Supporters of Fianna Fáil's Donal Coyle and Independent councillor Michael McBride erupted in applause as the 14th count confirmed they had retained their seats.
Councillor Coyle surpassed Aontú's Marty T. Sweeney's vote to secure his seat following a fierce race which, at times, was quite close.
Family and supporters surrounded the two councillors and hoisted them onto shoulders as the Aura Leisure Centre rang out with cheers.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.