Click 'Next' through the gallery to view the emotional photos.
Donal 'Mandy' Kelly supporters embraced him as the first count for the Letterkenny LEA confirmed he will return as a Donegal county councillor.
He received a total of 1,841 votes in the count, easily exceeding the quota of 1,629.
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.