# Ballyholme and Groomsport (District Electoral Area)

Ballyholme and Groomsport was one of the four district electoral areas in North Down, Northern Ireland which existed from 1985 to 2014. The district elected six members to North Down Borough Council until 1993 and seven members until 2014, and formed part of the North Down constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.
It was created for the 1985 local elections, replacing North Down Area A which had existed since 1973, and contained the wards of Ballyholme, Ballymaconnell, Ballymagee, Broadway, Churchill and Groomsport. In 1993 it gained an additional ward, Ballycrochan. It was abolished for the 2014 local elections and mainly replaced by the Bangor East and Donaghadee DEA.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) |
| 2011 | Christine Bower (Alliance) | Ian Henry (UUP) | Peter Martin (DUP) | Peter Weir (DUP) | Alex Easton (DUP) | Alan Chambers (Independent Unionist) | | Austen Lennon (Independent Unionist) |
| 2005 | Marsden Fitzsimons (Alliance) | Ian Henry (UUP) | Leslie Cree (UUP) | Peter Weir (DUP) | Alex Easton (DUP) | Alan Chambers (Independent Unionist) | | Austen Lennon (Independent Unionist) |
| 2001 | Marsden Fitzsimons (Alliance) | Ian Henry (UUP) | Leslie Cree (UUP) | Patricia Wallace (NI Women's Coalition) | Alex Easton (DUP) | Alan Chambers (Independent Unionist) | | Austen Lennon (Independent Unionist) |
| 1997 | Marsden Fitzsimons (Alliance) | Ian Henry (UUP) | Leslie Cree (UUP) | Bruce Mulligan (Conservative)/ (UUP) | Elizabeth Roche (UKUP) | Alan Chambers (Independent Unionist) | | Austen Lennon (Independent Unionist) |
| 1993 | Marsden Fitzsimons (Alliance) | Ian Henry (UUP) | Leslie Cree (UUP) | Bruce Mulligan (Conservative)/ (UUP) | Raymond Stewart (DUP) | Alan Chambers (Independent Unionist) | | Austen Lennon (Independent Unionist) |
| 1989 | Jane Copeland (Alliance) | Ivan Thompson (Conservative) | Leslie Cree (UUP) | Bruce Mulligan (Conservative)/ (UUP) | Alan Leslie (DUP) | Edmund Mills (Independent Unionist) | 6 seats 1985–1993 | 6 seats 1985–1993 |
| 1985 | Jane Copeland (Alliance) | Donald Hayes (Alliance) | Samuel Hamilton (UUP) | Bruce Mulligan (Conservative)/ (UUP) | Alan Leslie (DUP) | Edmund Mills (Independent Unionist) | 6 seats 1985–1993 | 6 seats 1985–1993 |

## 2011 Election

2005: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 2 x Independent, 1 x Alliance
2011: 3 x DUP, 2 x Independent, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP
2005-2011 Change: DUP gain from UUP
Ballyholme and Groomsport - 6 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 | Alex Easton* | 22.06% | 1,812 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Alan Chambers* | 18.03% | 1,481 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Peter Weir* | 9.28% | 762 | 1,048.88 | | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Peter Martin | 6.44% | 529 | 903.88 | 980.72 | 997.16 | 1,019.52 | 1,053.52 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Ian Henry* | 5.04% | 414 | 434.68 | 479.56 | 484.32 | 547.32 | 586.58 | 659.86 | 684 | 687 | 1,100 | |
| | Alliance | Christine Bower | 7.38% | 606 | 615.68 | 648.32 | 654.32 | 662.88 | 690.7 | 731.16 | 854.1 | 856.1 | 897.26 | 911.26 |
| | Independent | Austen Lennon* | 6.12% | 503 | 532.48 | 615.44 | 619.44 | 627.78 | 660.02 | 740.06 | 812.14 | 816.14 | 844.18 | 854.18 |
| | Alliance | Adam Harbinson | 6.37% | 523 | 533.12 | 570.52 | 575.52 | 586.98 | 617.8 | 651.34 | 764.28 | 767.28 | 794.66 | 801.66 |
| | UUP | Colin Breen | 5.64% | 463 | 478.84 | 514.2 | 524.88 | 572.26 | 597.82 | 624.78 | 654.14 | 657.14 | | |
| | Green (NI) | Paul Roberts | 4.75% | 390 | 392.2 | 408.86 | 418.56 | 422.44 | 449.78 | 472.82 | | | | |
| | Independent | Roberta Dunlop* | 2.71% | 223 | 233.56 | 307.34 | 319.22 | 324.9 | 351.06 | | | | | |
| | NI Conservatives | David Symington | 2.86% | 235 | 241.16 | 258.16 | 272.6 | 284.94 | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Francis McCully | 2.11% | 173 | 180.04 | 198.4 | 205.08 | | | | | | | |
| | UKIP | Pat Toms | 1.23% | 101 | 107.6 | 113.38 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 17,062 Valid: 8,215 (48.15%) Spoilt: 107 Quota: 1,027 Turnout: 8,322 (48.78%) |||||||||||||||

