# Ards Area A

Ards Area A was one of the three district electoral areas in Ards, Northern Ireland which existed from 1973 to 1985. The district elected seven members to Ards Borough Council, and formed part of the North Down constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.
It was created for the 1973 local elections, and contained the wards of Ballyhalbert, Carrowdore, Donaghadee North, Donaghadee South, Greyabbey, Kircubbin and Portaferry. It was abolished for the 1985 local elections and replaced by the Ards Peninsula DEA.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) |
| 1981 | John Scott (UUP) | Robert Ambrose (UUP) | Oliver Johnston (DUP) | Joseph Thompson (DUP) | Gladys McIntyre (UPUP) | William Sheldon (Alliance) | Patrick Doherty (SDLP) |
| 1977 | John Scott (UUP) | Robert Ambrose (UUP) | William Caughey (UUP) | Joseph Thompson (DUP) | Charles Dunleath (Alliance) | William Sheldon (Alliance) | Patrick Doherty (SDLP) |
| 1973 | John Scott (UUP) | Henry Cosbey (UUP) | Oliver Johnston (UUP) | T. G. H. Pollock (UUP) | J. Donnan (UUP) | G. McMordie (UUP) | J. B. McPolin (SDLP) |

## 1981 Election

1977: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP
1981: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x UPUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
1977-1981 Change: DUP and UPUP gain from UUP and Alliance
Ards Area A - 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 |
| | UPUP | Gladys McIntyre | 13.04% | 1,034 | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Robert Ambrose* | 7.68% | 609 | 610 | 627.04 | 653.64 | 692.04 | 747.52 | 758.64 | 1,021.64 | | |
| | SDLP | Patrick Doherty* | 11.88% | 942 | 942.04 | 942.04 | 943.12 | 943.12 | 943.12 | 961.16 | 965.2 | 1,347.2 | |
| | DUP | Joseph Thompson* | 11.57% | 917 | 918.32 | 923.44 | 950.76 | 954.8 | 960.92 | 960.92 | 974.16 | 976.24 | 981.24 |
| | Alliance | William Sheldon* | 5.39% | 427 | 427.44 | 436.44 | 439.64 | 448.68 | 453.8 | 730.44 | 764.76 | 820.84 | 974.84 |
| | DUP | Oliver Johnston | 11.04% | 875 | 876.68 | 882.84 | 890.68 | 901.92 | 920.16 | 923.2 | 952.72 | 954.72 | 958.72 |
| | UUP | John Scott* | 6.88% | 545 | 548.48 | 576.72 | 592.08 | 633.6 | 758.12 | 790.32 | 878.6 | 882.84 | 886.84 |
| | DUP | Jim Shannon | 9.35% | 741 | 743.04 | 744.08 | 754.52 | 760.56 | 763.68 | 768.72 | 796.92 | 798.08 | 807.08 |
| | Independent | James McMullan | 6.07% | 481 | 481.64 | 484.64 | 486.68 | 486.68 | 488.68 | 492.68 | 495.72 | | |
| | UUP | William Caughey* | 4.28% | 339 | 339.72 | 346.84 | 358.12 | 420.56 | 483.28 | 491.4 | | | |
| | Alliance | Alan Burnside | 4.25% | 337 | 337.36 | 341.36 | 346.16 | 348.2 | 367.36 | | | | |
| | UUP | James Kennett | 3.27% | 259 | 260 | 271.08 | 278.6 | 307.92 | | | | | |
| | UUP | David Hamilton | 2.64% | 209 | 209.8 | 210.96 | 215.36 | | | | | | |
| | UPUP | Frances Millar | 1.26% | 100 | 125.48 | 140.96 | | | | | | | |
| | Unionist Party NI | Michael Long | 1.41% | 112 | 113.52 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 14,228 Valid: 7,927 (55.71%) Spoilt: 235 Quota: 991 Turnout: 8,162 (57.37%) ||||||||||||||

