# Bellarena (District Electoral Area)

Bellarena was one of the three district electoral areas in Limavady, Northern Ireland which existed from 1985 to 2014. The district elected five members to Limavady Borough Council, and formed part of the East Londonderry constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.
It was created for the 1985 local elections, replacing Limavady Area A which had existed since 1973, and contained the wards of Aghanloo, Ballykelly, Black, Greysteel and Magilligan. It was abolished for the 2014 local elections and divided between the Limavady DEA and the Benbradagh DEA.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) |
| 2011 | Dermot Nicholl (Sinn Féin) | Cathal McLaughlin (Sinn Féin) | Orla Beattie (SDLP) | Edwin Stevenson (UUP) | George Robinson (DUP) |
| 2005 | Gerard Butcher (Sinn Féin) | John McElhinney (Sinn Féin) | Michael Carten (SDLP) | Edwin Stevenson (UUP) | Leslie Cubitt (DUP) |
| 2001 | Martin McGuigan (Sinn Féin) | Gerry Mullan (SDLP) | Michael Carten (SDLP) | Edwin Stevenson (UUP) | Leslie Cubitt (DUP) |
| 1997 | John McKinney (SDLP) | Arthur Doherty (SDLP) | Michael Carten (SDLP) | Stanley Gault (UUP) | Robert Grant (UUP) |
| 1993 | John McKinney (SDLP) | Arthur Doherty (SDLP) | Thomas Mullan (SDLP) | Stanley Gault (UUP) | Robert Grant (UUP) |
| 1989 | John McKinney (SDLP) | Arthur Doherty (SDLP) | Thomas Mullan (SDLP) | Stanley Gault (UUP) | Robert Grant (UUP) |
| 1985 | Ernest Murray (DUP) | Arthur Doherty (SDLP) | Thomas Mullan (SDLP) | Stanley Gault (UUP) | Robert Grant (UUP) |

## 2011 Election

2005: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP
2011: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP
2005-2011 Change: No change
Bellarena - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | DUP | George Robinson* | 22.04% | 1,016 | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Dermot Nicholl | 19.87% | 944 | | | | |
| | SDLP | Orla Beattie | 11.85% | 563 | 565.2 | 584.56 | 816.56 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Cathal McLaughlin | 14.19% | 674 | 674.44 | 786.44 | 814.44 | |
| | UUP | Edwin Stevenson* | 12.12% | 576 | 615.6 | 615.6 | 620.14 | 793.14 |
| | DUP | Jonathan Holmes | 7.81% | 371 | 529.4 | 529.72 | 531.94 | 612.94 |
| | Independent | Leslie Cubitt* | 6.55% | 311 | 326.84 | 326.84 | 333 | |
| | SDLP | Oonagh McNickle | 6.23% | 296 | 296.44 | 308.92 | | |
| Electorate: 8,808 Valid: 4,751 (53.94%) Spoilt: 99 Quota: 792 Turnout: 4,850 (55.06%) |||||||||

## 2005 Election

2001: 2 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin
2005: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP
2001-2005 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP
Bellarena - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | DUP | Leslie Cubitt* | 23.65% | 1,189 | | | |
| | SDLP | Michael Carten* | 12.53% | 630 | 631.8 | 883.8 | |
| | UUP | Edwin Stevenson* | 15.10% | 759 | 833.7 | 839 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Gerard Butcher | 13.27% | 667 | 667 | 708 | 770 |
| | Sinn Féin | John McElhinney | 11.99% | 603 | 603.3 | 612.3 | 743.3 |
| | DUP | Arnold Shannon | 6.36% | 320 | 586.4 | 589.7 | 602.6 |
| | SDLP | John McKinney | 9.96% | 501 | 502.8 | 541.4 | |
| | SDLP | Deborah Crewe | 7.14% | 359 | 360.5 | | |
| Electorate: 8,050 Valid: 5,028 (62.46%) Spoilt: 77 Quota: 839 Turnout: 5,105 (63.42%) ||||||||

