# 1989 Belfast City Council election

Elections to Belfast City Council were held on 17 May 1989 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used nine district electoral areas to elect a total of 51 councillors, most representing the more heavily populated north and west.
The UUP remained the largest party, and Reg Empey became the Lord Mayor.

## Election results

Belfast Local Election Result 1989 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| UUP | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27.5 | 21.7 | 22,846 | 2.7 |
| Sinn Féin | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15.7 | 18.7 | 19,688 | 3.1 |
| SDLP | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 15.7 | 16.1 | 16,937 | 1.9 |
| DUP | 8 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15.7 | 14.8 | 15,618 | 5.1 |
| Alliance | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11.8 | 10.9 | 11,479 | 0.6 |
| Ind. Unionist | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7.8 | 6.7 | 7,013 | 3.2 |
| Workers' Party | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 5.3 | 5,571 | 1.5 |
| PUP | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2,533 | 0.3 |
| Protestant Unionist | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 1,408 | 1.3 |
| Ulster Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 908 | 0.4 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 717 | 0.7 |
| Labour Party NI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 212 | New |
| Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 175 | 0.0 |
| Green (NI) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.08 | 95 | New |
| National Front | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.02 | 27 | New |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the Belfast City Council election, 1989 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | UUP | UUP | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | SDLP | SDLP | DUP | DUP | Alliance | Alliance | Workers' Party | Workers' Party | PUP | PUP | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Balmoral | 34.9 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 14.3 | 1 | 19.3 | 1 | 19.0 | 1 | 2.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 10.4 | 0 | 5 |
| Castle | 24.6 | 1 | 3.8 | 0 | 19.2 | 1 | 16.6 | 1 | 8.8 | 1 | 4.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 22.9 | 2 | 6 |
| Court | 19.8 | 1 | 2.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 15.8 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 3.5 | 0 | 24.2 | 1 | 34.4 | 2 | 6 |
| Laganbank | 31.6 | 2 | 7.7 | 0 | 20.8 | 1 | 12.0 | 1 | 19.0 | 1 | 4.9 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4.0 | 0 | 5 |
| Lower Falls | 0.0 | 0 | 61.0 | 3 | 28.5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 1.2 | 0 | 9.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 5 |
| Oldpark | 22.8 | 2 | 37.8 | 3 | 8.9 | 0 | 15.8 | 1 | 3.3 | 0 | 11.4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 6 |
| Pottinger | 25.7 | 2 | 5.8 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 40.1 | 2 | 12.1 | 1 | 5.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 11.3 | 1 | 6 |
| Upper Falls | 0.0 | 0 | 49.5 | 2 | 41.9 | 2 | 2.2 | 0 | 2.6 | 0 | 3.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.7 | 0 | 5 |
| Victoria | 39.5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 23.7 | 2 | 31.0 | 2 | 2.5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 3.3 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 21.7 | 14 | 18.7 | 8 | 16.1 | 8 | 14.8 | 8 | 10.9 | 6 | 5.3 | 1 | 2.5 | 1 | 10.0 | 5 | 51 |

## District results
### Balmoral

1985: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance 1989: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP 1985-1989 Change: SDLP gain from DUP
Balmoral - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | UUP | Mary Crooks* | 18.97% | 2,163 | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Jim Kirkpatrick* | 15.94% | 1,818 | 1,968.72 | | | | | |
| | DUP | John Parkes* | 14.05% | 1,602 | 1,631.76 | 1,997.76 | | | | |
| | Alliance | Mark Long | 9.69% | 1,105 | 1,111 | 1,178.68 | 1,182.37 | 1,188.37 | 2,118.37 | |
| | SDLP | Dorita Field | 14.35% | 1,636 | 1,637.08 | 1,708.32 | 1,708.73 | 1,708.85 | 1,778.63 | 1,888.89 |
| | Ind. Unionist | William Dickson* | 10.32% | 1,177 | 1,207.84 | 1,418.56 | 1,505.89 | 1,558.09 | 1,639.9 | 1,743.87 |
| | Alliance | John Montgomery* | 9.30% | 1,061 | 1,067.24 | 1,152.32 | 1,157.65 | 1,162.09 | | |
| | DUP | Caroline Bingham | 5.25% | 599 | 626 | | | | | |
| | Workers' Party | Shaun McKeown | 2.14% | 243 | 243.72 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 23,343 Valid: 11,404 (48.85%) Spoilt: 314 Quota: 1,901 Turnout: 11,718 (50.20%) |||||||||||

