1981 Ards Borough Council election
Local government election in Northern Ireland
1981 Ards Borough Council election
First party
Second party
Third party
Party
DUP
UUP
Alliance
Seats won
7
3
3
Seat change
4
3
2
Fourth party
Fifth party
Sixth party
Party
UPUP
NI Labour
SDLP
Seats won
2
1
1
Seat change
2
0
0
Seventh party
Party
Independent
Seats won
0
Seat change
1
Elections to Ards Borough Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections . The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 17 councillors .
Election results
Ards Borough Council Election Result 1981[ 1]
Party
Seats
Gains
Losses
Net gain/loss
Seats %
Votes %
Votes
+/−
DUP
7
4
0
4
41.2
37.1
8,120
23.3
UUP
3
0
3
3
17.6
21.7
4,759
10.1
Alliance
3
0
2
2
17.6
12.3
2,692
8.5
UPUP
2
2
0
0
11.8
12.9
2,816
New
NI Labour
1
0
0
0
5.9
6.5
1,424
1.5
SDLP
1
0
0
0
5.9
4.3
942
1.4
Ind. Unionist
0
0
1
1
0.0
4.8
311
1.7
Independent
0
0
0
0
0.0
3.3
738
5.3
Unionist Party NI
0
0
0
0
0.0
0.5
112
4.8
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.
Districts summary
Results of the Ards Borough Council election, 1981 by district[ 1]
Ward
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
Total Cllrs
DUP
UUP
Alliance
UPUP
NILP
SDLP
Others
Area A
32.0
2
24.7
2
9.6
1
14.3
1
0.0
0
11.9
1
7.5
0
7
Area B
40.2
3
14.1
0
12.6
1
16.0
1
17.1
1
0.0
0
0.0
0
6
Area C
39.5
2
28.8
1
15.5
1
6.1
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
10.1
0
4
Total
37.1
7
21.7
3
12.3
3
12.9
2
6.5
1
4.3
1
5.2
0
17
Districts results
Area A
1977: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP
1981: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x UPUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
1977-1981 Change: DUP and UPUP gain from UUP and Alliance
Ards Area A - 7 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
UPUP
Gladys McIntyre
13.04%
1,034
UUP
Robert Ambrose *
7.68%
609
610
627.04
653.64
692.04
747.52
758.64
1,021.64
SDLP
Patrick Doherty *
11.88%
942
942.04
942.04
943.12
943.12
943.12
961.16
965.2
1,347.2
DUP
Joseph Thompson *
11.57%
917
918.32
923.44
950.76
954.8
960.92
960.92
974.16
976.24
981.24
Alliance
William Sheldon *
5.39%
427
427.44
436.44
439.64
448.68
453.8
730.44
764.76
820.84
974.84
DUP
Oliver Johnston
11.04%
875
876.68
882.84
890.68
901.92
920.16
923.2
952.72
954.72
958.72
UUP
John Scott *
6.88%
545
548.48
576.72
592.08
633.6
758.12
790.32
878.6
882.84
886.84
DUP
Jim Shannon
9.35%
741
743.04
744.08
754.52
760.56
763.68
768.72
796.92
798.08
807.08
Independent
James McMullan
6.07%
481
481.64
484.64
486.68
486.68
488.68
492.68
495.72
UUP
William Caughey*
4.28%
339
339.72
346.84
358.12
420.56
483.28
491.4
Alliance
Alan Burnside
4.25%
337
337.36
341.36
346.16
348.2
367.36
UUP
James Kennett
3.27%
259
260
271.08
278.6
307.92
UUP
David Hamilton
2.64%
209
209.8
210.96
215.36
UPUP
Frances Millar
1.26%
100
125.48
140.96
Unionist Party NI
Michael Long
1.41%
112
113.52
Electorate: 14,228 Valid: 7,927 (55.71%) Spoilt: 235 Quota: 991 Turnout: 8,162 (57.37%)
Area B
1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x NILP, 1 x DUP
1981: 3 x DUP, 1 x NILP, 1 x UPUP, 1 x Alliance
1977-1981 Change: DUP (two seats) and UPUP gain from UUP (two seats) and Alliance
Ards Area B - 6 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
DUP
Hugh Boyd *
20.16%
1,681
NI Labour
Robert Gaw *
15.71%
1,310
DUP
John Elliott
8.03%
670
1,036.27
1,044.46
1,066.06
1,070.82
1,084.82
1,093.18
1,113.92
1,141.51
1,182.71
DUP
Simpson Gibson
12.05%
1,005
1,067.06
1,071.02
1,083.75
1,086.93
1,100.93
1,105.93
1,125.96
1,138.81
1,167.29
Alliance
Owen Dorrian *
9.41%
784
786.61
803.89
835.65
838.65
841.19
1,059.78
1,086.68
1,108.78
1,154.96
UPUP
Robert Brown
6.09%
508
538.16
545.72
552.61
559.17
566.46
575.73
686.73
724.76
1,136.69
UUP
Hugh Patton
4.59%
383
387.35
392.57
396.65
485.84
558.85
570.57
599.14
1,004.54
1,078.36
UPUP
James Murray
5.61%
468
471.77
478.61
486.76
493.85
499.12
505.84
660.55
686.21
UUP
Robert Hamilton
5.49%
458
465.54
469.68
475.02
502.29
558.03
569.21
593.6
UPUP
Hugh Yeaman
4.32%
360
362.9
368.03
374.92
379.3
388.93
397.58
Alliance
James Murphy
3.24%
270
270.29
273.53
286.5
289.59
294.86
UUP
Edward McLoughlin
1.99%
166
166.87
169.03
174.66
192.2
UUP
William Speers
1.94%
162
163.45
165.7
168.51
NI Labour
John Gray
1.37%
114
115.16
164.12
Electorate: 16,070 Valid: 8,339 (51.89%) Spoilt: 310 Quota: 1,192 Turnout: 8,649 (53.82%)
Area C
1977: 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist
1981: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from Independent Unionist
Ards Area C - 4 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
DUP
Thomas Gourley *
26.19%
1,479
UUP
Hamilton McKeag *
19.16%
1,082
1,099.02
1,111.71
1,201.71
DUP
John Hamilton
13.31%
752
1,041.8
1,057.72
1,082.41
1,087.33
1,112.61
1,187.61
Alliance
Jim McBriar *
9.31%
526
528.76
535.22
541.22
547.78
559.01
598.88
902.72
908.72
1,113.72
UUP
Gordon Brown
5.91%
334
339.52
356.75
416.05
466.89
481.12
551.78
571.78
595.78
753.78
Ind. Unionist
John Shields*
5.51%
311
314.68
317.68
325.14
327.6
499.62
540.9
570.59
584.59
Alliance
Kathleen Coulter
6.16%
348
350.53
353.53
362.53
362.53
377.53
388.99
UPUP
Robert McKee
3.93%
222
226.14
294.6
303.52
307.62
317.62
Independent
James Middleton
4.20%
237
240.22
247.22
255.45
257.91
UUP
James Caughey
3.77%
213
217.83
224.83
UPUP
Shirley McWhinney
2.20%
124
126.07
Independent
Thomas Adair
0.35%
20
20.69
Electorate: 9,936 Valid: 5,648 (56.84%) Spoilt: 168 Quota: 1,130 Turnout: 5,816 (58.53%)
References