# Down Area A

Down Area A was one of the three district electoral areas in Down, Northern Ireland which existed from 1973 to 1985. The district elected seven members to Down District Council, and formed part of the South Down constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.
It was created for the 1973 local elections, and contained the wards of Ballymaglave, Crossgar, Derryboy, Killyleagh, Kilmore, Market and Saintfield. It was abolished for the 1985 local elections and replaced by the Rowallane DEA and part of the Ballynahinch DEA.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) |
| 1981 | Samuel Osborne (UUP) | William Brown (UUP) | Dermot Nesbitt (UUP) | Cecil Harvey (DUP) | Thomas Poole (DUP) | Francis Laverty (SDLP) | Monica Smyth (SDLP) |
| 1977 | Samuel Osborne (UUP) | William Brown (UUP) | Edward McVeigh (UUP) | William Finlay (UUP) | Denis Rowan-Hamilton (Alliance) | Francis Laverty (SDLP) | Patrick Smyth (SDLP) |
| 1973 | Samuel Osborne (UUP) | William Cochrane (UUP) | Edward McVeigh (UUP) | William Finlay (UUP) | Denis Rowan-Hamilton (Alliance) | John Cleland (Vanguard) | Patrick Smyth (SDLP) |

## 1981 Election

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%) |||||||||||||||

## 1977 Election

1973: 4 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Vanguard
1977: 4 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
1973-1977 Change: SDLP gain from Vanguard
Down 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 |
| | SDLP | Patrick Smyth* | 12.65% | 837 | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Samuel Osborne* | 9.54% | 631 | 638 | 638 | 663 | 663 | 668 | 841 | | | |
| | Alliance | Denis Rowan-Hamilton* | 7.98% | 528 | 534 | 534.33 | 573.33 | 577.35 | 638.42 | 652.42 | 904.42 | | |
| | UUP | Edward McVeigh* | 11.08% | 733 | 736 | 736.03 | 770.03 | 773.03 | 773.04 | 803.04 | 813.09 | 823.82 | 963.82 |
| | UUP | William Finlay* | 9.13% | 604 | 605 | 605 | 622 | 622.01 | 622.01 | 646.01 | 648.01 | 650.6 | 849.6 |
| | UUP | William Brown | 9.02% | 597 | 601 | 601 | 621 | 621 | 621.01 | 634.01 | 635.01 | 640.19 | 801.56 |
| | SDLP | Francis Laverty | 3.89% | 257 | 260 | 264.88 | 267.9 | 449.39 | 605.83 | 605.83 | 717.4 | 774.01 | 778.09 |
| | UUUP | Andrew Gaskin | 8.60% | 569 | 570 | 570.01 | 572.01 | 572.01 | 573.01 | 580.01 | 582.01 | 582.01 | 603.01 |
| | UUP | William Cochrane* | 7.07% | 468 | 475 | 475.04 | 517.04 | 518.06 | 524.07 | 548.07 | 548.09 | 549.57 | |
| | Alliance | John Rodgers | 5.47% | 362 | 365 | 365.64 | 379.64 | 404.69 | 428.76 | 429.76 | | | |
| | UUP | Hugh Martin | 4.22% | 279 | 280 | 280 | 288 | 288 | 290.01 | | | | |
| | Independent | George Kerr | 4.05% | 268 | 268 | 268.58 | 269.58 | 273.69 | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Allen Gilgunn | 3.33% | 220 | 220 | 221.7 | 223.71 | | | | | | |
| | Unionist Party NI | William Hutton | 2.45% | 162 | 221 | 221.03 | | | | | | | |
| | Unionist Party NI | John McKee | 1.51% | 100 | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 11,641 Valid: 6,615 (56.83%) Spoilt: 221 Quota: 827 Turnout: 6,836 (58.72%) ||||||||||||||

## 1973 Election

1973: 4 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Vanguard
Down 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 |
| | UUP | Edward McVeigh | 13.51% | 1,099 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Vanguard | John Cleland | 12.86% | 1,046 | | | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Patrick Smyth | 12.34% | 1,004 | 1,004 | 1,018 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Samuel Osborne | 8.35% | 679 | 685.16 | 694.3 | 695.37 | 698.37 | 706.44 | 708.64 | 1,125.64 | | |
| | Alliance | Denis Rowan-Hamilton | 5.46% | 444 | 445.12 | 455.47 | 532.54 | 560.54 | 864.75 | 865.11 | 895.2 | 899.88 | 1,173.88 |
| | UUP | William Finlay | 9.77% | 795 | 801.23 | 812.51 | 820.51 | 822.51 | 834.51 | 838.83 | 872.1 | 896.02 | 903.09 |
| | UUP | William Cochrane | 8.43% | 686 | 695.45 | 709.66 | 713.73 | 714.73 | 725.8 | 730.26 | 820.72 | 874.28 | 883.28 |
| | UUP | Ben Dickson | 6.61% | 538 | 583.43 | 612.13 | 617.27 | 618.27 | 627.55 | 632.71 | 664.49 | 687.11 | 694.11 |
| | SDLP | Francis Laverty | 4.08% | 332 | 332.35 | 360.42 | 364.42 | 607.42 | 642.42 | 642.44 | 642.44 | 642.44 | |
| | UUP | Edward Lennon | 7.23% | 588 | 592.13 | 599.27 | 600.27 | 601.27 | 610.34 | 613.08 | | | |
| | Alliance | Christopher Gotto | 3.52% | 286 | 286.63 | 298.63 | 399.7 | 407.7 | | | | | |
| | SDLP | D. Rice | 3.42% | 278 | 278.07 | 282.07 | 296.07 | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Alison Morton | 2.48% | 202 | 202.35 | 217.42 | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | I. Jess | 1.95% | 159 | 161.31 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,148 Valid: 8,136 (66.97%) Spoilt: 101 Quota: 1,018 Turnout: 8,237 (67.81%) ||||||||||||||