### Castle

1985: 2 x UUP, 1 SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Unionist
1989: 2 x Independent Unionist, 1 x UUP, 1 SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance
1985-1989 Change: Independent Unionist gain from UUP
Castle - 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 | Alban Maginness* | 19.17% | 2,301 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | John Carson* | 18.26% | 2,192 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Nigel Dodds* | 14.82% | 1,779 | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Tom Campbell* | 8.77% | 1,053 | 1,384.02 | 1,405.36 | 1,405.63 | 1,488.77 | 1,493.04 | 1,591.75 | 1,855.75 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Frank Millar* | 11.54% | 1,385 | 1,386.62 | 1,455.7 | 1,460.44 | 1,475.44 | 1,559.34 | 1,561.16 | 1,618.15 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Nelson McCausland | 9.69% | 1,163 | 1,163 | 1,270.36 | 1,276.3 | 1,280.1 | 1,390.64 | 1,392.76 | 1,433.56 |
| | UUP | Alfred Redpath* | 6.39% | 767 | 771.05 | 993.25 | 996.76 | 1,003.74 | 1,053.35 | 1,061.95 | 1,118.56 |
| | Workers' Party | Anthony Kerr | 4.13% | 496 | 612.37 | 619.85 | 620.24 | 714.69 | 724.37 | 864.13 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Bobby Lavery* | 3.77% | 453 | 510.78 | 511.22 | 511.43 | 527.37 | 527.37 | | |
| | DUP | Samuel Lowry | 1.80% | 216 | 216.27 | 254.11 | 291.13 | 294.13 | | | |
| | Green (NI) | Maria O'Sullivan | 0.79% | 95 | 139.28 | 140.16 | 140.19 | | | | |
| | Labour '87 | Thomas Galloway | 0.86% | 103 | 124.87 | 127.95 | 128.04 | | | | |
| Electorate: 24,488 Valid: 12,003 (49.02%) Spoilt: 323 Quota: 1,715 Turnout: 12,326 (50.33%) ||||||||||||

### Court

1985: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Protestant Unionist, 1 x Independent Unionist 1989: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Protestant Unionist, 1 x Independent Unionist 1985-1989 Change: No change
Court - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | PUP | Hugh Smyth* | 24.25% | 2,533 | | | | | | |
| | Protestant Unionist | Elizabeth Seawright | 13.48% | 1,408 | 1,768.36 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Fred Cobain* | 11.20% | 1,170 | 1,253.16 | 1,289.54 | 1,294.54 | 1,334.82 | 1,468.84 | 1,669.84 |
| | DUP | Eric Smyth | 9.63% | 1,006 | 1,158.04 | 1,197.48 | 1,199.48 | 1,220.08 | 1,276.5 | 1,559.5 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Joseph Coggle* | 9.12% | 953 | 1,134.02 | 1,212.9 | 1,217.9 | 1,253.74 | 1,349.08 | 1,439.04 |
| | UUP | Herbert Ditty* | 8.59% | 897 | 962.52 | 1,002.98 | 1,005.32 | 1,030.92 | 1,208.88 | 1,309.8 |
| | Independent | William Smith | 6.87% | 717 | 809.4 | 847.82 | 849.82 | 932.84 | 979.16 | 1,008.36 |
| | DUP | Frederick Ashby* | 6.17% | 644 | 673.82 | 688.1 | 688.1 | 703.78 | 762.72 | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Alfie Ferguson | 4.87% | 509 | 562.34 | 583.08 | 583.08 | 625.5 | | |
| | Workers' Party | Peter Cullen | 3.51% | 367 | 374.98 | 379.06 | 467.06 | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Joe Austin | 2.30% | 240 | 240.42 | 240.76 | | | | |
| Electorate: 21,173 Valid: 10,444 (49.33%) Spoilt: 381 Quota: 1,493 Turnout: 10,825 (51.13%) |||||||||||

