Local govt election in Northern Ireland
1977 Down District Council election|
|
|
First party
|
Second party
|
Third party
|
|
|
|
|
Party
|
SDLP
|
UUP
|
Alliance
|
Seats won
|
10
|
7
|
3
|
Seat change
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
|
|
Fourth party
|
Fifth party
|
|
|
|
Party
|
Vanguard
|
Independent
|
Seats won
|
0
|
0
|
Seat change
|
1
|
1
|
|
Elections to Down District Council were held on 18 May 1977 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 20 councillors.
Election results
Down District Council Election Result 1977[1]
Party
|
Seats
|
Gains
|
Losses
|
Net gain/loss
|
Seats %
|
Votes %
|
Votes
|
+/−
|
|
SDLP
|
10
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
50.0
|
44.6
|
9,251
|
9.6
|
|
UUP
|
7
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
35.0
|
31.4
|
6,520
|
7.2
|
|
Alliance
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
15.0
|
11.8
|
2,446
|
0.5
|
|
Independent
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0.0
|
3.5
|
736
|
3.6
|
|
Unionist Party NI
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
0.0
|
3.3
|
700
|
New
|
|
UUUP
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
0.0
|
2.7
|
569
|
New
|
|
Republican Clubs
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
0.0
|
2.6
|
536
|
0.2
|
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.
Districts summary
Results of the Down District Council election, 1977
by district[1]
Ward
|
%
|
Cllrs
|
%
|
Cllrs
|
%
|
Cllrs
|
%
|
Cllrs
|
Total Cllrs
|
SDLP
|
UUP
|
Alliance
|
Others
|
Area A
|
19.9
|
2
|
50.1
|
4
|
13.5
|
1
|
16.5
|
0
|
7
|
Area B
|
58.8
|
4
|
18.4
|
1
|
8.5
|
1
|
14.3
|
0
|
6
|
Area C
|
53.4
|
4
|
26.9
|
2
|
13.5
|
1
|
6.2
|
0
|
7
|
Total
|
44.6
|
10
|
31.4
|
7
|
11.8
|
3
|
12.2
|
0
|
20
|
Districts results
Area A
1973: 4 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Vanguard
1977: 4 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
1973-1977 Change: SDLP gain from Vanguard
Down Area A - 7 seats[2]
Party |
Candidate |
FPv% |
Count
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10
|
|
SDLP
|
Patrick Smyth*
|
12.65%
|
837
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
UUP
|
Samuel Osborne*
|
9.54%
|
631
|
638
|
638
|
663
|
663
|
668
|
841
|
|
|
|
|
Alliance
|
Denis Rowan-Hamilton*
|
7.98%
|
528
|
534
|
534.33
|
573.33
|
577.35
|
638.42
|
652.42
|
904.42
|
|
|
|
UUP
|
Edward McVeigh*
|
11.08%
|
733
|
736
|
736.03
|
770.03
|
773.03
|
773.04
|
803.04
|
813.09
|
823.82
|
963.82
|
|
UUP
|
William Finlay*
|
9.13%
|
604
|
605
|
605
|
622
|
622.01
|
622.01
|
646.01
|
648.01
|
650.6
|
849.6
|
|
UUP
|
William Brown
|
9.02%
|
597
|
601
|
601
|
621
|
621
|
621.01
|
634.01
|
635.01
|
640.19
|
801.56
|
|
SDLP
|
Francis Laverty
|
3.89%
|
257
|
260
|
264.88
|
267.9
|
449.39
|
605.83
|
605.83
|
717.4
|
774.01
|
778.09
|
|
UUUP
|
Andrew Gaskin
|
8.60%
|
569
|
570
|
570.01
|
572.01
|
572.01
|
573.01
|
580.01
|
582.01
|
582.01
|
603.01
|
|
UUP
|
William Cochrane*
|
7.07%
|
468
|
475
|
475.04
|
517.04
|
518.06
|
524.07
|
548.07
|
548.09
|
549.57
|
|
|
Alliance
|
John Rodgers
|
5.47%
|
362
|
365
|
365.64
|
379.64
|
404.69
|
428.76
|
429.76
|
|
|
|
|
UUP
|
Hugh Martin
|
4.22%
|
279
|
280
|
280
|
288
|
288
|
290.01
|
|
|
|
|
|
Independent
|
George Kerr
|
4.05%
|
268
|
268
|
268.58
|
269.58
|
273.69
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SDLP
|
Allen Gilgunn
|
3.33%
|
220
|
220
|
221.7
|
223.71
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unionist Party NI
|
William Hutton
|
2.45%
|
162
|
221
|
221.03
