54°31′16″N 5°44′49″W / 54.521°N 5.747°W / 54.521; -5.747

Ards
Former County constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Former constituency
Created1929
Abolished1972
Election methodFirst past the post

Ards was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

Boundaries

Ards was a county constituency comprising the town of Newtownards, the Ards peninsula and the town of Donaghadee. It was created in 1929 when the House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929 introduced first past the post elections throughout Northern Ireland. Ards was created by the division of Down into eight new constituencies. The constituency survived unchanged, returning one member of Parliament until the Parliament of Northern Ireland was temporarily suspended in 1972, and then formally abolished in 1973.[1]

Politics

Ards had a unionist majority, and consistently elected Ulster Unionist Party members. It was sometimes contested by members of the Ulster Liberal Party, Northern Ireland Labour Party or Commonwealth Labour Party, who received between 19% and 42% of the votes cast.[2]

Members of Parliament

Elected Party Name[2]
1929 Ulster Unionist Henry Mulholland
1945 Ulster Unionist Robert Perceval-Maxwell
1949 Ulster Unionist William May
1962 Ulster Unionist William Long
May died during his time in office and his seat was vacant at dissolution.

Elections

General Election 1929: Ards[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Henry Mulholland 8,556 67.2
NI Labour A. Adams 2,818 22.2
Ulster Liberal J. Boyd 1,349 10.6
Majority 5,738 45.0
Turnout 12,723 74.7
Ulster Unionist win (new seat)

At the 1933 and 1938 general elections, Henry Mulholland was elected unopposed.[2]

General Election 1945: Ards[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Robert Perceval-Maxwell 7,976 58.7 N/A
Commonwealth Labour Albert McElroy 5,615 41.3 New
Majority 2,361 17.4 N/A
Turnout 13,591 70.8 N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A

At the 1949 Northern Ireland general election, William May was elected unopposed.[2]

General Election 1953: Ards[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist William May 9,562 70.4 N/A
NI Labour Jack McDowell 4,022 29.6 New
Majority 5,540 40.8 N/A
Turnout 13,584 60.0 N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A

At the 1958 Northern Ireland general election, William May was elected unopposed.[2]

General Election 1962: Ards[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist William Long 7,501 71.4 N/A
Ulster Liberal Albert McElroy 3,008 28.6 New
Majority 4,493 42.8 N/A
Turnout 10,509 48.6 N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 1965: Ards[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist William Long 7,442 81.0 +9.6
NI Labour E. Bell 1,740 19.0 New
Majority 5,720 62.0 +19.2
Turnout 9,182 45.1 -3.5
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A

At the 1969 Northern Ireland general election, William Long was elected unopposed.[2]

  • Parliament prorogued 30 March 1972 and abolished 18 July 1973

References

  1. ↑ The Northern Ireland House of Commons, 1921-1972, Northern Ireland Elections
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Northern Ireland Parliamentary Elections Results: Counties: Down". Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2007.
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