# 1981 Down District Council election

Elections to Down District 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

Down District Council Election Result 1981 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| SDLP | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 45.0 | 42.1 | 10,233 | 2.5 |
| UUP | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 25.0 | 27.3 | 6,694 | 4.1 |
| DUP | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 15.0 | 13.0 | 3,188 | New |
| Alliance | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5.0 | 8.4 | 2,055 | 3.4 |
| Republican Clubs | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 1,587 | 3.9 |
| Independent Labour | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5.0 | 2.7 | 665 | 2.7 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 74 | 3.2 |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the Down District Council election, 1981 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | SDLP | SDLP | UUP | UUP | DUP | DUP | Alliance | Alliance | Workers Party | Workers Party | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Area A | 24.4 | 2 | 43.0 | 3 | 24.4 | 2 | 7.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.9 | 0 | 7 |
| Area B | 50.5 | 3 | 17.5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 9.5 | 0 | 14.1 | 1 | 8.4 | 1 | 6 |
| Area C | 51.2 | 4 | 20.8 | 1 | 13.9 | 1 | 8.4 | 1 | 5.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 42.1 | 9 | 27.3 | 5 | 13.0 | 3 | 8.4 | 1 | 6.5 | 1 | 2.7 | 1 | 20 |

## Districts results
### Area A

1977: 4 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance 1981: 3 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 2 x DUP 1977-1981 Change: DUP (two seats) gain from UUP and Alliance
Down Area A - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 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 |
| | DUP | Cecil Harvey | 16.52% | 1,387 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Francis Laverty* | 9.63% | 809 | 810.2 | 820.2 | 820.2 | 829.2 | 829.2 | 830.2 | 1,064.2 | | | |
| | UUP | Samuel Osborne* | 11.36% | 954 | 973.92 | 974.92 | 977.16 | 1,007.4 | 1,012.72 | 1,038.44 | 1,041.68 | 1,078.68 | | |
| | SDLP | Monica Smyth | 8.94% | 751 | 751.48 | 765.48 | 765.48 | 779.48 | 779.48 | 703.4 | 1,021.96 | 1,272.96 | | |
| | UUP | Dermot Nesbitt | 8.72% | 732 | 744.96 | 744.96 | 772.96 | 779.96 | 785.84 | 965.48 | 967.2 | 999.2 | 1,018.2 | 1,036.6 |
| | UUP | William Brown* | 7.63% | 641 | 652.04 | 652.04 | 823.16 | 828.16 | 834.36 | 899.32 | 899.32 | 946.56 | 964.56 | 969.16 |
| | DUP | Thomas Poole | 5.68% | 477 | 619.32 | 621.32 | 632.28 | 633.52 | 888.76 | 901.44 | 902.44 | 906.44 | 909.44 | 909.44 |
| | UUP | William Finlay* | 7.80% | 655 | 667.72 | 668.72 | 704.72 | 707.72 | 733.36 | 822.04 | 827.04 | 870.28 | 882.28 | 887.8 |
| | Alliance | John Rodgers | 3.88% | 326 | 326.48 | 351.48 | 353.48 | 551.48 | 551.48 | 552.48 | 566.72 | | | |
| | SDLP | Thomas Murray | 5.82% | 489 | 490.68 | 500.68 | 500.92 | 512.92 | 513.92 | 515.92 | | | | |
| | UUP | James Glover | 4.23% | 355 | 361.24 | 364.24 | 385.48 | 386.48 | 391.92 | | | | | |
| | DUP | Thomas McKee | 2.23% | 187 | 302.2 | 304.2 | 307.44 | 307.44 | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Wanda Rowan-Hamilton | 3.41% | 286 | 286.48 | 286.48 | 287.48 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | William Cochrane | 3.27% | 275 | 280.28 | 280.28 | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Francis Rice | 0.60% | 50 | 50 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Eileen Rice | 0.29% | 24 | 24 | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 11,993 Valid: 8,398 (70.02%) Spoilt: 216 Quota: 1,050 Turnout: 8,614 (71.83%) |||||||||||||||

