Lower Falls (District Electoral Area)

Lower Falls
District Electoral Area
Map showing Lower Falls wards within Belfast
Population(2008 Estimate)
District
County
CountryNorthern Ireland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
UK Parliament
NI Assembly
List of places
UK
Northern Ireland
Antrim

Lower Falls was one of the nine district electoral areas which existed in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 1985 to 2014. Located in the west of the city, the district elected five members to Belfast City Council and contained the wards of Beechmount; Clonard; Falls; Upper Springfield; and Whiterock. Lower Falls formed part of the Belfast West constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament. The district, along with the neighbouring Upper Falls district took its name from the Falls Road, one of the main arterial routes in the west of the city.

History

Lower Falls was created for the 1985 local elections. The Falls and Clonard wards had previously been in Area F, with the remaining wards part of Area D. It was abolished for the 2014 local elections. The Falls and Clonard wards joined the Court District Electoral Area, while the remaining wards became part of a new Black Mountain District Electoral Area.

Wards

Map Ward Population
(2011 Census)		 Catholic Protestant Other No Religion Area Density NI Assembly UK Parliament Ref
1 Beechmount 5,485 90.8% 6.1% 0.6% 2.5% 0.84 km2 6,530/km2 Belfast West Belfast West [1]
2 Clonard 4,975 90.5% 6.4% 0.6% 2.6% 0.61 km2 8,156/km2 Belfast West Belfast West [2]
3 Falls 5,184 87.6% 7.5% 2.3% 2.6% 1.2 km2 4,320/km2 Belfast West Belfast West [3]
4 Upper Springfield 5,250 93.5% 4.6% 0.3% 1.6% 2.5 km2 2,100/km2 Belfast West Belfast West [4]
5 Whiterock 5,694 93.1% 4.7% 0.3% 1.8% 0.78 km2 7,300/km2 Belfast West Belfast West [5]
Lower Falls 26,588 91.1% 5.8% 0.3% 1.8% 5.93 km2 4,484 /km2 Belfast West Belfast West

Councillors

Election Councillor
(Party) 		Councillor
(Party) 		Councillor
(Party) 		Councillor
(Party) 		Councillor
(Party)
2011 Tom Hartley
(Sinn Féin) 		Jim McVeigh
(Sinn Féin) 		Steven Corr
(Sinn Féin) 		Janice Austin
(Sinn Féin) 		Colin Keenan
(SDLP)
2005 Marie Moore
(Sinn Féin) 		Máire Cush
(Sinn Féin) 		Fra McCann
(Sinn Féin)
2001 Margaret Walsh
(SDLP)
1997 Seán McKnight
(Sinn Féin)
1993 Mary Muldoon
(SDLP) 		Patsy McGeown
(Sinn Féin)
1989 Elizabeth Fitzsimons
(Sinn Féin) 		Seán McKnight
(Sinn Féin) 		Joe Hendron
(SDLP)
1985 Seán Keenan
(Sinn Féin) 		Will Glendinning
(Alliance)

2011 Election

2005: 5 x Sinn Féin

2011: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP

2005-2011 Change: SDLP gain from Sinn Féin

Lower Falls - 5 seats[6]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Sinn Féin Janice Austin* 19.66% 1,920        
Sinn Féin Steven Corr 16.10% 1,572 1,583.85 1,603.85 1,618 1,677
Sinn Féin Tom Hartley* 15.99% 1,561 1,566.1 1,581.1 1,602.25 1,666.25
Sinn Féin Jim McVeigh 15.33% 1,497 1,499.7 1,531 1,544.15 1,600.45
SDLP Colin Keenan 10.24% 1,000 1,003.15 1,058.15 1,214.15 1,326.15
Sinn Féin Breige Brownlee 8.33% 813 1,070.7 1,109 1,123 1,188.3
éirígí John McCusker 6.63% 647 647.6 723.6 748.6  
Workers' Party John Lowry 4.08% 398 398.45 430.45    
Irish Republican Socialist Jim Gorman 2.14% 209 209.75      
Socialist Party Pat Lawlor 1.52% 148 148.5      
Electorate: 17,238   Valid: 9,765 (56.65%)   Spoilt: 305   Quota: 1,628   Turnout: 10,070 (58.42%)  

2005 Election

2001: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP

2005: 5 x Sinn Féin

2001-2005 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP

Lower Falls - 5 seats[7]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Sinn Féin Janice Austin 19.42% 2,071      
Sinn Féin Fra McCann* 19.17% 2,045      
Sinn Féin Tom Hartley* 18.39% 1,962      
Sinn Féin Máire Cush* 15.33% 1,764 1,797    
Sinn Féin Marie Moore* 11.67% 1,245 1,253 1,528.1 1,764.42
SDLP Margaret Walsh* 11.86% 1,265 1,439 1,449.95 1,476.27
Workers' Party John Lowry 2.94% 314      
Electorate: 16,334   Valid: 10,666 (65.30%)   Spoilt: 392   Quota: 1,778   Turnout: 11,058 (67.70%)  

