1981 Newry and Mourne District Council election

Main article: Northern Ireland local elections, 1981
1981 Newry and Mourne District Council election
← 1977 20 May 1981 (1981-05-20) 1985 →
All 30 seats to Newry and Mourne District Council
16 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party SDLP UUP Irish Independence
Seats won 16 6 4
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1 Increase 4
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party DUP Anti H-Block Alliance
Seats won 2 2 0
Seat change Increase 1 Increase 2 Decrease 3
  Seventh party Eighth party
 
Party Ind. Nationalist Ind. Republican
Seats won 0 0
Seat change Decrease 3 Decrease 1

Elections to Newry and Mourne District Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used six district electoral areas to elect a total of 30 councillors.

Election results

Newry and Mourne District Council Election Result 1981[1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  SDLP 16 2 1 Increase1 53.3 41.7 14,397 Decrease5.2
  UUP 6 0 1 Decrease1 20.0 18.7 6,460 Decrease5.8
  Irish Independence 4 4 0 Increase4 13.3 11.4 3,944 New
  DUP 2 1 0 Steady0 6.7 9.5 3,291 Increase6.4
  Anti H-Block 2 2 0 Increase2 6.7 6.1 2,096 New
  Alliance 0 0 3 Decrease3 0.0 3.6 1,240 Decrease4.7
  Ind. Nationalist 0 0 3 Decrease3 0.0 3.1 1,059 Decrease4.5
  Ind. Republican 0 0 1 Decrease1 0.0 1.5 531 Decrease0.7
  Republican Clubs 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 2.0 682 Decrease3.1
  Independent 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 1.6 535 Decrease0.7
  Independent Labour 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.1 33 Increase0.1

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary

Results of the Newry and Mourne District Council election, 1981
by district[1]
Ward %
Cllrs
 %
Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 Total
Cllrs
SDLP UUP IIP DUP Anti H-Block Others
Area A 31.9 2 35.4 2 0.0 0 23.1 1 0.0 0 9.6 0 5
Area B 64.0 4 8.9 0 8.5 0 2.8 0 0.0 0 15.8 0 4
Area C 40.0 2 26.0 1 0.0 0 22.2 1 0.0 0 11.8 0 4
Area D 37.1 3 19.1 2 25.8 2 3.9 0 0.0 0 14.1 0 7
Area E 40.0 3 7.6 0 7.6 1 3.7 0 30.1 2 11.0 0 6
Area F 43.4 2 16.2 1 21.6 1 5.6 0 0.0 0 13.2 0 6
Total 41.7 16 18.7 6 11.4 4 9.5 2 6.1 2 12.6 0 30

Districts results

Area A

1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x DUP
1981: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x DUP
1977-1981 Change: No change

Newry and Mourne Area A - 5 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
SDLP Colum Murnion 21.60% 1,346      
DUP George Graham* 20.29% 1,264      
UUP William Russell* 18.54% 1,155      
UUP Arthur Coulter* 16.88% 1,052      
SDLP Anne Marie Cunningham* 10.26% 639 899.13 901.13 941.13
Ind. Nationalist Arthur Doran 9.63% 600 643.01 653.24 720.24
DUP Robert McConnell 2.81% 175 175.23    
Electorate: 8,729   Valid: 6,231 (71.38%)   Spoilt: 212   Quota: 1,039   Turnout: 6,443 (73.81%)  

Area B

1977: 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Nationalist
1981: 4 x SDLP
1977-1981 Change: SDLP (two seats) gain from Alliance and Independent Nationalist

Newry and Mourne Area B - 4 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
SDLP P. J. Bradley 22.27% 1,084          
SDLP Jim McCart* 17.40% 847 883.5 886.5 974.5    
SDLP Liam Trainor* 12.23% 595 611.5 617.5 642.4 758.7 804.7
SDLP Brian Mulligan 12.10% 589 612.7 612.7 624.9 721.1 742.4
Ind. Nationalist Anthony Williamson* 9.43% 459 462.3 468.3 519.5 638.3 720.3
UUP William McCoy 8.90% 433 433 434 614 620.5  
Irish Independence Joe Kearney 8.47% 412 433.3 436.3 469.3    
Alliance Eithne Doran 3.58% 174 175.8 177.8      
DUP Raymond Hanna 2.77% 135 135.2 135.2      
Independent Peter Maloy 2.18% 106 106.5 112.5      
Independent Labour Johnny Ward 0.68% 33 33        
Electorate: 6,919   Valid: 4,867 (70.34%)   Spoilt: 182   Quota: 974   Turnout: 5,049 (72.97%)  

Area C

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

Newry and Mourne Area C - 4 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
SDLP Nan Sands* 24.94% 1,014        
DUP William Sterritt 22.16% 901        
SDLP Patrick Harper 15.03% 611 641 817.61    
UUP Violet Cromie* 15.05% 612 628 629.68 683.68 719.99
UUP Annie Copeland 10.97% 446 463 463.21 493.41 507.67
Independent James Fagan 9.71% 395 410 429.74 429.74  
Alliance Violet Watts 2.14% 87        
Electorate: 5,648   Valid: 4,066 (71.99%)   Spoilt: 132   Quota: 814   Turnout: 4,198 (74.33%)  

