1981 Londonderry City Council election

Main article: Northern Ireland local elections, 1981
1981 Londonderry City Council election
← 1977 20 May 1981 (1981-05-20) 1985 →
All 27 seats to Londonderry City Council
14 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party SDLP DUP UUP
Seats won 14 5 4
Seat change Increase 1 Increase 3 Decrease 2
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party Irish Independence Nationalist Alliance
Seats won 4 0 0
Seat change Increase 4 Decrease 4 Decrease 2

Elections to Londonderry City Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used five district electoral areas to elect a total of 27 councillors.

Election results

Londonderry City Council Election Result 1981[1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  SDLP 14 1 0 Increase1 51.9 41.3 13,705 Decrease0.8
  DUP 5 3 0 Increase3 18.5 18.6 6,177 Increase11.9
  UUP 4 0 2 Decrease2 14.8 15.6 5,168 Decrease7.9
  Irish Independence 4 4 0 Increase4 14.8 13.7 4,553 New
  Alliance 0 0 2 Decrease2 0.0 6.4 2,115 Decrease5.5
  Independent Labour 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 1.3 439 Increase1.3
  Independent 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 1.2 396 Increase1.2
  Irish Republican Socialist 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.7 236 New
  Ind. Republican 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.7 235 Increase0.7
  Republican Clubs 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.4 139 Decrease1.5
  NI Labour 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.1 39 Steady0.0

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary

Results of the Londonderry City Council election, 1981
by district[1]
Ward %
Cllrs
 %
Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
Cllrs
 Total
Cllrs
SDLP DUP UUP IIP Others
Area A 42.4 3 27.2 2 24.2 1 0.0 0 6.2 0 6
Area B 20.6 1 36.3 2 28.1 2 5.3 0 9.7 0 5
Area C 53.0 3 0.0 0 0.0 0 26.8 2 20.2 0 5
Area D 48.2 3 0.0 0 15.5 1 26.5 1 9.8 0 5
Area E 49.3 4 10.5 1 6.2 0 22.3 1 11.7 0 5
Total 41.3 14 18.6 5 15.6 4 13.7 4 10.8 0 27

Districts results

Area A

1977: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP
1981: 3 x SDLP, 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP
1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from UUP

Londonderry Area A - 6 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
DUP John Henry* 16.60% 1,412          
UUP Robert Bond* 11.01% 937 948.34 1,107.62 1,269.62    
SDLP Thomas Doherty* 9.84% 837 837.14 921.14 921.14 1,371.14  
SDLP George Peoples* 11.07% 942 942.14 984.14 988.14 1,232.14  
SDLP John McNickle* 11.97% 1,018 1,018.14 1,041.14 1,041.28 1,148.28 1,299.21
DUP William Hay 10.65% 906 1,071.76 1,100.9 1,159.96 1,161.96 1,162.74
UUP Ernest Hamilton 6.96% 592 598.3 635.58 959.74 962.74 964.3
SDLP Danny Ferguson 9.50% 808 808 844 844    
UUP Alan Lindsay 6.18% 526 536.78 558.06      
Alliance John Allen 3.74% 318 318.56        
Alliance James Patterson 2.03% 173 173.42        
NI Labour Delap Stevenson 0.46% 39 39.14        
Electorate: 11,803   Valid: 8,508 (72.08%)   Spoilt: 278   Quota: 1,216   Turnout: 8,786 (74.44%)  

Area B

1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
1981: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP
1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from Alliance

Londonderry Area B - 5 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
DUP Anna Hay* 20.63% 1,586              
DUP Gregory Campbell 15.69% 1,206 1,207 1,459.7          
SDLP Michael Fegan* 14.56% 1,119 1,129 1,129.19 1,129.33 1,303.33      
UUP James Guy* 14.03% 1,078 1,083 1,114.73 1,210.35 1,212.35 1,590.35    
UUP Robert Ferris 7.59% 583 584 591.6 636.12 636.26 748.63 1,037.47 1,044.47
Alliance Robert McCullough 9.20% 707 711 714.23 719.97 725.97 746.75 764.18 922.18
SDLP Colm Elliott 6.01% 462 471 471 471 558 558 558  
UUP George McNally 6.45% 496 496 500.37 526.55 527.55      
Irish Independence Thomas McGlinchey 5.33% 410 413 413 413.28        
Independent Labour Bernard McAnaney 0.51% 39              
Electorate: 10,950   Valid: 7,686 (70.19%)   Spoilt: 169   Quota: 1,282   Turnout: 7,855 (71.74%)  

Area C

1977: 3 x SDLP, 2 x Nationalist
1981: 3 x SDLP, 2 x IIP
1977-1981 Change: Nationalists (two seats) join IIP