### Area B

1977: 4 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance 1981: 3 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Independent Labour 1977-1981 Change: Republican Clubs and Independent Labour gain from SDLP and Alliance
Down Area B - 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 | Eddie McGrady* | 21.56% | 1,711 | | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | Raymond Blaney | 14.13% | 1,121 | 1,153.64 | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Dermot Curran* | 11.25% | 893 | 987.52 | 1,016.9 | 1,178.9 | | | | |
| | UUP | Cecil Maxwell* | 11.03% | 875 | 882.14 | 894.82 | 905.5 | 1,403.5 | | | |
| | SDLP | John Ritchie* | 8.15% | 647 | 787.08 | 803.76 | 869.48 | 869.48 | 874.48 | 880.48 | 1,171.48 |
| | Independent Labour | Malachi Curran | 8.38% | 665 | 691.86 | 717.9 | 763.74 | 764.74 | 779.74 | 788.14 | 994.8 |
| | Alliance | George Flinn* | 5.68% | 451 | 461.2 | 634.2 | 652.92 | 659.92 | 822.92 | 823.82 | 902.56 |
| | SDLP | Sean Quinn* | 4.70% | 373 | 552.18 | 580.86 | 723.34 | 724.34 | 727.34 | 756.74 | |
| | UUP | Elizabeth Kennedy | 6.46% | 513 | 513 | 515 | 515 | | | | |
| | SDLP | John Bryce | 4.81% | 382 | 455.78 | 461.46 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Michael Healy | 3.84% | 305 | 312.82 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 10,747 Valid: 7,936 (73.84%) Spoilt: 252 Quota: 1,134 Turnout: 8,188 (76.19%) ||||||||||||

### Area C

1977: 4 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance 1981: 4 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP 1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from UUP
Down 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 |
| | SDLP | Patrick O'Donoghue* | 16.27% | 1,328 | | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Ethel Smyth* | 13.93% | 1,137 | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Gerald Douglas | 11.50% | 939 | 940.15 | 991.35 | 994.35 | 1,097.35 | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Eamon O'Neill* | 10.07% | 822 | 939.53 | 939.93 | 949.93 | 954.41 | 954.41 | 1,068.41 | | | |
| | SDLP | James Curry | 9.34% | 762 | 828.47 | 828.47 | 847.16 | 856.49 | 856.49 | 960.38 | 1,152.38 | | |
| | SDLP | James Magee* | 10.12% | 826 | 857.05 | 857.05 | 861.28 | 861.28 | 861.28 | 900.26 | 1,099.26 | | |
| | Alliance | Patrick Forde* | 5.97% | 487 | 498.27 | 500.47 | 502.47 | 661.39 | 670.87 | 732.48 | 758.51 | 810.51 | 852.51 |
| | UUP | Norman Bicker* | 7.02% | 573 | 573 | 595.9 | 601.33 | 711.06 | 776.63 | 778.09 | 781.32 | 784.32 | 791.32 |
| | SDLP | Stephen McClean | 5.39% | 440 | 477.49 | 477.49 | 482.72 | 485.95 | 486.74 | 535.18 | | | |
| | Workers' Party | Edward O'Hagan | 4.28% | 349 | 376.14 | 376.34 | 442.95 | 447.95 | 447.95 | | | | |
| | UUP | William Keown | 2.23% | 182 | 182.23 | 211.63 | 211.63 | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Anthony Dickinson | 2.45% | 200 | 203.22 | 203.92 | 205.92 | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | David Allister | 1.43% | 117 | 120.22 | 120.42 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 11,077 Valid: 8,162 (73.68%) Spoilt: 251 Quota: 1,021 Turnout: 8,413 (75.95%) ||||||||||||||