# 1981 Craigavon Borough Council election

Elections to Craigavon Borough Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used four district electoral areas to elect a total of 25 councillors.

## Election results

Craigavon Borough Council Election Result 1981 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| UUP | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 36.0 | 30.8 | 10,045 | 0.6 |
| DUP | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 28.0 | 27.1 | 8,836 | 9.8 |
| SDLP | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20.0 | 20.8 | 6,801 | 2.6 |
| Republican Clubs | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8.0 | 9.4 | 3,059 | 3.8 |
| Alliance | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 1,354 | 7.2 |
| UUUP | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 1,276 | 1.9 |
| Independent Socialist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 898 | 2.7 |
| Ind. Nationalist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 250 | 0.8 |
| Ind. Unionist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 141 | 0.4 |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the Craigavon Borough Council election, 1981 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | UUP | UUP | DUP | DUP | SDLP | SDLP | RC | RC | Alliance | Alliance | UUUP | UUUP | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Area A | 14.8 | 1 | 12.4 | 0 | 49.9 | 3 | 19.8 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 3.1 | 0 | 5 |
| Area B | 36.5 | 3 | 30.7 | 2 | 16.5 | 1 | 6.7 | 0 | 9.5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Area C | 26.5 | 2 | 22.0 | 2 | 19.0 | 1 | 14.2 | 1 | 6.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 12.0 | 0 | 6 |
| Area D | 40.6 | 3 | 38.6 | 3 | 6.9 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 13.8 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 30.8 | 9 | 27.1 | 7 | 20.8 | 5 | 9.4 | 2 | 4.1 | 1 | 3.9 | 1 | 3.9 | 0 | 25 |

## Districts results
### Area A

1977: 3 x SDLP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x UUP 1981: 3 x SDLP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x UUP 1977-1981 Change: No change
Craigavon Area A - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Republican Clubs | Padraig Breen | 19.44% | 1,200 | | | | |
| | SDLP | James McDonald* | 16.18% | 999 | 1,032.2 | | | |
| | SDLP | Patrick Crilly* | 10.56% | 652 | 715.4 | 762.4 | 1,166.4 | |
| | SDLP | Sean McCavanagh* | 14.04% | 867 | 915 | 973.8 | 1,117.8 | |
| | UUP | James Gillespie* | 11.86% | 732 | 734.4 | 894.2 | 897.2 | 925.2 |
| | DUP | Victor Pickering | 12.41% | 766 | 766.4 | 786.4 | 786.6 | 795.6 |
| | SDLP | Ignatius Fox | 9.12% | 563 | 580 | 603.8 | | |
| | Independent Socialist | Joseph Cunningham | 3.11% | 192 | 214.4 | | | |
| | UUP | William Lyness | 2.96% | 183 | 184.2 | | | |
| Electorate: 8,797 Valid: 6,174 (70.18%) Spoilt: 245 Quota: 1,030 Turnout: 6,419 (72.97%) |||||||||

### Area B

1977: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP 1981: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP 1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from Alliance
Craigavon Area B - 7 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 |
| | UUP | Herbert Whitten* | 21.99% | 1,785 | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Daniel Murphy* | 16.54% | 1,343 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Gladys McCullough* | 13.88% | 1,127 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Alan Locke* | 8.18% | 664 | 1,138.72 | | | | | | |
| | DUP | James Forsythe | 9.88% | 802 | 829.95 | 830.21 | 834.83 | 957.03 | 1,019.93 | | |
| | UUP | Arnold Hatch | 6.38% | 518 | 695.59 | 695.59 | 800.31 | 821.13 | 830.73 | 996.41 | 1,009.67 |
| | Alliance | William Ramsay* | 5.11% | 415 | 448.11 | 479.05 | 483.56 | 492.39 | 495.19 | 521.11 | 876.6 |
| | Republican Clubs | Dermot Hamill | 6.66% | 541 | 541 | 701.68 | 702.01 | 703.27 | 703.27 | 705.8 | 798.17 |
| | Alliance | Sean Hagan* | 4.43% | 360 | 365.16 | 493.6 | 494.48 | 496.74 | 497.14 | 504.63 | |
| | DUP | Frederick Richardson | 4.14% | 336 | 360.51 | 360.51 | 361.83 | 437.81 | 471.11 | | |
| | DUP | John Oliver | 2.80% | 227 | 244.2 | 244.72 | 246.59 | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,023 Valid: 8,118 (67.52%) Spoilt: 326 Quota: 1,015 Turnout: 8,444 (70.23%) ||||||||||||

