1981 Down District Council election
Local govt election in Northern Ireland
1981 Down District Council election
Elections to Down District 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 20 councillors .
Election results
Down District Council Election Result 1981[ 1]
Party
Seats
Gains
Losses
Net gain/loss
Seats %
Votes %
Votes
+/−
SDLP
9
0
1
1
45.0
42.1
10,233
2.5
UUP
5
0
2
2
25.0
27.3
6,694
4.1
DUP
3
3
0
3
15.0
13.0
3,188
New
Alliance
1
0
2
2
5.0
8.4
2,055
3.4
Republican Clubs
1
1
0
1
5.0
6.5
1,587
3.9
Independent Labour
1
1
0
1
5.0
2.7
665
2.7
Independent
0
0
0
0
0.0
0.3
74
3.2
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.
Districts summary
Results of the Down District Council election, 1981 by district[ 1]
Ward
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
Total Cllrs
SDLP
UUP
DUP
Alliance
Workers Party
Others
Area A
24.4
2
43.0
3
24.4
2
7.3
0
0.0
0
0.9
0
7
Area B
50.5
3
17.5
1
0.0
0
9.5
0
14.1
1
8.4
1
6
Area C
51.2
4
20.8
1
13.9
1
8.4
1
5.7
0
0.0
0
7
Total
42.1
9
27.3
5
13.0
3
8.4
1
6.5
1
2.7
1
20
Districts results
Area A
1977: 4 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
1981: 3 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 2 x DUP
1977-1981 Change: DUP (two seats) gain from UUP and Alliance
Down Area A - 7 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
DUP
Cecil Harvey
16.52%
1,387
SDLP
Francis Laverty *
9.63%
809
810.2
820.2
820.2
829.2
829.2
830.2
1,064.2
UUP
Samuel Osborne *
11.36%
954
973.92
974.92
977.16
1,007.4
1,012.72
1,038.44
1,041.68
1,078.68
SDLP
Monica Smyth
8.94%
751
751.48
765.48
765.48
779.48
779.48
703.4
1,021.96
1,272.96
UUP
Dermot Nesbitt
8.72%
732
744.96
744.96
772.96
779.96
785.84
965.48
967.2
999.2
1,018.2
1,036.6
UUP
William Brown *
7.63%
641
652.04
652.04
823.16
828.16
834.36
899.32
899.32
946.56
964.56
969.16
DUP
Thomas Poole
5.68%
477
619.32
621.32
632.28
633.52
888.76
901.44
902.44
906.44
909.44
909.44
UUP
William Finlay*
7.80%
655
667.72
668.72
704.72
707.72
733.36
822.04
827.04
870.28
882.28
887.8
Alliance
John Rodgers
3.88%
326
326.48
351.48
353.48
551.48
551.48
552.48
566.72
SDLP
Thomas Murray
5.82%
489
490.68
500.68
500.92
512.92
513.92
515.92
UUP
James Glover
4.23%
355
361.24
364.24
385.48
386.48
391.92
DUP
Thomas McKee
2.23%
187
302.2
304.2
307.44
307.44
Alliance
Wanda Rowan-Hamilton
3.41%
286
286.48
286.48
287.48
UUP
William Cochrane
3.27%
275
280.28
280.28
Independent
Francis Rice
0.60%
50
50
Independent
Eileen Rice
0.29%
24
24
Electorate: 11,993 Valid: 8,398 (70.02%) Spoilt: 216 Quota: 1,050 Turnout: 8,614 (71.83%)
Area B
1977: 4 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
1981: 3 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Independent Labour
1977-1981 Change: Republican Clubs and Independent Labour gain from SDLP and Alliance
Down Area B - 6 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
SDLP
Eddie McGrady *
21.56%
1,711
Republican Clubs
Raymond Blaney
14.13%
1,121
1,153.64
SDLP
Dermot Curran *
11.25%
893
987.52
1,016.9
1,178.9
UUP
Cecil Maxwell *
11.03%
875
882.14
894.82
905.5
1,403.5
SDLP
John Ritchie *
8.15%
647
787.08
803.76
869.48
869.48
874.48
880.48
1,171.48
Independent Labour
Malachi Curran
8.38%
665
691.86
717.9
763.74
764.74
779.74
788.14
994.8
Alliance
George Flinn*
5.68%
451
461.2
634.2
652.92
659.92
822.92
823.82
902.56
SDLP
Sean Quinn*
4.70%
373
552.18
580.86
723.34
724.34
727.34
756.74
UUP
Elizabeth Kennedy
6.46%
513
513
515
515
SDLP
John Bryce
4.81%
382
455.78
461.46
Alliance
Michael Healy
3.84%
305
312.82
Electorate: 10,747 Valid: 7,936 (73.84%) Spoilt: 252 Quota: 1,134 Turnout: 8,188 (76.19%)
Area C
1977: 4 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
1981: 4 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP
1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from UUP
Down Area C - 7 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
SDLP
Patrick O'Donoghue *
16.27%
1,328
DUP
Ethel Smyth *
13.93%
1,137
UUP
Gerald Douglas
11.50%
939
940.15
991.35
994.35
1,097.35
SDLP
Eamon O'Neill *
10.07%
822
939.53
939.93
949.93
954.41
954.41
1,068.41
SDLP
James Curry
9.34%
762
828.47
828.47
847.16
856.49
856.49
960.38
1,152.38
SDLP
James Magee *
10.12%
826
857.05
857.05
861.28
861.28
861.28
900.26
1,099.26
Alliance
Patrick Forde *
5.97%
487
498.27
500.47
502.47
661.39
670.87
732.48
758.51
810.51
852.51
UUP
Norman Bicker*
7.02%
573
573
595.9
601.33
711.06
776.63
778.09
781.32
784.32
791.32
SDLP
Stephen McClean
5.39%
440
477.49
477.49
482.72
485.95
486.74
535.18
Workers' Party
Edward O'Hagan
4.28%
349
376.14
376.34
442.95
447.95
447.95
UUP
William Keown
2.23%
182
182.23
211.63
211.63
Alliance
Anthony Dickinson
2.45%
200
203.22
203.92
205.92
Republican Clubs
David Allister
1.43%
117
120.22
120.42
Electorate: 11,077 Valid: 8,162 (73.68%) Spoilt: 251 Quota: 1,021 Turnout: 8,413 (75.95%)
References