Downshire (District Electoral Area)

Downshire DEA (1993-2014) within Lisburn

Downshire was one of the district electoral areas in Lisburn, Northern Ireland which existed from 1985 to 2014. It was one of four Lisburn DEAs until 1993, and one of five until 2014. The district elected seven members to Lisburn City Council from 1985 to 1993, and five members from 1993 to 2014, and formed part of Lagan Valley constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.

It was created for the 1985 local elections, replacing Lisburn Area B and part of Lisburn Area C which had existed since 1973, and contained the wards of Ballymacashbrennan, Blaris, Dromara, Drumbo, Hillhall, Hillsborough and Maze. For the 1993 local elections, it was reduced by two wards as Blaris and Hillhall were transferred to the new Lisburn South DEA. It was abolished for the 2014 local elections and most of the area was transferred to the new Downshire East DEA and Downshire West DEA.

Councillors

Election Councillor
(Party) 		Councillor
(Party) 		Councillor
(Party) 		Councillor
(Party) 		Councillor
(Party) 		Councillor
(Party) 		Councillor
(Party)
2011 Jennifer Coulter
(Alliance) 		James Baird
(UUP) 		Paul Stewart
(DUP) 		Allan Ewart
(DUP) 		Uel Mackin
(DUP) 		7 seats
1985–1993
2005 Elizabeth Campbell
(Alliance) 		William Ward
(UUP) 		Basil McCrea
(UUP) 		Edwin Poots
(DUP)
2001 William Falloon
(UUP) 		James Baird
(UUP)
1997 Kenneth Hull
(UUP) 		William Bleakes
(Conservative)/
(UUP)
1993 Thomas Lilburn
(UUP) 		William McConnell
(UUP) 		Charles Poots
(DUP)
1989 Wilfred McClung
(UUP) 		Thomas Davis
(UUP)/ (DUP) 		Anne Blake
(DUP) 		Kenneth Hull
(Alliance)
1985 Denis McCarroll
(DUP) 		Richard Reid
(Alliance)

2011 Election

2005: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance

2011: 3 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance

2005-2011 Change: DUP gain from UUP

Downshire - 5 seats[1]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
DUP Allan Ewart* 20.09% 1,591            
DUP Paul Stewart 19.64% 1,555            
DUP Uel Mackin 12.51% 1,070 1,297.46 1,486.91        
Alliance Jennifer Coulter* 14.13% 1,136 1,142.12 1,147.82 1,156.82 1,173.82 1,194.59 1,393.59
UUP James Baird 13.28% 1,052 1,065.94 1,081.99 1,143.64 1,143.64 1,248.96 1,266.03
UUP Alasdair O'Hara 5.62% 445 449.59 453.64 465.49 466.49 520.82 532.12
UUP Richard Price 5.11% 405 411.12 418.77 440.52 441.52 490.23 499.98
SDLP Christine Wilson 3.40% 269 269.68 271.78 273.58 348.75 352.2  
TUV Kaye Kilpatrick 3.65% 289 294.78 297.18 307.68 308.68    
Sinn Féin Fionnu McCaughley 1.35% 107 107.34 107.49 107.49      
Electorate: 13,764   Valid: 7,919 (57.53%)   Spoilt: 114   Quota: 1,320   Turnout: 8,033 (58.36%)  

2005 Election

2001: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance

2005: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance

2001-2005 Change: DUP gain from UUP

Downshire - 5 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
DUP Edwin Poots* 23.43% 1,929          
UUP Basil McCrea 19.45% 1,601          
DUP Allan Ewart 18.25% 1,502          
UUP William Ward* 7.73% 636 672.54 710.48 888.5 890.34 1,421.13
Alliance Elizabeth Campbell* 13.20% 1,087 1,097.44 1,123.62 1,221.84 1,222.8 1,325.67
DUP Joseph Lockhart 7.01% 577 1,008.52 1,017.62 1,040.93 1,153.81 1,247.23
UUP James Baird* 6.79% 559 603.37 674.91 780.97 783.45  
UUP William Scott 2.88% 237 257.01 330.79      
Sinn Féin David Hall 1.26% 104 105.16 105.44      
Electorate: 12,797   Valid: 8,232 (64.33%)   Spoilt: 114   Quota: 1,373   Turnout: 8,346 (65.22%)  

