# Lower Falls (District Electoral Area)

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 |
| 1 | Beechmount | 5,485 | 90.8% | 6.1% | 0.6% | 2.5% | 0.84 km$^2$ | 6,530/km$^2$ | Belfast West | Belfast West |
| 2 | Clonard | 4,975 | 90.5% | 6.4% | 0.6% | 2.6% | 0.61 km$^2$ | 8,156/km$^2$ | Belfast West | Belfast West |
| 3 | Falls | 5,184 | 87.6% | 7.5% | 2.3% | 2.6% | 1.2 km$^2$ | 4,320/km$^2$ | Belfast West | Belfast West |
| 4 | Upper Springfield | 5,250 | 93.5% | 4.6% | 0.3% | 1.6% | 2.5 km$^2$ | 2,100/km$^2$ | Belfast West | Belfast West |
| 5 | Whiterock | 5,694 | 93.1% | 4.7% | 0.3% | 1.8% | 0.78 km$^2$ | 7,300/km$^2$ | Belfast West | Belfast West |
| Lower Falls | Lower Falls | 26,588 | 91.1% | 5.8% | 0.3% | 1.8% | 5.93 km$^2$ | 4,484 /km$^2$ | 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 | Tom Hartley (Sinn Féin) | Marie Moore (Sinn Féin) | Máire Cush (Sinn Féin) | Janice Austin (Sinn Féin) | Fra McCann (Sinn Féin) |
| 2001 | Tom Hartley (Sinn Féin) | Marie Moore (Sinn Féin) | Máire Cush (Sinn Féin) | Margaret Walsh (SDLP) | Fra McCann (Sinn Féin) |
| 1997 | Tom Hartley (Sinn Féin) | Marie Moore (Sinn Féin) | Seán McKnight (Sinn Féin) | Margaret Walsh (SDLP) | Fra McCann (Sinn Féin) |
| 1993 | Tom Hartley (Sinn Féin) | Marie Moore (Sinn Féin) | Mary Muldoon (SDLP) | Patsy McGeown (Sinn Féin) | Fra McCann (Sinn Féin) |
| 1989 | Elizabeth Fitzsimons (Sinn Féin) | Seán McKnight (Sinn Féin) | Mary Muldoon (SDLP) | Joe Hendron (SDLP) | Fra McCann (Sinn Féin) |
| 1985 | Elizabeth Fitzsimons (Sinn Féin) | Seán McKnight (Sinn Féin) | Seán Keenan (Sinn Féin) | Joe Hendron (SDLP) | 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 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 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 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 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 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 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 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 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 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 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 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 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 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 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%) ||||||||