The district covers parts of counties Armagh and Down, taking in the upper Bann valley and much of the southern shore of Lough Neagh as well as Armagh city. It had a population of 220,271 in 2022.[4] The name of the new district was announced on 17 September 2008.[5]
Demographics
In the 2021 UK census, the district was 96.7% white.
The national identities of the new council from the 2011 census were:
50.5% British
28.9% Northern Irish
25.2% Irish
4.6% Other
1.3% English, Scottish, Welsh
The religious makeup was as follows:
51.7% Protestant/other Christian
43.0% Catholic
5.3% Other/none
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
The first election for the new district council was originally due to take place in May 2009, but on April 25, 2008, Shaun Woodward, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced that the scheduled 2009 district council elections were to be postponed until 2011.[6] The first elections took place on 22 May 2014 and the council acted as a shadow authority until 1 April 2015.