1981 Down District Council election
20 May 1981 (1981-05-20)
All 20 seats to Down District Council
11 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party SDLP Ulster Unionist DUP
Seats won 9 5 3
Seat change Decrease 1 Decrease 2 Increase 3
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party Alliance Republican Clubs Independent Labour
Seats won 3 1 1
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 1 Increase 1

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 Decrease1 45.0 42.1 10,233 Decrease2.5
  Ulster Unionist 5 0 2 Decrease2 25.0 27.3 6,694 Decrease4.1
  DUP 3 3 0 Increase3 15.0 13.0 3,188 New
  Alliance 1 0 2 Decrease2 5.0 8.4 2,055 Decrease3.4
  Republican Clubs 1 1 0 Increase1 5.0 6.5 1,587 Increase3.9
  Independent Labour 1 1 0 Increase1 5.0 2.7 665 Increase2.7
  Independent 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.3 74 Decrease3.2

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary

[1]

Results of the Down District Council election, 1981
by district
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]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1234567891011
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      
Ulster Unionist 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    
Ulster Unionist 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
Ulster Unionist 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
Ulster Unionist 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        
Ulster Unionist 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              
Ulster Unionist 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]
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    12345678
    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        
    Ulster Unionist 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  
    Ulster Unionist 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]
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      12345678910
      SDLP Patrick O'Donoghue* 16.27% 1,328                  
      DUP Ethel Smyth* 13.93% 1,137                  
      Ulster Unionist 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
      Ulster Unionist 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        
      Ulster Unionist 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

        1. 1 2 "Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Down". www.ark.ac.uk.
        2. 1 2 3 "Local Government Results 1981". EONI. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
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