### Area C

1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP 1981: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Republican Clubs 1977-1981 Change: DUP and Republican Clubs gain from SDLP and Alliance
Craigavon Area C - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | 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 | 13 |
| | Republican Clubs | Tom French | 14.19% | 1,298 | 1,301 | 1,363 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Hugh News* | 11.77% | 1,077 | 1,077 | 1,133 | 1,153.93 | 1,169.84 | 1,285.39 | 1,384.39 | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Mary Simpson* | 10.79% | 987 | 1,015 | 1,015 | 1,015 | 1,015 | 1,015 | 1,132 | 1,134 | 1,194 | 1,200 | 1,552 | | |
| | UUP | Cyril McLoughlin | 8.47% | 775 | 793 | 796 | 796 | 797 | 799 | 886 | 888 | 922 | 929 | 1,294 | 1,509.67 | |
| | DUP | William Smith | 7.10% | 650 | 662 | 662 | 662.91 | 663.91 | 663.91 | 671.91 | 672.91 | 1,053.91 | 1,054.91 | 1,074.91 | 1,089.92 | 1,150.75 |
| | DUP | Robert Dodds | 8.20% | 750 | 777 | 777 | 777.91 | 777.91 | 777.91 | 782.91 | 783.91 | 925.91 | 926.91 | 942.91 | 953.97 | 993.47 |
| | SDLP | Catherine McCann | 4.27% | 391 | 391 | 435 | 448.65 | 468.56 | 636.29 | 708.2 | 763.2 | 763.2 | 973.75 | 973.75 | 975.33 | 977.7 |
| | UUP | Jack Mathers | 7.20% | 659 | 670 | 670 | 670 | 670 | 670 | 759 | 760 | 774 | 782 | | | |
| | Independent Socialist | Alan Evans | 4.35% | 398 | 402 | 415 | 417.73 | 668.46 | 684.46 | 751.46 | 757.46 | 757.46 | | | | |
| | DUP | Ronald Williamson* | 6.74% | 617 | 631 | 631 | 631 | 631 | 631 | 638 | 638 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Brian Gee | 6.33% | 579 | 596 | 609 | 611.73 | 616.73 | 628.73 | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Terence McGinnity | 2.95% | 270 | 270 | 313 | 321.19 | 327.19 | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent Socialist | George Forker | 3.37% | 308 | 309 | 313 | 317.55 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Robert McEvoy* | 2.73% | 250 | 252 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Frederick Crowe | 1.54% | 141 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 14,371 Valid: 9,150 (63.67%) Spoilt: 318 Quota: 1,308 Turnout: 9,468 (65.88%) |||||||||||||||||

### Area D

1977: 4 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x UUUP 1981: 3 x UUP, 3 x DUP, 1 x UUUP 1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from UUP
Craigavon Area D - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | DUP | Frederick Baird* | 17.03% | 1,570 | | | | | |
| | DUP | David Calvert* | 12.14% | 1,119 | 1,284.36 | | | | |
| | UUP | Sydney Cairns* | 12.49% | 1,151 | 1,179.08 | | | | |
| | UUP | Samuel Gardiner | 12.27% | 1,131 | 1,142.96 | 1,146.16 | 1,397.16 | | |
| | UUP | George Savage | 11.15% | 1,028 | 1,032.68 | 1,034.48 | 1,153.48 | | |
| | DUP | Ian Williams | 9.46% | 872 | 997.06 | 1,104.86 | 1,123.96 | 1,156.96 | |
| | UUUP | Philip Black* | 8.57% | 790 | 842.26 | 850.26 | 877.22 | 983.22 | 1,439.22 |
| | SDLP | Gary Kennedy | 6.93% | 639 | 639.26 | 639.26 | 639.26 | 640.26 | 648.26 |
| | UUUP | Thomas Megarrell | 5.27% | 486 | 497.96 | 500.36 | 519.74 | 546.74 | |
| | UUP | Samuel Lutton | 4.69% | 432 | 436.94 | 438.94 | | | |
| Electorate: 13,017 Valid: 9,218 (70.82%) Spoilt: 237 Quota: 1,153 Turnout: 9,455 (72.64%) ||||||||||