Local govt election in Northern Ireland
1977 Magherafelt District Council election
Elections to Magherafelt District Council were held on 18 May 1977 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections . The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 15 councillors .
Election results
Magherafelt District Council Election Result 1977[ 1]
Party
Seats
Gains
Losses
Net gain/loss
Seats %
Votes %
Votes
+/−
SDLP
5
0
1
1
33.3
35.1
5,451
2.9
UUP
4
1
2
1
26.7
20.1
3,127
9.0
DUP
3
3
0
3
20.0
18.7
2,897
New
Republican Clubs
1
0
0
0
0.0
8.5
1,323
0.6
UUUP
1
1
0
1
6.7
6.3
972
New
Ind. Nationalist
1
0
0
0
6.7
4.4
685
0.8
Alliance
0
0
0
0
0.0
4.7
727
0.1
Unionist Party NI
0
0
0
0
0.0
1.2
181
New
Vanguard
0
0
0
0
0.0
1.1
165
5.2
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.
Districts summary
Results of the Magherafelt District Council election, 1977 by district[ 1]
Ward
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
Total Cllrs
SDLP
UUP
DUP
RC
UUUP
Others
Area A
47.8
2
26.2
2
10.0
0
17.0
1
0.0
0
0.0
0
5
Area B
21.5
1
24.5
2
14.8
1
9.1
0
10.1
1
20.0
1
5
Area C
36.5
2
10.2
1
31.4
2
0.0
0
8.4
0
13.5
0
5
Total
35.1
5
20.1
4
18.7
3
8.5
1
6.3
1
11.3
1
15
Districts results
Area A
1973: 3 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Republican Clubs
1977: 2 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Republican Clubs
1973-1977 Change: UUP gain from SDLP
Magherafelt Area A - 5 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
SDLP
Philip Bradley *
24.87%
1,243
Republican Clubs
Francis Donnelly *
11.20%
560
619.4
682.76
844.92
UUP
Francis Thompson
13.07%
653
653
654
654
654
927
SDLP
Patrick Sweeney *
13.81%
690
789
806.08
830.32
832.48
832.48
UUP
John Henning
13.13%
656
656.72
656.72
656.72
657.08
827.24
SDLP
Francis McKendry
9.10%
455
674.24
676.24
689.92
692.44
693.52
DUP
Phyllis Charlton
8.98%
449
455.12
455.12
455.12
455.12
Republican Clubs
Kevin Murphy
3.86%
193
213.52
225.88
Republican Clubs
Peter Merron
1.98%
99
100.8
Electorate: 6,853 Valid: 4,998 (72.93%) Spoilt: 285 Quota: 834 Turnout: 5,283 (77.09%)
Area B
1973: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Vanguard, 1 x Independent Nationalist
1977: 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUUP, 1 x Independent Nationalist
1973-1977 Change: DUP and UUUP gain from UUP and Vanguard
Magherafelt Area B - 5 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
DUP
Matthew Hyndman
14.81%
768
809
812
812
812
960
Ind. Nationalist
Vincent O'Neill *
13.21%
685
685
698
712
753
753
753
912
UUP
Thomas Kelso *
11.27%
584
647
667
667
667
713
726
727
986
UUUP
Robert Overend
10.13%
525
545
597
597
597
686
760.75
761.75
914.75
SDLP
Patrick Scullion *
9.82%
509
509
530
568
602
602
602
651
654
658
661
685.96
SDLP
John Madden
7.29%
378
379
388
405
566
566
566
626
630
637
639
660.32
UUP
Robert Shiels
7.35%
381
393
414
414
414
451
456.85
461.85
Republican Clubs
Murty Dorrity
5.42%
281
283
289
397
402
402
402
UUP
David Porte
5.90%
306
321
326
328
328
SDLP
Frank McWilliams
4.38%
227
227
234
243
Republican Clubs
Michael Scullion
3.67%
190
190
198
Alliance
Thomas Smyth
3.57%
185
190
Vanguard
Ian Davidson*
3.18%
165
Electorate: 6,757 Valid: 5,184 (76.72%) Spoilt: 192 Quota: 865 Turnout: 5,376 (79.56%)
Area C
1973: 2 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x United Loyalist
1977: 2 x SDLP, 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP
1973-1977 Change: DUP gain from UUP, United Loyalist joins DUP
Magherafelt Area C - 5 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
DUP
William McCrea *
24.73%
1,322
SDLP
Michael O'Neill *
14.65%
783
783
791
791
793
1,012
SDLP
William Conaghan
15.23%
814
814.32
819.32
820.32
820.32
920.32
DUP
George Miller
6.70%
358
665.2
665.54
682.84
772.04
772.04
772.04
980.04
UUP
Thomas Bradley *
10.23%
547
575.8
578.8
657.12
686.88
686.88
689.88
839.36
Alliance
Wilfred Brennan
8.75%
468
474.08
519.4
551.4
555.04
570.04
670.04
697.88
UUUP
Robert Ditty
4.86%
260
294.88
294.88
333.84
434.92
435.92
435.92
SDLP
Joseph Walls
6.58%
352
352
358
358
362
UUUP
Ruby Speer
3.50%
187
227.96
227.96
234.28
Unionist Party NI
William Galway*
3.39%
181
182.92
182.92
Alliance
George Logue
1.38%
74
74.64
Electorate: 7,307 Valid: 5,346 (73.16%) Spoilt: 272 Quota: 892 Turnout: 5,618 (76.89%)
References