1977 Down District Council election

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.

Main article: Northern Ireland local elections, 1977
1977 Down District Council election
18 May 1977 (1977-05-18)
All 20 seats to Down District Council
11 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party SDLP Ulster Unionist Alliance
Seats won 10 7 3
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease 1 Increase 1
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Party Vanguard Independent
Seats won 0 0
Seat change Decrease 1 Decrease 1

Election results
Down District Council Election Result 1977[1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  SDLP 10 2 0 Increase2 50.0 44.6 9,251 Increase9.6
  Ulster Unionist 7 0 1 Decrease1 35.0 31.4 6,520 Decrease7.2
  Alliance 3 1 0 Increase1 15.0 11.8 2,446 Decrease0.5
  Independent 0 0 1 Decrease1 0.0 3.5 736 Decrease3.6
  Unionist Party NI 0 0 0 New 0.0 3.3 700 New
  UUUP 0 0 0 New 0.0 2.7 569 New
  Republican Clubs 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 2.6 536 Increase0.2

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary

[1]

Results of the Down District Council election, 1977
by district
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]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
12345678910
SDLP Patrick Smyth* 12.65% 837                  
Ulster Unionist 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    
Ulster Unionist Edward McVeigh* 11.08% 733 736 736.03 770.03 773.03 773.04 803.04 813.09 823.82 963.82
Ulster Unionist William Finlay* 9.13% 604 605 605 622 622.01 622.01 646.01 648.01 650.6 849.6
Ulster Unionist 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
Ulster Unionist 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      
Ulster Unionist 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]
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    12345678910
    SDLP Eddie McGrady* 21.72% 1,524                  
    SDLP Dermot Curran* 14.17% 994 1,069.48                
    Ulster Unionist 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    
    Ulster Unionist 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]
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      12345678
      SDLP Patrick O'Donoghue* 18.73% 1,335              
      SDLP Eamon O'Neill 9.13% 651 814.35 824.67 824.67 898.89      
      Ulster Unionist Ethel Smyth 11.04% 787 787 799 851 857.66 1,155.66    
      Ulster Unionist 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
      Ulster Unionist 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
        1. "Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Down". www.ark.ac.uk.
        2. "Local Government Results 1977". EONI. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
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