The 1879 Donegal by-election was fought on 15 December 1879. The by-election, to one of two seats in the UK

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

constituency of Donegal, arose due to the death of the incumbent

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

MP, William Wilson. Early reports suggested that the Conservative candidate would be Lord Mountcharles, son of the Marquess of Conyngham, who owned an estate in the county, and was said to be personally popular as his tenants enjoyed 'the largest measure of

tenant-right Tenant-right is a term in the common law system expressing the right to compensation which a tenant has, either by custom or by law, against his landlord for increment at the termination of his tenancy. In England, it was governed for most part b ...

'. A Mr McDavitt, a lawyer, was reported as the likely Liberal candidate, supporting

Home Rule Home rule is the government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governan ...

. Mountcharles issued an election address, promising to support improvements to the Land Act and 'extension of the principle of local government'. However he shortly after withdrew from the contest. The candidate nominated for the Conservatives was David Brown McCorkell, a barrister from

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

; Thomas Lea, a manufacturer from Kidderminster in England, was nominated as the Liberal candidate . Lea, formerly MP for

Kidderminster Kidderminster is a market town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, south-west of Birmingham and north of Worcester, England, Worcester. Located north of the River Stour, Worcestershire, River Stour and east of the River Severn, in th ...

, had failed to win the Donegal seat in the previous by-election by less than 100 votes. Although this had for long been a Conservative seat, following the withdrawal of Lord Mountcharles there was an expectation that Lea would win. When the votes were counted, he had 2,313 votes as against 1,630 for McCorkell, a Liberal gain with a majority of 683."Election Intelligence." Times ondon, England17 Dec. 1879

References

{{By-elections to the 21st UK Parliament 1879 elections in the United Kingdom By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in County Donegal constituencies December 1879 1879 elections in Ireland