# Down Area C

Down Area C 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 Castlewellan, Donard, Dundrum, Dunmore, Seaforde, Shimna and Tollymore. It was abolished for the 1985 local elections and replaced by the Newcastle DEA and part of the Ballynahinch DEA.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) |
| 1981 | Ethel Smyth (DUP)/ (UUP) | Gerald Douglas (UUP) | Patrick Forde (Alliance) | Patrick O'Donoghue (SDLP) | Eamon O'Neill (SDLP) | James Magee (SDLP) | James Curry (SDLP) |
| 1977 | Ethel Smyth (DUP)/ (UUP) | Norman Bicker (UUP) | Patrick Forde (Alliance) | Patrick O'Donoghue (SDLP) | Eamon O'Neill (SDLP) | James Magee (SDLP) | Jarlath Carey (SDLP) |
| 1973 | William McCombe (UUP) | John Beck (UUP) | Robert Thompson (UUP) | Patrick O'Donoghue (SDLP) | S. Fitzpatrick (SDLP) | Dan Rice (SDLP) | Jarlath Carey (SDLP) |

## 1981 Election

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

## 1977 Election

1973: 4 x SDLP, 3 x UUP
1977: 4 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
1977-1981 Change: Alliance gain from UUP
Down Area C - 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 |
| | SDLP | Patrick O'Donoghue* | 18.73% | 1,335 | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Eamon O'Neill | 9.13% | 651 | 814.35 | 824.67 | 824.67 | 898.89 | | | |
| | UUP | Ethel Smyth | 11.04% | 787 | 787 | 799 | 851 | 857.66 | 1,155.66 | | |
| | UUP | Norman Bicker | 9.30% | 663 | 663 | 671 | 829 | 837.66 | 1,042.66 | | |
| | Alliance | Patrick Forde | 5.92% | 422 | 429.59 | 539.25 | 620.58 | 818.87 | 844.87 | 901.87 | |
| | SDLP | Jarlath Carey* | 9.02% | 643 | 772.36 | 789.02 | 794.02 | 845.23 | 847.56 | 849.56 | 860.56 |
| | SDLP | James Magee | 9.64% | 687 | 713.4 | 728.73 | 729.73 | 744.03 | 746.03 | 747.03 | 753.03 |
| | SDLP | James McClean | 6.92% | 493 | 556.69 | 561.35 | 561.35 | 578.99 | 579.99 | 581.99 | 583.99 |
| | UUP | William Keown | 6.57% | 468 | 468.66 | 477.66 | 544.66 | 555.32 | | | |
| | Alliance | Joseph Keenan | 5.11% | 364 | 402.94 | 421.27 | 442.27 | | | | |
| | Unionist Party NI | John Beck* | 4.66% | 332 | 332.33 | 409.33 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Patrick Doherty | 2.47% | 176 | 180.29 | | | | | | |
| | Unionist Party NI | Henry Cromie | 1.49% | 106 | 106.66 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 10,834 Valid: 7,127 (65.78%) Spoilt: 398 Quota: 891 Turnout: 7,525 (69.46%) ||||||||||||

## 1973 Election

1973: 4 x SDLP, 3 x UUP
Down Area C - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | 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 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| | UUP | William McCombe | 19.45% | 1,532 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | John Beck | 12.95% | 1,020 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Patrick O'Donoghue | 7.97% | 628 | 628 | 629 | 629.03 | 632.03 | 637.03 | 646.03 | 655.03 | 660.03 | 668.03 | 736.03 | 751.39 | 778.39 | 999.39 | | |
| | SDLP | S. Fitzpatrick | 8.10% | 638 | 638.72 | 638.72 | 638.75 | 638.75 | 647.75 | 648.75 | 655.75 | 658.75 | 659.75 | 681.75 | 696.75 | 785.75 | 914.75 | 1,023.75 | |
| | SDLP | Jarlath Carey | 7.35% | 579 | 580.44 | 580.44 | 580.65 | 581.65 | 584.65 | 585.65 | 593.65 | 600.65 | 603.65 | 625.65 | 648.65 | 778.65 | 837.65 | 930.65 | 960.86 |
| | UUP | Robert Thompson | 3.87% | 305 | 823.4 | 823.4 | 850.46 | 850.46 | 850.49 | 852.52 | 860.08 | 860.08 | 861.53 | 872.98 | 882.18 | 882.18 | 883.18 | 884.18 | 884.18 |
| | SDLP | Dan Rice | 7.72% | 608 | 608 | 609 | 609.09 | 610.45 | 612.45 | 612.45 | 616.45 | 624.45 | 625.45 | 627.45 | 635.45 | 761.48 | 782.51 | 868.51 | 874.78 |
| | Alliance | Anthony Dickinson | 5.27% | 415 | 430.12 | 430.12 | 431.59 | 431.59 | 431.59 | 434.59 | 449.95 | 449.95 | 539.45 | 579.62 | 795.4 | 802.4 | 805.43 | 823.43 | 825.14 |
| | Republican Clubs | Edward O'Hagan | 3.82% | 301 | 301.36 | 304.36 | 304.36 | 327.36 | 352.36 | 362.36 | 369.36 | 473.36 | 475.36 | 506.36 | 514.36 | 519.39 | 541.39 | | |
| | SDLP | James McClean | 5.46% | 430 | 430.36 | 431.36 | 431.42 | 435.42 | 436.42 | 440.45 | 441.45 | 466.45 | 471.45 | 487.45 | 490.45 | 500.45 | | | |
| | SDLP | M. Fitzpatrick | 4.72% | 372 | 372 | 373 | 373.06 | 374.06 | 374.06 | 374.06 | 376.06 | 379.06 | 383.06 | 391.06 | 404.06 | | | | |
| | Alliance | Gerald McCormick | 2.82% | 222 | 223.8 | 223.8 | 224.04 | 224.04 | 224.04 | 224.04 | 227.46 | 229.46 | 294.82 | 320.82 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Joseph Keenan | 2.36% | 186 | 187.08 | 187.08 | 187.17 | 188.17 | 189.17 | 210.56 | 259.59 | 262.59 | 278.62 | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Danny Goodman | 2.31% | 182 | 184.16 | 184.16 | 184.46 | 184.46 | 184.46 | 191.46 | 196.85 | 197.85 | | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | Patrick Sloan | 1.46% | 115 | 115 | 123 | 123 | 139 | 175 | 176 | 176 | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Richard Hall | 1.40% | 110 | 112.88 | 112.88 | 113.24 | 113.24 | 113.24 | 127.24 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Hughes | 1.08% | 85 | 85.36 | 85.36 | 85.45 | 85.45 | 85.45 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | Anthony Small | 0.95% | 75 | 75.72 | 76.72 | 76.78 | 82.78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | McCusker | 0.70% | 55 | 55.36 | 56.36 | 56.36 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | John Sloane | 0.22% | 17 | 17 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 10,845 Valid: 7,875 (72.61%) Spoilt: 156 Quota: 985 Turnout: 8,031 (74.05%) ||||||||||||||||||||