Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty, one of the party's pre-election favourites to win a Dáil seat, said unexpected strong performances by both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael scuppered his prospects.
Doherty and his supporters were bitterly disappointed that he did not win a seat despite a first-preference vote of 8,462 that was more than three times his 2002 count.
Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan, who is 42 today, got an early birthday present when she topped the poll, exceeding the quota on the first count.
The outcome in the constituency was clear at an early stage with all parties agreed even before the unofficial tallies were concluded that there was going to be no change.
So convincing was 's triumph that she was greeted with loud applause by her supporters on her arrival in the John Bosco Centre in Donegal town with husband David and children Cathal (9) and Maeve (8). They arrived three hours before the announcement of the first official count result which was unexpectedly delayed for more than 90 minutes by a haggle over spoiled votes.
A feature of the result was the strong performance of Fine Gael's Dinny McGinley.
He announced his intention to retire from politics last year and Ardara-based councillor Terence Slowey was initially the party's official candidate.
A bitter rift in the party - which was expected to benefit Sinn Féin - was mended only when Slowey stepped down and McGinley did a U-turn, accepting a belated nomination to attempt to retain his seat.
At one stage of the count he seemed set to be the second person elected in the three-seat constituency but shrewd FF vote-management ensured Pat The Cope Gallagher exceeded the quota ahead of him. McGinley took the last seat with a margin of over a thousand votes over the Sinn Féin contender.
Overall change: No change
Outgoing TDs
Pat 'the Cope' Gallagher FF
Mary Coughlan FF
Dinney McGinley FG