571 (elected count 1)
Gerry Crawford (Fianna Fáil) - 1,369 (elected count 3)
Liam Doherty (Sinn Féin) - 744 (elected count 8)
Frank McBrearty (Fine Gael) - 965 (elected count 8)
Garvan Connolly (Fine Gael) - 713
Alan McMenamin (Ind) - 474
John Hartnett (Aontú) - 223
Michael De Ward (Ind) - 206
Maghnus Monaghan (Renua Ireland) - 279
Milford: 3 seats
John O'Donnell (Ind) - 1,959 (elected count 1)
Liam Blaney (Fianna Fáil) - 1,716 (elected count 3)
Ian McGarvey (Ind) - 805 (elected count 5)
Maria Doherty (Sinn Féin) - 752
Noel McBride (Fine Gael) - 748
Eimer Friel (Fine Gael) - 725
Declan Meehan (Ind) - 677
Dermot Hardy (Aontú) - 338
Charlie McGinley (Ind) - 63