## 1977 Election

1973: 6 x UUP, 1 x SDLP
1977: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP
1973-1977 Change: Alliance (two seats) and DUP gain from UUP (three seats)
Ards Area A - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| | Alliance | Charles Dunleath | 20.39% | 1,339 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Joseph Thompson* | 14.94% | 981 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Patrick Doherty* | 14.68% | 964 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | William Sheldon | 2.89% | 190 | 568.8 | 571.86 | 600.93 | 601.93 | 607.61 | 612.61 | 629.49 | 636.46 | 796.17 | 896.17 | |
| | UUP | John Scott* | 6.79% | 446 | 453.6 | 467.71 | 468.22 | 471.41 | 480.36 | 491.1 | 500.27 | 672.78 | 674.29 | 823.29 | |
| | UUP | William Caughey | 6.87% | 451 | 471.8 | 487.61 | 487.95 | 489.66 | 507.16 | 561.82 | 567.52 | 630.82 | 632.62 | 692.58 | 706.58 |
| | UUP | Robert Ambrose | 4.37% | 287 | 294.6 | 320.1 | 320.61 | 335.46 | 373.95 | 437.32 | 535.52 | 565.02 | 575.44 | 626.94 | 647.94 |
| | UUP | Oliver Johnston* | 7.01% | 460 | 466.4 | 475.41 | 475.92 | 477.09 | 480.28 | 493.12 | 497.8 | 529.42 | 531.42 | 566.01 | 578.01 |
| | Unionist Party NI | Michael Long | 5.65% | 371 | 401.4 | 406.67 | 407.69 | 408.09 | 411.77 | 421.11 | 451.85 | 477.96 | 499.54 | | |
| | Independent | James McMullan | 4.77% | 313 | 343.8 | 343.97 | 446.14 | 446.14 | 447.71 | 449.91 | 453.1 | 454.27 | | | |
| | UUP | Henry Cosbey* | 4.69% | 308 | 316 | 325.69 | 326.03 | 327.2 | 333.61 | 343.69 | 346.77 | | | | |
| | Independent | Francis McMaster | 1.95% | 128 | 133.2 | 142.72 | 144.76 | 175.45 | 207.96 | 218.98 | | | | | |
| | UUP | William Keag | 2.41% | 158 | 166 | 172.97 | 173.99 | 179.84 | 193.41 | | | | | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Robert Mason | 1.55% | 102 | 108.4 | 150.56 | 150.73 | 169.78 | | | | | | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Vera Shaw | 1.04% | 68 | 71.2 | 83.1 | 83.1 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 13,817 Valid: 6,566 (47.52%) Spoilt: 227 Quota: 821 Turnout: 6,793 (49.16%) ||||||||||||||||

## 1973 Election

1973: 6 x UUP, 1 x SDLP
Ards Area A - 7 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 | J. B. McPolin | 14.68% | 1,101 | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Henry Cosbey | 12.81% | 961 | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | John Scott | 11.27% | 845 | 845 | 847.17 | 854.17 | 879.51 | 1,029.51 | | | |
| | UUP | J. Donnan | 12.07% | 905 | 906.87 | 910.55 | 925.55 | 937.89 | 1,020.89 | | | |
| | UUP | T. G. H. Pollock | 11.64% | 873 | 873.17 | 873.51 | 891.51 | 904.51 | 990.51 | | | |
| | UUP | Oliver Johnston | 9.59% | 719 | 719.17 | 722.17 | 730.34 | 742.34 | 814.34 | 870.58 | 915.58 | 944.83 |
| | UUP | G. McMordie | 10.05% | 754 | 755.02 | 757.02 | 760.19 | 778.7 | 836.7 | 871.48 | 891.48 | 914.73 |
| | Alliance | C. McNamara | 4.20% | 315 | 416.49 | 451.74 | 510.8 | 817.24 | 823.92 | 823.92 | 824.92 | 824.92 |
| | Vanguard | R. H. Willis | 6.37% | 478 | 478.68 | 484.19 | 940.36 | 492.36 | | | | |
| | Alliance | M. Leroux | 3.52% | 264 | 268.25 | 278.25 | 403.35 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | William Sheldon | 3.07% | 230 | 234.59 | 249.67 | | | | | | |
| | NI Labour | J. M. Paden | 0.73% | 55 | 100.22 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 13,393 Valid: 7,500 (56.00%) Spoilt: 92 Quota: 938 Turnout: 7,592 (56.69%) |||||||||||||