# 1981 Coleraine Borough Council election

Elections to Coleraine Borough Council were held on 20 May 1981 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

Coleraine Borough Council Election Result 1981 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| UUP | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 40.0 | 34.2 | 7,670 | 4.0 |
| DUP | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 30.0 | 33.2 | 7,440 | 15.6 |
| Independent | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15.0 | 10.8 | 2,421 | 3.8 |
| SDLP | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 2,620 | 1.2 |
| Alliance | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5.0 | 6.3 | 1,417 | 4.3 |
| Ind. Unionist | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 3.1 | 705 | 0.3 |
| Green (NI) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 142 | New |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the Coleraine Borough Council election, 1981 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | UUP | UUP | DUP | DUP | SDLP | SDLP | Alliance | Alliance | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Area A | 34.2 | 2 | 26.1 | 2 | 28.0 | 2 | 1.7 | 0 | 10.0 | 0 | 6 |
| Area B | 43.4 | 4 | 34.2 | 2 | 10.0 | 0 | 11.4 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Area C | 27.4 | 2 | 38.1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 6.3 | 0 | 28.2 | 3 | 7 |
| Total | 34.2 | 8 | 33.2 | 6 | 11.7 | 2 | 6.3 | 1 | 14.6 | 3 | 20 |

## Districts results
### Area A

1977: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Unionist 1981: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 2 x SDLP 1977-1981 Change: DUP and SDLP gain from UUP and Independent Unionist
Coleraine Area A - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| | SDLP | John Dallat* | 15.14% | 1,061 | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Gerard O'Kane | 12.86% | 901 | 925 | 975.7 | | | | | |
| | UUP | William King* | 12.33% | 864 | 883 | 883.1 | 890.15 | 943.15 | 1,235.15 | | |
| | UUP | George McIlrath* | 9.85% | 690 | 702 | 702.25 | 712.25 | 910.25 | 1,058.25 | | |
| | DUP | Thomas Malone | 11.17% | 783 | 784 | 784 | 983 | 992 | 1,026 | | |
| | DUP | Robert Catherwood* | 9.70% | 680 | 682 | 682 | 802 | 827 | 888 | 969 | 998.68 |
| | Ind. Unionist | William Watt* | 10.06% | 705 | 725 | 725.65 | 745.65 | 773.65 | 788.65 | 898.65 | 924.41 |
| | UUP | James Anderson* | 6.36% | 446 | 460 | 460 | 464 | 562 | | | |
| | UUP | Mayne Long | 5.64% | 395 | 405 | 405 | 413 | | | | |
| | DUP | Irwin Holmes | 5.22% | 366 | 368 | 368.1 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Anne Lambert | 1.67% | 117 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 8,960 Valid: 7,008 (78.21%) Spoilt: 179 Quota: 1,002 Turnout: 7,187 (80.21%) ||||||||||||