Area D

1977: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Nationalist
1981: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 2 x IIP
1977-1981 Change: IIP gain from Alliance, Independent Nationalist joins IIP

Newry and Mourne Area D - 7 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Irish Independence Eugene Markey* 23.56% 1,831                
SDLP John McEvoy* 12.72% 988                
UUP Andy Moffett* 10.36% 805 808.43 808.43 1,017.43          
SDLP Thomas McGrath* 8.07% 627 735.29 749.23 751.72 806.44 806.44 1,201.44    
SDLP John Bell* 8.55% 664 745.83 772.75 774.24 814 814 938.9 1,148.9  
UUP Clarence Morrow* 8.69% 675 676.47 676.47 756.47 761.96 810.68 812.17 812.17 814.27
Irish Independence Francis McCamley 2.15% 167 681.99 705.4 707.38 753.08 753.08 774.98 781.98 804.38
Alliance Victor Frizell* 7.57% 588 621.81 632.79 635.79 695.2 695.68 733.13 748.53 774.43
SDLP Michael McNulty 7.62% 592 611.6 622.6 622.6 633.05 633.05      
Republican Clubs Brian Mulligan 3.69% 287 351.68 452.58 452.58          
DUP George McConnell 3.90% 303 306.43 306.43            
Republican Clubs Matthew Cunningham 2.61% 203 222.6              
Electorate: 11,891   Valid: 7,770 (65.34%)   Spoilt: 280   Quota: 967   Turnout: 5,010 (42.13%)  

Area E

1977: 4 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Nationalist, 1 x Independent Republican
1981: 3 x SDLP, 2 x Anti H-Block, 1 x IIP
1977-1981 Change: Anti H-Block (two seats) gain from SDLP and Independent Republican, Independent Nationalist joins IIP

Newry and Mourne Area E - 6 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Anti H-Block James Lynch 17.85% 1,244                  
SDLP Pat Toner* 13.27% 925 936.34 940.39 940.39 952.81 1,070.81        
Anti H-Block Anthony Watters 12.22% 852 887.91 892.96 892.96 993.71 1,022.71        
SDLP James Savage* 10.88% 758 771.44 804.43 804.43 833.58 986.25 1,018.59      
SDLP Owen Kelly* 8.18% 570 575.04 577.25 585.25 619.72 726.24 753.19 767.19 786.66 881.33
Irish Independence Jim Murphy* 6.41% 447 514.2 551.29 552.29 614.2 651.24 653.55 656.55 657.73 935.9
UUP Elizabeth McDowell 7.60% 530 530.21 530.21 723.21 724.21 730.21 730.21 730.21 730.21 740.21
Ind. Republican Sean McCreesh* 7.62% 531 552.21 557.26 557.26 576.83 621.71 634.8 637.8 639.57  
SDLP Peter McMahon* 7.65% 533 561.14 565.61 566.61 576.71          
Ind. Republican Brian Woods 3.47% 242 288.41 292.41 292.41            
DUP Alex Chambers 3.66% 255 255.42 255.42              
Irish Independence Sean Reavey 1.19% 83 98.54                
Electorate: 9,237   Valid: 6,970 (75.46%)   Spoilt: 242   Quota: 996   Turnout: 7,212 (78.08%)  

Area F

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

Newry and Mourne Area F - 4 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
UUP William McCaigue* 16.19% 752 752 754 755 979        
SDLP Arthur Ruddy* 18.81% 874 879 893 914 914 915.06 941.06    
Irish Independence Freddie Kearns 10.31% 479 487 492 518 520 520 642 900 932
SDLP Patrick McElroy 14.33% 666 670 676 690 690 693.18 702.18 732.18 862.42
SDLP Louis McGuigan 10.22% 475 477 482 492 492 493.06 545.06 562.06 637.65
Alliance Michael McVerry* 6.59% 306 310 354 365 376 419.46 421.46 424.46  
Irish Independence Kevin McAleenan 5.96% 277 281 281 296 300 300 339    
Irish Independence P. J. McCann 5.34% 248 249 254 268 270 270      
DUP Gordon Heslip 5.55% 258 258 258 258          
Republican Clubs Edward McKeown 2.26% 105 105 105            
Republican Clubs Michael McLoughlin 1.87% 87 89 90            
Alliance Edward Turley 1.83% 85 86              
Independent James Malone 0.73% 34                
Electorate: 7,263   Valid: 4,646 (63.97%)   Spoilt: 187   Quota: 930   Turnout: 4,833 (66.54%)  

References

  1. ^ a b "Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Newry and Mourne". www.ark.ac.uk.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Local Government Results 1981". EONI. Retrieved 31 July 2021.