Local government election in Northern Ireland
1997 Ards Borough Council election
Elections to Ards Borough Council were held on 21 May 1997 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections . The election used four district electoral areas to elect a total of 23 councillors .
Election results
Ards Borough Council Election Result 1997[ 1]
Party
Seats
Gains
Losses
Net gain/loss
Seats %
Votes %
Votes
+/−
UUP
10
1
0
1
43.5
39.6
7,754
4.9
DUP
5
1
2
1
21.7
22.6
4,431
5.7
Alliance
5
0
1
1
21.7
21.1
4,138
2.3
Ind. Unionist
2
1
0
1
8.7
6.3
1,240
0.4
SDLP
1
1
0
1
4.3
3.9
901
New
Independent
0
0
1
1
0.0
1.6
337
1.8
PUP
0
0
0
0
0.0
2.3
441
2.3
UK Unionist
0
0
0
0
0.0
1.4
269
New
Ulster Democratic
0
0
0
0
0.0
0.3
55
New
Green (NI)
0
0
0
0
0.0
0.2
33
New
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.
Districts summary
Results of the Ards Borough Council election, 1997 by district[ 1]
Ward
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
Total Cllrs
UUP
DUP
Alliance
SDLP
Others
Ards East
52.1
4
23.0
1
15.3
1
0.0
0
9.6
0
6
Ards West
56.1
3
18.8
1
25.1
2
0.0
0
0.0
0
6
Newtownards
26.6
2
18.6
1
15.4
1
0.0
0
39.4
2
6
Peninsula
22.6
1
29.7
2
28.8
1
18.2
1
0.7
0
5
Total
39.6
10
22.6
5
21.1
5
4.6
1
12.1
0
23
Districts results
Ards East
1993: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance
1997: 4 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance
1993-1997 Change: UUP gain from DUP
Ards East - 6 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
UUP
Thomas Benson *
17.40%
882
UUP
Ronald Ferguson *
13.33%
676
762.4
DUP
Hamilton Gregory
12.25%
621
628.2
629.53
656.71
811.71
UUP
John Shields *
11.95%
606
618.24
622.44
656.62
668.05
668.64
752.64
Alliance
Linda Cleland
8.24%
418
422.32
422.53
437.71
441.71
442.89
462.07
792.07
UUP
Jeffrey Magill *
9.47%
480
508.98
533.69
582.23
616.56
621.87
680.76
694.05
DUP
St Clair McAlister*
5.82%
295
299.32
299.95
309.95
369.2
447.67
509.28
518.64
Alliance
Laurence Thompson*
6.94%
352
355.06
355.48
363.48
363.48
363.48
378.66
UK Unionist
Thomas Sheridan
5.31%
269
271.16
271.93
283.93
287.93
287.93
DUP
Hamilton Lawther
4.95%
251
254.96
255.87
274.87
PUP
Georgina McCrory
4.34%
220
221.26
221.33
Electorate: 14,904 Valid: 5,070 (34.02%) Spoilt: 114 Quota: 725 Turnout: 5,184 (34.78%)
Ards West
1993: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP
1997: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP
1993-1997 Change: No change
Ards West - 6 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
UUP
Robert Gibson *
22.59%
1,103
UUP
David McNarry
21.83%
1,066
Alliance
Kathleen Coulter *
15.18%
741
UUP
Margaret Craig *
11.71%
572
871.52
DUP
David Gilmore
13.00%
635
683.75
877.19
Alliance
Jim McBriar *
9.85%
481
511.03
595.27
599.43
654.81
693.81
DUP
Lorraine Gilmore
5.84%
285
311.13
398.49
552.93
649.26
650.58
Electorate: 12,917 Valid: 4,883 (37.80%) Spoilt: 70 Quota: 698 Turnout: 4,953 (38.34%)
Newtownards
1993: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Unionist
1997: 2 x DUP, 2 x Independent Unionist, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance
1993-1997 Change: Independent Unionist gain from DUP
Newtownards - 6 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Ind. Unionist
Wilbert Magill *
19.41%
914
Alliance
Alan McDowell *
15.37%
724
UUP
David Smyth *
14.65%
690
DUP
George Ennis *
10.89%
653
692.44
UUP
Thomas Hamilton *
12.00%
565
628.22
635.8
651.6
656.36
666.68
728.68
Ind. Unionist
Bobby McBride
6.92%
326
377.33
382.33
388.83
391.38
391.78
426.07
507.6
534.6
Ind. Unionist
Nancy Orr*
7.15%
337
393.26
407.42
430.62
433.68
434.68
461.61
503.67
510.67
DUP
John Purdy
4.78%
225
238.63
245.08
246.28
253.76
254.62
305.39
PUP
Alfred McCrory
4.69%
221
231.15
245.15
249.45
250.47
250.73
Ulster Democratic
Billy McKeown
1.17%
55
59.93
Electorate: 12,942 Valid: 4,710 (36.39%) Spoilt: 120 Quota: 673 Turnout: 4,830 (37.32%)
Peninsula
1993: 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent
1997: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP
1997-2001 Change: DUP and SDLP gain from Alliance and Independent
Peninsula - 5 seats[ 2]
Party
Candidate
FPv%
Count
1
2
3
4
5
UUP
Paul Carson
22.57%
1,114
Alliance
Kieran McCarthy *
21.21%
1,047
DUP
Jim Shannon *
20.12%
993
DUP
Robert Drysdale
10.25%
473
687.21
696.01
849.01
SDLP
Daniel McCarthy
15.60%
770
777.44
808.9
810.52
930.52
Alliance
William Sheldon*
3.12%
154
202.98
315.62
325.16
346.72
Alliance
John Smyth
4.48%
221
227.82
279.3
281.82
296.02
SDLP
Iain Bell
2.65%
131
131
141.12
141.48
Green (NI)
Owen Crawford
0.67%
33
40.75
44.49
45.75
Electorate: 11,165 Valid: 4,936 (44.21%) Spoilt: 101 Quota: 824 Turnout: 5,037 (45.11%)
References