## 2001 Election

1997: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP
2001: 2 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin
1997-2001 Change: DUP and Sinn Féin gain from UUP and SDLP
Bellarena - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | DUP | Leslie Cubitt | 18.81% | 1,027 | | | |
| | SDLP | Michael Carten* | 15.48% | 845 | 846.44 | 1,200.44 | |
| | SDLP | Gerry Mullan | 13.21% | 721 | 721 | 918 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Martin McGuigan | 15.26% | 833 | 833 | 917 | |
| | UUP | Edwin Stevenson | 12.95% | 707 | 759.44 | 760.44 | 765.44 |
| | UUP | William Smyth | 11.74% | 641 | 703.88 | 709 | 724 |
| | SDLP | John McKinney* | 12.55% | 685 | 685.24 | | |
| Electorate: 7,656 Valid: 5,459 (71.30%) Spoilt: 68 Quota: 910 Turnout: 5,527 (72.19%) ||||||||

## 1997 Election

1993: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP
1997: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP
1993-1997 Change: No change
Bellarena - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| | UUP | Stanley Gault* | 19.14% | 839 | | |
| | SDLP | Michael Carten | 18.57% | 814 | | |
| | SDLP | Arthur Doherty* | 18.21% | 798 | | |
| | UUP | Robert Grant* | 17.45% | 765 | | |
| | SDLP | John McKinney* | 16.29% | 714 | 714.7 | 793.1 |
| | DUP | Robert Glass | 10.34% | 453 | 556.18 | 556.48 |
| Electorate: 6,868 Valid: 4,383 (63.82%) Spoilt: 42 Quota: 731 Turnout: 4,425 (64.43%) |||||||

## 1993 Election

1989: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP
1993: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP
1989–1993 Change: No change
Bellarena - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| | UUP | Stanley Gault* | 21.42% | 880 | | |
| | SDLP | Arthur Doherty* | 20.84% | 856 | | |
| | SDLP | Thomas Mullan* | 16.77% | 689 | | |
| | UUP | Robert Grant* | 15.43% | 634 | 809.34 | |
| | SDLP | John McKinney* | 16.09% | 661 | 661 | 826.48 |
| | DUP | Ernest Murray | 9.44% | 388 | 402.74 | 405.26 |
| Electorate: 6,221 Valid: 4,108 (66.03%) Spoilt: 75 Quota: 685 Turnout: 4,183 (67.24%) |||||||

## 1989 Election

1985: 2 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP
1989: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP
1985–1989 Change: SDLP gain from DUP
Bellarena - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| | UUP | Stanley Gault* | 19.71% | 797 | | |
| | SDLP | John McKinney | 19.42% | 785 | | |
| | UUP | Robert Grant* | 17.21% | 696 | | |
| | SDLP | Arthur Doherty* | 16.72% | 676 | | |
| | SDLP | Thomas Mullan* | 15.29% | 618 | 620.88 | 725.32 |
| | DUP | Ernest Murray* | 11.65% | 471 | 585.4 | 589.18 |
| Electorate: 6,002 Valid: 4,043 (67.36%) Spoilt: 73 Quota: 674 Turnout: 4,116 (68.58%) |||||||

## 1985 Election

1985: 2 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP
Bellarena - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 |
| | UUP | Robert Grant* | 20.07% | 793 | |
| | UUP | Stanley Gault* | 18.85% | 745 | |
| | SDLP | Arthur Doherty* | 17.84% | 705 | |
| | DUP | Ernest Murray* | 13.66% | 540 | 663.69 |
| | SDLP | Thomas Mullan* | 14.93% | 590 | 594.18 |
| | SDLP | Roy King* | 14.65% | 579 | 582.23 |
| Electorate: 5,691 Valid: 3,952 (69.44%) Spoilt: 75 Quota: 659 Turnout: 4,027 (70.76%) ||||||