### Laganbank

1985: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP
1989: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP
1985-1989 Change: No change
Laganbank - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| | SDLP | Alasdair McDonnell* | 14.43% | 1,415 | 1,424 | 1,440 | 1,558 | 2,134 | | | | |
| | UUP | Dixie Gilmore* | 15.25% | 1,496 | 1,497 | 1,567 | 1,579 | 1,579 | 1,580 | 2,080 | | |
| | Alliance | Steve McBride | 11.29% | 1,107 | 1,110 | 1,147 | 1,243 | 1,282 | 1,490 | 1,497 | 1,500.84 | 1,602.84 |
| | UUP | Jim Clarke | 8.71% | 854 | 859 | 901 | 903 | 903 | 903 | 1,128 | 1,445.76 | 1,448.76 |
| | DUP | Rhonda Paisley* | 10.56% | 1,036 | 1,037 | 1,171 | 1,179 | 1,180 | 1,180 | 1,278 | 1,346.16 | 1,349.16 |
| | Alliance | Mary Thomas | 7.70% | 755 | 757 | 780 | 898 | 937 | 1,126 | 1,130 | 1,131.92 | 1,209.92 |
| | Sinn Féin | James Clinton | 7.68% | 753 | 775 | 776 | 799 | 811 | 836 | 837 | 837.96 | |
| | UUP | Harry Fletcher | 7.68% | 753 | 753 | 813 | 816 | 816 | 816 | | | |
| | SDLP | Gerard McKettrick | 6.41% | 629 | 635 | 638 | 700 | | | | | |
| | Workers' Party | Kevin Smyth | 4.88% | 479 | 503 | 553 | | | | | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Margaret Dickson | 2.02% | 198 | 198 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Benjamin Horan | 1.35% | 132 | 133 | | | | | | | |
| | Labour '87 | Paul Hainsworth | 1.11% | 109 | 123 | | | | | | | |
| | Communist | Barry Bruton | 0.93% | 91 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 20,689 Valid: 9,807 (47.40%) Spoilt: 372 Quota: 1,635 Turnout: 10,179 (49.20%) |||||||||||||

### Lower Falls

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%) |||||||||

### Oldpark

1985: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Workers' Party 1989: 2 x Sinn Féin, 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Workers' Party 1985-1989 Change: UUP gain from DUP
Oldpark - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | SDLP | Brian Feeney* | 18.38% | 2,426 | | | | | |
| | Workers' Party | Seamus Lynch* | 12.42% | 1,639 | 1,912.6 | | | | |
| | UUP | Fred Proctor* | 14.02% | 1,850 | 1,850.96 | 1,976.96 | | | |
| | UUP | William Gault | 9.05% | 780 | 782.64 | 886.56 | 951.36 | 1,491.96 | 2,050.96 |
| | Sinn Féin | Gerard McGuigan* | 12.75% | 1,682 | 1,706.96 | 1,723.84 | 1,723.84 | 1,723.84 | 1,725.84 |
| | Sinn Féin | Paddy McManus | 11.73% | 1,548 | 1,572.24 | 1,585.2 | 1,586.1 | 1,588.1 | 1,592.82 |
| | Sinn Féin | William McGarry | 8.45% | 1,115 | 1,153.16 | 1,187.2 | 1,187.2 | 1,188.44 | 1,206 |
| | Ulster Democratic | Patrick Bird | 6.34% | 837 | 837.72 | 883.36 | 896.86 | 1,117.84 | |
| | DUP | Stanley Mulholland | 6.10% | 805 | 805.24 | 839.4 | 851.1 | | |
| | Alliance | George Jones | 3.36% | 443 | 610.52 | | | | |
| | Ulster Democratic | William Clark | 0.54% | 71 | 71.24 | | | | |
| Electorate: 25,895 Valid: 13,196 (50.96%) Spoilt: 548 Quota: 1,886 Turnout: 13,744 (53.08%) ||||||||||