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unionist Party NI
|
John McKee
|
1.51%
|
100
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Electorate: 11,641 Valid: 6,615 (56.83%) Spoilt: 221 Quota: 827 Turnout: 6,836 (58.72%)
|
Area B
1973: 3 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent
1977: 4 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
1973-1977 Change: SDLP gain from Independent
Down Area B - 6 seats[2]
Party |
Candidate |
FPv% |
Count
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10
|
|
SDLP
|
Eddie McGrady*
|
21.72%
|
1,524
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SDLP
|
Dermot Curran*
|
14.17%
|
994
|
1,069.48
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
UUP
|
Cecil Maxwell*
|
12.09%
|
848
|
853.44
|
854.34
|
862.68
|
873.68
|
903.36
|
1,325.36
|
|
|
|
|
SDLP
|
John Ritchie*
|
8.48%
|
595
|
694.96
|
707.56
|
722.52
|
738.18
|
771.2
|
771.88
|
772.88
|
1,153.76
|
|
|
SDLP
|
Sean Quinn
|
7.81%
|
548
|
755.06
|
780.86
|
806.16
|
823.2
|
921.78
|
924.76
|
925.76
|
1,153.76
|
|
|
Alliance
|
George Flinn
|
5.20%
|
365
|
373.84
|
374.74
|
388.42
|
564.76
|
618.46
|
631.46
|
768.46
|
793.66
|
833.66
|
|
Republican Clubs
|
Raymond Blaney
|
7.64%
|
536
|
551.64
|
554.04
|
586.72
|
593.72
|
661.34
|
662.34
|
680.34
|
735.08
|
782.08
|
|
SDLP
|
Theresa McEvoy
|
6.66%
|
467
|
525.48
|
540.18
|
551.86
|
556.88
|
614.5
|
615.5
|
616.5
|
|
|
|
UUP
|
Robert Nicholson
|
6.30%
|
442
|
443.7
|
444
|
448
|
451
|
454
|
|
|
|
|
|
Independent
|
John Bryce
|
4.12%
|
289
|
308.04
|
313.14
|
376.18
|
384.54
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alliance
|
William McNamara
|
3.26%
|
229
|
242.94
|
244.74
|
250.08
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Independent
|
James McDowell
|
2.55%
|
179
|
187.16
|
188.66
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Electorate: 10,436 Valid: 7,016 (67.23%) Spoilt: 262 Quota: 1,003 Turnout: 7,278 (69.74%)
|
Area C
1973: 4 x SDLP, 3 x UUP
1977: 4 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
1977-1981 Change: Alliance gain from UUP
Down Area C - 7 seats[2]
Party |
Candidate |
FPv% |
Count
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8
|
|
SDLP
|
Patrick O'Donoghue*
|
18.73%
|
1,335
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SDLP
|
Eamon O'Neill
|
9.13%
|
651
|
814.35
|
824.67
|
824.67
|
898.89
|
|
|
|
|
UUP
|
Ethel Smyth
|
11.04%
|
787
|
787
|
799
|
851
|
857.66
|
1,155.66
|
|
|
|
UUP
|
Norman Bicker
|
9.30%
|
663
|
663
|
671
|
829
|
837.66
|
1,042.66
|
|
|
|
Alliance
|
Patrick Forde
|
5.92%
|
422
|
429.59
|
539.25
|
620.58
|
818.87
|
844.87
|
901.87
|
|
|
SDLP
|
Jarlath Carey*
|
9.02%
|
643
|
772.36
|
789.02
|
794.02
|
845.23
|
847.56
|
849.56
|
860.56
|
|
SDLP
|
James Magee
|
9.64%
|
687
|
713.4
|
728.73
|
729.73
|
744.03
|
746.03
|
747.03
|
753.03
|
|
SDLP
|
James McClean
|
6.92%
|
493
|
556.69
|
561.35
|
561.35
|
578.99
|
579.99
|
581.99
|
583.99
|
|
UUP
|
William Keown
|
6.57%
|
468
|
468.66
|
477.66
|
544.66
|
555.32
|
|
|
|
|
Alliance
|
Joseph Keenan
|
5.11%
|
364
|
402.94
|
421.27
|
442.27
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unionist Party NI
|
John Beck
|
4.66%
|
332
|
332.33
|
409.33
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alliance
|
Patrick Doherty
|
2.47%
|
176
|
180.29
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unionist Party NI
|
Henry Cromie
|
1.49%
|
106
|
106.66
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Electorate: 10,834 Valid: 7,127 (65.78%) Spoilt: 398 Quota: 891 Turnout: 7,525 (69.46%)
|
References