## 2005 Election

2001: 2 x Independent, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Women's Coalition
2005: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 2 x Independent, 1 x Alliance
2001-2005 Change: DUP gain from Women's Coalition
Ballyholme and Groomsport - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | DUP | Peter Weir | 16.85% | 1,571 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Alan Chambers* | 16.70% | 1,557 | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Alex Easton* | 15.66% | 1,460 | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Marsden Fitzsimons* | 11.14% | 1,039 | 1,054.5 | 1,119.74 | 1,147.42 | 1,160.92 | 1,486.92 | |
| | Independent | Austen Lennon* | 6.65% | 620 | 649.45 | 733.17 | 839.67 | 897.27 | 1,083.3 | 1,203.3 |
| | UUP | Ian Henry* | 7.77% | 724 | 804.29 | 850.49 | 902.87 | 967.37 | 1,056.33 | 1,094.33 |
| | UUP | Leslie Cree* | 7.52% | 701 | 778.19 | 843.15 | 890.15 | 952.85 | 1,015.17 | 1,053.17 |
| | UUP | Mark Brooks | 7.18% | 669 | 742.16 | 781.64 | 829.49 | 897.89 | 941.17 | 969.17 |
| | NI Women's Coalition | Patricia Wallace* | 7.92% | 738 | 756.6 | 792.72 | 822.64 | 842.14 | | |
| | Independent | Henry Gordon | 1.89% | 176 | 196.15 | 235.91 | | | | |
| | UK Unionist | Charles Teggart | 0.73% | 68 | 147.05 | 159.65 | | | | |
| Electorate: 16,218 Valid: 9,323 (57.49%) Spoilt: 156 Quota: 1,166 Turnout: 9,479 (58.44%) |||||||||||

## 2001 Election

1997: 2 x UUP, 2 x Independent Unionist, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Conservative, 1 x UKUP
2001: 2 x UUP, 2 x Independent, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Women's Coalition
1997-2001 Change: DUP and Women's Coalition gain from Conservative and UKUP, Independent Unionists (two seats) become Independent
Ballyholme and Groomsport - 6 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 |
| | Independent | Alan Chambers* | 20.40% | 2,099 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Leslie Cree* | 15.85% | 1,631 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Austen Lennon* | 13.25% | 1,363 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Alex Easton | 11.32% | 1,164 | 1,262.04 | 1,281.36 | 1,287.3 | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Marsden Fitzsimons* | 9.13% | 939 | 1,083.48 | 1,108.89 | 1,199.99 | 1,140.67 | 1,145.65 | 1,203.14 | 1,456.14 | | | |
| | UUP | Ian Henry* | 5.84% | 601 | 720.11 | 804.53 | 812.09 | 843.14 | 871.67 | 928.72 | 955.95 | 1,381.64 | | |
| | NI Women's Coalition | Patricia Wallace | 6.39% | 657 | 724.51 | 731.65 | 743.05 | 763.13 | 767.83 | 804.97 | 894.63 | 926.33 | 1,077.33 | 1,106.52 |
| | UK Unionist | Henry Gordon | 5.55% | 571 | 625.18 | 637.78 | 642.34 | 686.71 | 902.71 | 931.35 | 936.31 | 989.21 | 994.21 | 1,024.45 |
| | UUP | Arthur Gadd | 1.96% | 202 | 313.8 | 481.59 | 488.07 | 523.97 | 541.32 | 576.75 | 595.96 | | | |
| | Alliance | Gavin Walker | 3.27% | 336 | 373.84 | 376.99 | 383.35 | 397.75 | 401.6 | 436.34 | | | | |
| | Independent | Ernest Steele | 2.12% | 218 | 313.89 | 318.09 | 329.67 | 350.62 | 359.46 | | | | | |
| | UK Unionist | Joseph Teggart | 2.68% | 276 | 306.53 | 308.42 | 310.52 | 329.39 | | | | | | |
| | NI Unionist | Elizabeth Roche* | 1.36% | 140 | 164.94 | 167.25 | 170.01 | | | | | | | |
| | PUP | Brian Lacey | 0.87% | 90 | 101.61 | 104.34 | 105.96 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 17,348 Valid: 10,287 (59.30%) Spoilt: 194 Quota: 1,286 Turnout: 10,481 (60.42%) |||||||||||||||