### Pottinger

1985: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance 1989: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 Independent Unionist 1985-1989 Change: Independent Unionist gain from DUP
Pottinger - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | DUP | Sammy Wilson* | 25.88% | 2,780 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Margaret Clarke* | 13.78% | 1,480 | 1,524.55 | 1,537.55 | | | |
| | Alliance | Mervyn Jones* | 12.07% | 1,296 | 1,309.05 | 1,314.3 | 1,326.75 | 1,599.75 | |
| | DUP | Jim Walker* | 4.59% | 493 | 1,268.35 | 1,479.35 | 1,531.7 | 1,546.7 | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Dorothy Dunlop | 10.98% | 1,179 | 1,225.8 | 1,245.75 | 1,313.9 | 1,344.35 | 1,357.35 |
| | UUP | Reg Empey* | 8.04% | 864 | 921.15 | 942.1 | 1,210.2 | 1,220.2 | 1,226.2 |
| | DUP | Frank Leslie* | 7.15% | 768 | 900.3 | 1,015 | 1,044.05 | 1,056.5 | 1,064.4 |
| | Sinn Féin | Joseph O'Donnell | 5.86% | 629 | 629.45 | 631.9 | 631.9 | 677.9 | |
| | Workers' Party | Sean Flanagan | 5.04% | 541 | 543.7 | 546.7 | 548.7 | | |
| | UUP | David McNutt | 3.91% | 420 | 447 | 457.15 | | | |
| | DUP | John Norris | 2.45% | 263 | 381.8 | | | | |
| | National Front | Stuart McCullough | 0.25% | 27 | 29.7 | | | | |
| Electorate: 24,265 Valid: 10,740 (44.26%) Spoilt: 508 Quota: 1,535 Turnout: 11,248 (46.35%) ||||||||||

### Upper Falls

1985: 2 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance 1989: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP 1985-1989 Change: Sinn Féin gain from Alliance
Upper Falls - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | SDLP | Alex Attwood* | 26.53% | 3,292 | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Alex Maskey* | 19.26% | 2,378 | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Teresa Holland* | 18.77% | 2,329 | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Cormac Boomer* | 9.58% | 1,189 | 2,202.46 | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Mairtin O'Muilleoir | 15.74% | 1,435 | 1,462.74 | 1,739.64 | 1,976.47 | 2,000.75 | 2,004.3 | 2,004.67 |
| | SDLP | Peter Prendiville | 5.75% | 713 | 815.98 | 819.1 | 820.97 | 834.35 | 935.6 | 962.75 |
| | Alliance | Dan McGuinness | 2.63% | 326 | 363.24 | 365.71 | 368.35 | 374.73 | 384.88 | 505.88 |
| | Workers' Party | Jean Craig | 3.06% | 380 | 409.64 | 411.72 | 413.48 | 432.48 | 443.83 | 488.83 |
| | DUP | Robert Morrow | 2.28% | 283 | 283 | 283.39 | 283.72 | 283.72 | 283.97 | |
| | Communist | Kevin O'Donnell | 0.68% | 84 | 87.04 | 89.77 | 90.54 | | | |
| Electorate: 22,975 Valid: 12,409 (54.01%) Spoilt: 426 Quota: 2,069 Turnout: 12,835 (55.87%) |||||||||||

### Victoria

1985: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 2 x DUP 1989: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 2 x DUP 1985-1989 Change: No change
Victoria - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Alliance | John Alderdice | 21.67% | 2,933 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Thomas Patton* | 21.02% | 2,845 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Ian Adamson | 12.78% | 1,730 | | | | | |
| | DUP | Wallace Browne* | 10.15% | 1,374 | 1,407.97 | 1,512.97 | 1,523.34 | 1,585.51 | 1,890.51 |
| | DUP | Robin Newton* | 8.65% | 1,171 | 1,177.88 | 1,274.06 | 1,287.33 | 1,346.33 | 1,644.33 |
| | Alliance | Danny Dow | 5.41% | 732 | 1,405.38 | 1,475.94 | 1,617.36 | 1,685.17 | 1,696.17 |
| | UUP | Alan Montgomery | 5.67% | 767 | 821.61 | 1,496.55 | 1,521.91 | 1,641.98 | 1,692.98 |
| | Alliance | George Thompson* | 3.94% | 533 | 937.2 | 963.66 | 1,041.39 | 1,110.23 | 1,117.23 |
| | DUP | Irene Lewis | 4.93% | 667 | 685.49 | 776.63 | 786.05 | 846.22 | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Samuel Walker | 3.32% | 449 | 469.64 | 520.46 | 555.74 | | |
| | Workers' Party | Hugh Jordan | 2.46% | 333 | 359.23 | 378.97 | | | |
| Electorate: 30,508 Valid: 13,534 (44.36%) Spoilt: 367 Quota: 1,692 Turnout: 13,901 (45.57%) ||||||||||