Londonderry Area C - 5 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
SDLP Patrick Devine* 33.72% 1,566                      
SDLP Anna Gallagher 7.60% 353 733.97 733.97 744.48 749.48 768.54 801.54          
Irish Independence John McChrystal* 12.90% 599 631.13 635.13 642.13 704.13 725.64 730.15 765.15 897.15      
Irish Independence Gerard Barr* 6.44% 299 312.77 316.28 319.28 343.79 350.79 353.79 400.3 400.3 499.81 583.81 646.34
SDLP Joseph Moran 4.93% 229 425.86 426.37 430.41 432.41 455.53 484.08 492.59 514.59 536.2 542.2 617.93
SDLP Raymond Rogan 6.72% 312 399.21 399.21 406.76 408.78 419.31 461.37 469.39 472.39 476.41 478.41 505.47
Independent Samuel Brown 5.90% 274 291.34 292.34 300.85 300.85 339.38 351.89 368.89 369.89 379.4 383.4  
Irish Independence Eileen Doherty 4.76% 221 233.24 239.24 243.24 266.26 276.26 278.26 343.28 343.28      
Ind. Republican Vincent Coyle 3.75% 174 177.57 221.57 223.57 228.57 240.59 242.1          
Alliance Gerard O'Grady 4.59% 213 219.63 219.63 228.14 228.14 236.67            
Republican Clubs Eamonn Melaugh 3.08% 143 159.83 159.83 175.34 177.34              
Irish Independence Patrick Harkin 2.69% 125 128.06 129.06 130.06                
Independent Labour Ann Donnelly 1.61% 75 81.63 81.63                  
Ind. Republican John Carr 1.31% 61 63.04                    
Electorate: 9,071   Valid: 4,644 (51.20%)   Spoilt: 247   Quota: 775   Turnout: 4,891 (53.92%)  

Area D

1977: 3 x SDLP, 1 x Nationalist, 1 x UUP
1981: 3 x SDLP, 1 x IIP, 1 x DUP
1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from UUP, Nationalist joins IIP

Londonderry Area D - 5 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
SDLP William Keys* 24.08% 788            
Irish Independence Liam Bradley* 18.06% 591            
DUP Margaret Buchanan 15.49% 507            
SDLP William McCartney 10.79% 353 521.95 525.52 549.52      
SDLP John Tierney 13.38% 438 481.4 483.99 496.92 504.68 516.1 564.1
Irish Independence Roger O'Doherty 5.56% 182 187.89 205.95 218.68 252.94 355.75 364.58
Alliance Snoo Sinclair 4.31% 141 145.96 146.24 155.07 156.38 160.38  
Irish Independence Liam Wray 2.84% 93 94.55 104.63 112.84 144.06    
Irish Republican Socialist Thomas McCourt 2.81% 92 95.72 98.66 104.87      
Independent Labour Colm Fox 2.69% 88 94.82 96.71        
Electorate: 5,119   Valid: 3,273 (63.94%)   Spoilt: 153   Quota: 546   Turnout: 3,426 (66.93%)  

Area E

1977: 3 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Nationalist
1981: 4 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x IIP
1977-1981 Change: SDLP gain from Alliance, Nationalist joins IIP

Londonderry Area E - 6 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
SDLP Frank Donnelly* 14.78% 1,344                      
Irish Independence Fergus McAteer* 13.23% 1,203 1,203 1,204.77 1,236.77 1,284.77 1,372.77            
UUP David Davis 10.51% 956 956 956 956 956 956 957 958 958 1,465    
SDLP William O'Connell* 12.93% 1,176 1,177 1,182.67 1,199.67 1,202.7 1,212.7 1,234.85 1,245.88 1,247.72 1,247.75 1,247.75 1,307.75
SDLP Leonard Green* 10.82% 984 989 1,012.88 1,023.88 1,031.88 1,038.91 1,076.39 1,102.48 1,105.24 1,106.24 1,106.89 1,244.69
SDLP William McCorriston* 10.73% 976 977 982.31 994.34 997.34 998.37 1,020.55 1,030.58 1,031.5 1,035.5 1,035.5 1,094.26
Alliance Mary Breen 6.19% 563 563 563.99 569.99 570.99 571.99 603.99 622.99 623.91 638.91 802.06 824.74
Irish Independence James Crossan 3.84% 349 349 349.21 358.24 383.24 455.27 473.27 722.33 788.57 789.57 790.22  
DUP Annette Hetherington 6.16% 560 560 560.03 560.03 560.03 560.03 562.03 563.03 563.03      
Irish Independence Edward Bradley 3.31% 301 301 301.3 307.3 323.3 339.3 363.36          
Independent Labour John Duffy 1.80% 164 215 216.05 223.05 231.05 234.05            
Irish Independence Denis McIntyre 1.98% 180 182 182.09 189.09 205.09              
Irish Republican Socialist Paul Whoriskey 1.58% 144 146 146.03 155.03                
Independent Michael Shiels 1.34% 122 125 125.06                  
Independent Labour William Webster 0.80% 73                      
Electorate: 15,885   Valid: 9,095 (57.26%)   Spoilt: 282   Quota: 1,300   Turnout: 9,377 (59.03%)  

References

  1. ^ a b "Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Derry/Londonderry". www.ark.ac.uk.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Local Government Results 1981". EONI. Retrieved 11 August 2021.