## 1997 Election

1993: 2 x UUP, 2 x Independent Unionist, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Conservative
1997: 2 x UUP, 2 x Independent Unionist, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Conservative, 1 x UKUP
1993-1997 Change: UKUP gain from DUP
Ballyholme and Groomsport - 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 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Alan Chambers* | 21.59% | 1,218 | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Marsden Fitzsimons* | 13.65% | 770 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Leslie Cree* | 13.38% | 755 | | | | | | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Austen Lennon* | 13.10% | 739 | | | | | | | |
| | UK Unionist | Elizabeth Roche | 7.80% | 440 | 516.93 | 517.89 | 519.39 | 523.74 | 534.44 | 556.02 | 714.7 |
| | UUP | Ian Henry* | 3.16% | 178 | 232.39 | 234.15 | 240.69 | 242.89 | 338.96 | 515.62 | 709.27 |
| | NI Conservatives | Bruce Mulligan* | 8.83% | 498 | 568.56 | 572.96 | 575.96 | 580.11 | 601.74 | 618.19 | 652.24 |
| | Alliance | Gavin Walker | 7.20% | 406 | 479.99 | 529.75 | 530.83 | 532.13 | 546.44 | 557.33 | 564.49 |
| | DUP | Marie Cree | 6.65% | 375 | 464.67 | 465.23 | 470.15 | 472.3 | 485.14 | 502.06 | |
| | UUP | Ronald Dorrian | 1.88% | 106 | 193.71 | 194.99 | 218.39 | 220.89 | 272.64 | | |
| | UUP | James Kingan | 2.77% | 156 | 209.9 | 211.02 | 214.5 | 217.45 | | | |
| Electorate: 16,947 Valid: 5,641 (33.29%) Spoilt: 99 Quota: 706 Turnout: 5,740 (33.87%) ||||||||||||

## 1993 Election

1989: 2 x Conservative, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist
1993: 2 x UUP, 2 x Independent Unionist, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Conservative
1989-1993 Change: UUP and Independent Unionist gain from Conservative and due to the addition of one seat
Ballyholme and Groomsport - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Alan Chambers | 32.04% | 1,892 | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Raymond Stewart | 14.06% | 830 | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Leslie Cree* | 11.50% | 679 | 925.37 | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Marsden Fitzsimons | 11.04% | 652 | 838.73 | | | | | | | |
| | NI Conservatives | Bruce Mulligan* | 5.52% | 326 | 389.19 | 397.38 | 403.68 | 408.62 | 466.44 | 614.27 | 683.9 | 732.7 |
| | UUP | Ian Henry | 3.57% | 211 | 283.42 | 384.22 | 389.26 | 432.29 | 437.55 | 452.2 | 477.96 | 719.58 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Austen Lennon | 4.89% | 289 | 582.94 | 590.5 | 600.58 | 603.7 | 612.54 | 617.67 | 666.14 | 690.56 |
| | Alliance | Siobhan Laird | 6.98% | 412 | 421.23 | 426.9 | 487.38 | 488.81 | 496.07 | 501.07 | 538.24 | 557.49 |
| | UUP | James Kingan | 3.88% | 229 | 332.66 | 380.54 | 385.58 | 409.89 | 423.67 | 428.48 | 457.33 | |
| | Independent | Joseph Thompson | 2.22% | 131 | 240.34 | 247.9 | 253.36 | 258.56 | 268.92 | 282.65 | | |
| | NI Conservatives | Bill McLean | 2.30% | 136 | 162.27 | 168.57 | 169.83 | 172.04 | 212.89 | | | |
| | NI Conservatives | William Palmer | 2.00% | 118 | 154.21 | 155.47 | 159.25 | 165.62 | | | | |
| Electorate: 15,787 Valid: 5,905 (37.40%) Spoilt: 110 Quota: 739 Turnout: 6,015 (38.10%) |||||||||||||