### Area B

1977: 4 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Unionist 1981: 4 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance 1977-1981 Change: DUP (two seats) gain from SDLP and Independent Unionist
Coleraine Area B - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| | DUP | William Creelman | 17.09% | 1,119 | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | William Glenn* | 10.29% | 674 | 692.2 | 695.2 | 809.72 | 810.72 | 819.28 | | | | |
| | UUP | Albert Clarke* | 9.62% | 630 | 637.54 | 638.54 | 683.32 | 697.32 | 713.1 | 877.1 | | | |
| | DUP | Matthew Kane | 8.25% | 540 | 611.76 | 614.76 | 621.02 | 624.02 | 777.64 | 790.16 | 791.27 | 1,105.27 | |
| | UUP | Elizabeth Connolly | 6.46% | 423 | 425.6 | 425.6 | 508.6 | 517.6 | 562.16 | 630.24 | 666.13 | 735.82 | 808.82 |
| | Alliance | Patrick McGowan | 6.92% | 453 | 453.78 | 466.78 | 468.3 | 730.3 | 731.3 | 754.08 | 755.93 | 761.64 | 764.64 |
| | UUP | Robert Mitchell | 7.53% | 493 | 494.82 | 494.82 | 508.6 | 519.6 | 531.86 | 583.9 | 599.07 | 636.44 | 718.44 |
| | SDLP | Sean Farren* | 10.05% | 658 | 658.52 | 669.52 | 669.52 | 673.52 | 674.78 | 678.56 | 678.93 | 679.56 | 679.56 |
| | DUP | Roy Hilldrup | 4.15% | 272 | 423.58 | 426.84 | 432.4 | 435.4 | 520.42 | 535.5 | 537.72 | | |
| | UUP | John Earl* | 5.08% | 333 | 341.32 | 341.32 | 351.58 | 356.58 | 357.84 | | | | |
| | DUP | William Sweeney | 4.72% | 309 | 331.36 | 332.36 | 334.36 | 335.36 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Peter Scott | 4.47% | 293 | 293 | 311 | 316 | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Thomas Henry | 4.44% | 291 | 295.68 | 295.68 | | | | | | | |
| | Green (NI) | Malcolm Samuel | 0.93% | 61 | 61.26 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 10,492 Valid: 6,549 (62.42%) Spoilt: 166 Quota: 819 Turnout: 6,715 (64.00%) ||||||||||||||

### Area C

1977: 3 x UUP, 2 x Independent, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance 1981: 3 x Independent, 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP 1977-1981 Change: DUP and Independent gain from UUP and Alliance
Coleraine Area C - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| | DUP | James McClure* | 36.16% | 3,203 | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Robert White* | 15.51% | 1,374 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | James McFeely* | 13.25% | 1,174 | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Paul Baxter | 6.94% | 615 | 800.46 | 863.35 | 864.13 | 872.8 | 959.61 | 979.83 | 1,186.83 | | |
| | Independent | William McNabb | 8.42% | 746 | 909.02 | 935.24 | 953.72 | 968.95 | 1,007.37 | 1,018.35 | 1,096.82 | 1,116.82 | |
| | Independent | Randall Crawford* | 5.28% | 468 | 627.72 | 652.23 | 658.77 | 664.87 | 686.75 | 707.44 | 798.61 | 815.66 | 1,086.08 |
| | DUP | Robert Bolton | 0.78% | 69 | 634.62 | 637.85 | 637.85 | 637.85 | 643.55 | 781.35 | 824.6 | 847.15 | 873.36 |
| | DUP | Robert McElfatrick | 0.68% | 60 | 588.66 | 591.32 | 591.5 | 594.48 | 601.63 | 729.34 | 764.44 | 773.79 | 794.16 |
| | Alliance | William Mathews* | 5.64% | 500 | 525.08 | 545.6 | 571.34 | 573.84 | 663.43 | 667.94 | 700.07 | 709.42 | |
| | UUP | Matthew Adams* | 4.01% | 355 | 469.84 | 537.29 | 538.01 | 541.2 | 573.36 | 581.32 | | | |
| | DUP | Elizabeth Gaston | 0.44% | 39 | 328.08 | 329.22 | 329.4 | 329.4 | 336.61 | | | | |
| | UUP | Antony Alcock | 0.54% | 48 | 58.56 | 90.86 | 90.86 | 90.86 | | | | | |
| | Green (NI) | Avril McCandless | 0.91% | 81 | 84.3 | 84.49 | 86.77 | 88.89 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Robert Hunter | 0.44% | 39 | 56.82 | 67.65 | 67.71 | 68.77 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Margaret Smith | 0.61% | 54 | 57.3 | 58.63 | 59.95 | 62.01 | | | | | |
| | Independent | James Leonard | 0.37% | 33 | 43.56 | 45.46 | 47.8 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,636 Valid: 8,858 (70.10%) Spoilt: 215 Quota: 1,108 Turnout: 9,073 (71.80%) ||||||||||||||