2001 Election

1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Conservative

2001: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance

1997-2001 Change: UUP gain from Conservative

Downshire - 5 seats[3]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
DUP Edwin Poots* 23.65% 2,006        
UUP James Baird 17.76% 1,507        
Alliance Elizabeth Campbell* 14.16% 1,201 1,208.2 1,350.1 1,483.1  
UUP William Ward 14.06% 1,193 1,273.7 1,315.9 1,460.9  
UUP William Falloon* 11.87% 1,007 1,055.6 1,100 1,308.5 1,382.48
DUP Allan Ewart 7.45% 632 1,025.3 1,044 1,159.2 1,168.44
Independent William Bleakes* 7.18% 609 650.1 691.7    
UUP Joanne Johnston 2.56% 217 255.4      
Sinn Féin Cara McCann 1.31% 111 111.3      
Electorate: 12,983   Valid: 8,483 (65.34%)   Spoilt: 119   Quota: 1,414   Turnout: 8,602 (66.26%)  

1997 Election

1993: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Conservative

1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Conservative

1997-2001 Change: Alliance gain from UUP

Downshire - 5 seats[4]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
UUP William Falloon* 25.06% 1,328      
DUP Edwin Poots 19.65% 1,041      
Alliance Elizabeth Campbell 17.02% 902      
NI Conservatives William Bleakes* 15.97% 846 784.9    
UUP Kenneth Hull 6.64% 352 637.6 647.05 945.05
DUP Jonathan Craig 8.32% 441 457.66 567.16 608.16
UUP William Moore 7.34% 389 500.18 519.38  
Electorate: 12,872   Valid: 5,299 (41.17%)   Spoilt: 81   Quota: 884   Turnout: 5,380 (41.80%)  

1993 Election

1989: 4 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance

1993: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Conservative

1989-1993 Change: DUP and Alliance loss due to the reduction of two seats, Conservative leaves UUP

Downshire - 5 seats[5]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
UUP Thomas Lilburn* 18.38% 1,104        
DUP Charles Poots* 16.49% 990 1,030      
NI Conservatives William Bleakes* 15.73% 945 999 1,010.61    
UUP William Falloon* 13.62% 818 863 907.91 1,042.91  
UUP William McConnell 9.64% 579 601 632.41 868.02 906.02
Alliance Kenneth Hull* 13.25% 796 811 813.34 831.7 833.6
DUP James McCann 8.18% 491 552 557.67    
Ulster Democratic David Adams 8.18% 283        
Electorate: 12,290   Valid: 6,006 (48.87%)   Spoilt: 124   Quota: 1,002   Turnout: 6,130 (49.88%)  

1989 Election

1985: 3 x UUP, 3 x DUP, 1 x Alliance

1989: 4 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance

1985-1989 Change: UUP gain from DUP

Downshire - 7 seats[6]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
UUP William Bleakes* 28.40% 2,297            
UUP Thomas Lilburn* 13.40% 1,084            
DUP Charles Poots* 12.88% 1,042            
DUP Anne Blake 12.34% 998 1,125.11          
UUP Thomas Davis 8.24% 666 992.61 995.18 1,018.55      
UUP Wilfred Corfield-McClung* 2.11% 171 634.98 636.98 682.01 705.11 706.88 1,023.51
Alliance Kenneth Hull 10.78% 872 910.76 951.33 951.9 956.59 956.95 1,000.61
DUP James McCann 7.10% 574 637.84 641.84 658.37 666.42 689.88 816.42
UUP John Curry 3.96% 320 572.51 575.51 601.16 633.78 636.39  
Workers' Party Patrick Pollock 0.78% 63 64.71          
Electorate: 15,814   Valid: 8,087 (51.14%)   Spoilt: 175   Quota: 1,011   Turnout: 8,262 (52.24%)  

1985 Election

1985: 3 x UUP, 3 x DUP, 1 x Alliance

Downshire - 7 seats[7]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
UUP William Bleakes* 27.49% 2,244        
DUP Charles Poots* 13.34% 1,089        
UUP Thomas Lilburn* 11.63% 949 1,587.82      
UUP Wilfred McClung 2.57% 210 325.02 580.7 682.56 1,037.86
Alliance Richard Reid 11.69% 954 984.24 992.4 992.94 1,026.94
DUP Thomas Davis 9.63% 786 925.32 949.32 963.78 1,025.06
DUP Denis McCarroll* 10.49% 856 960.76 990.52 1,006.06 1,023.06
DUP James McCann* 8.15% 665 725.48 746.12 772.64 772.64
UUP William Gardiner-Watson* 5.02% 410 525.02 647.42 652.28  
Electorate: 14,092   Valid: 8,163 (57.93%)   Spoilt: 141   Quota: 1,021   Turnout: 8,304 (58.93%)  

References

  1. ^ "Downshire Result Sheet" (PDF). EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Local Government Results 2005". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Local Government Results 2001". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Local Government Results 1997". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Local Government Results 1993". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Local Government Results 1989". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Local Government Results 1985". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.