## 1989 Election

1985: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist
1989: 2 x Conservative, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist
1985-1989 Change: Conservatives (two seats) gain from UUP and Alliance
Ballyholme and Groomsport - 6 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 | Leslie Cree | 15.81% | 864 | | | | | | | | | |
| | NI Conservatives | Bruce Mulligan* | 11.18% | 611 | 612.35 | 614.35 | 621.98 | 623.25 | 814.25 | | | | |
| | Alliance | Jane Copeland* | 13.01% | 711 | 712.53 | 762.53 | 768.89 | 771.16 | 779.25 | 779.59 | 1,159.59 | | |
| | NI Conservatives | Ivan Thompson | 10.49% | 573 | 574.53 | 582.53 | 586.89 | 587.16 | 672.43 | 703.71 | 765.07 | 877.07 | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Edmund Mills* | 10.58% | 578 | 580.25 | 584.25 | 589.88 | 593.06 | 602.42 | 602.76 | 630.85 | 684.85 | 713.85 |
| | DUP | Alan Leslie* | 7.85% | 429 | 432.6 | 434.6 | 452.31 | 686.82 | 693.09 | 693.26 | 697.89 | 703.89 | 705.89 |
| | UUP | Samuel Mellon | 6.52% | 356 | 375.35 | 378.35 | 518.2 | 532.28 | 547.09 | 547.09 | 575.54 | 608.54 | 635.54 |
| | Alliance | Donald Hayes* | 8.86% | 484 | 485.44 | 533.44 | 535.71 | 535.89 | 542.89 | 543.06 | | | |
| | NI Conservatives | William McLean | 5.84% | 319 | 320.44 | 322.53 | 326.25 | 329.34 | | | | | |
| | DUP | Robert Gordon | 4.58% | 250 | 255.22 | 255.31 | 269.21 | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Ian Henry | 3.04% | 166 | 204.79 | 207.79 | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | William Johnston | 2.25% | 123 | 123.18 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 14,179 Valid: 5,464 (38.54%) Spoilt: 150 Quota: 781 Turnout: 5,614 (39.59%) ||||||||||||||

## 1985 Election

1985: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist
Ballyholme and Groomsport - 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 |
| | UUP | Bruce Mulligan* | 14.81% | 893 | | | | | | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Edmund Mills* | 14.44% | 871 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Alan Leslie | 13.18% | 795 | 809 | 1,181 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Samuel Hamilton | 10.11% | 610 | 722 | 728 | 870 | | | | |
| | Alliance | Jane Copeland | 7.71% | 465 | 477 | 479 | 484 | 485.8 | 486.57 | 486.66 | 899.66 |
| | Alliance | Donald Hayes* | 12.22% | 737 | 758 | 759 | 770 | 777.52 | 778.71 | 778.89 | 833.89 |
| | UPUP | Valerie Kinghan | 9.27% | 559 | 583 | 610 | 710 | 725.2 | 728.98 | 736.63 | 744.63 |
| | Alliance | Sylvia Anderson | 7.81% | 471 | 480 | 480 | 483 | 484.8 | 485.22 | 485.22 | |
| | DUP | Elizabeth Loan | 6.62% | 399 | 417 | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Enid Stringer | 3.53% | 213 | | | | | | | |
| | PUP | Samuel Meneely | 0.30% | 18 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,532 Valid: 6,031 (48.12%) Spoilt: 93 Quota: 862 Turnout: 6,124 (48.87%) ||||||||||||