2001 Election

1997: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP

2001: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP

1997-2001 Change: No change

Lower Falls - 5 seats[8]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Sinn Féin Fra McCann* 18.97% 2,399        
Sinn Féin Tom Hartley* 18.59% 2,351        
Sinn Féin Máire Cush 17.63% 2,230        
SDLP Margaret Walsh* 15.94% 2,016 2,262      
Sinn Féin Marie Moore* 15.16% 1,917 1,928 1,955.17 1,977.94 1,996.94
Sinn Féin Sean McKnight* 9.86% 1,247 1,272 1,521.99 1,735.83 1,761.83
Workers' Party John Lowry 3.86% 488        
Electorate: 18,349   Valid: 12,648 (68.93%)   Spoilt: 581   Quota: 2,109   Turnout: 13,229 (72.10%)  

1997 Election

1993: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP

1997: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP

1993-1997 Change: No change

Lower Falls - 5 seats[9]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Sinn Féin Fra McCann* 19.65% 2,420      
Sinn Féin Sean McKnight 18.56% 2,286      
SDLP Margaret Walsh 14.32% 1,764 1,775.4 2,248.7  
Sinn Féin Tom Hartley* 16.42% 2,022 2,047.05 2,061.05  
Sinn Féin Marie Moore* 14.70% 1,810 1,822.15 1,829.15 2,033.65
Sinn Féin Janice Austin 10.34% 1,274 1,581.35 1,606.25 1,625.75
Workers' Party John Lowry 3.80% 468 468.75    
SDLP Mary White 1.84% 227 227.9    
Alliance Keith Jacques 0.37% 45 45.3    
Electorate: 19,372   Valid: 12,316 (63.58%)   Spoilt: 390   Quota: 2,053   Turnout: 12,706 (65.59%)  

1993 Election

1989: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP

1993: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP

1989-1993 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP

Lower Falls - 5 seats[10]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
Sinn Féin Tom Hartley 19.79% 2,573          
Sinn Féin Fra McCann* 18.40% 2,393          
Sinn Féin Patrick McGeown 18.09% 2,352          
Sinn Féin Marie Moore 14.97% 1,946 2,316.77        
SDLP Mary Muldoon* 13.45% 1,749 1,760.39 1,832.92 1,929.38 2,030.98 2,325.98
SDLP Margaret Walsh 7.59% 987 991.93 1,049.44 1,134.77 1,165.97 1,306.48
Workers' Party John Lowry 6.11% 794 804.37 831.54 874.47 924.07  
Alliance Patrick Woods 0.83% 108 109.87        
Democratic Left Mary McMahon 0.78% 101 105.24        
Electorate: 19,978   Valid: 13,003 (65.09%)   Spoilt: 509   Quota: 2,168   Turnout: 13,512 (67.63%)  

1989 Election

1985: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance

1989: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP

1985-1989 Change: SDLP gain from Alliance

Lower Falls - 5 seats[11]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
SDLP Joe Hendron* 23.51% 2,748        
Sinn Féin Fra McCann 19.73% 2,307        
Sinn Féin Elizabeth Fitzsimons* 15.10% 1,765 1,786.7 1,816.25 1,849.69 1,885.5
Sinn Féin Sean McKnight* 12.22% 1,428 1,461.48 1,466.72 1,750.56 1,774.62
SDLP Mary Muldoon 5.03% 588 1,196.84 1,257.51 1,261.19 1,738.98
Sinn Féin Richard May 13.91% 1,626 1,634.68 1,637.68 1,651.92 1,679.45
Workers' Party Mary McMahon 9.35% 1,093 1,186 1,218.75 1,224.19  
Alliance Derrick Crothers 1.15% 135 164.45      
Electorate: 20,095   Valid: 11,690 (58.17%)   Spoilt: 570   Quota: 1,949   Turnout: 12,260 (61.01%)  

1985 Election

1985: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance

Lower Falls - 5 seats[12]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
SDLP Joe Hendron* 22.06% 2,606      
Sinn Féin Sean McKnight 16.41% 1,939 1,963 1,985.4  
Alliance Will Glendinning* 9.42% 1,113 1,195 1,549.48 2,015.48
Sinn Féin Sean Keenan 14.83% 1,752 1,764 1,795.36 1,845.2
Sinn Féin Elizabeth Fitzsimons 13.50% 1,595 1,609 1,649.6 1,697.4
Sinn Féin Fra McCann 12.42% 1,467 1,472 1,499.44 1,552.4
Workers' Party Mary McMahon 9.44% 1,115 1,168 1,312.2  
SDLP Sean Mullan 1.35% 159      
Communist Desmond Murray 0.57% 67      
Electorate: 21,058   Valid: 11,813 (56.10%)   Spoilt: 450   Quota: 1,969   Turnout: 12,263 (58.23%)  

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ward Information for Beechmount ward 95GG07". NISRA. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  2. ^ "Ward Information for Clonard ward 95GG18". NISRA. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  3. ^ "Ward Information for Falls ward 95GG21". NISRA. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  4. ^ "Ward Information for Upper Springfield ward 95GG46". NISRA. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  5. ^ "Ward Information for Whiterock ward 95GG48". NISRA. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Lower Falls Result Sheet" (PDF). EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Local Government Results 2005". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Local Government Results 2001". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Local Government Results 1997". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Local Government Results 1993". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Local Government Results 1989". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Local Government Results 1985". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.