# 1989 Ards Borough Council election

Elections to Ards Borough Council were held on 17 May 1989 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

Ards Borough Council Election Result 1989 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| UUP | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 40.0 | 41.3 | 7,926 | 10.8 |
| DUP | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 35.0 | 32.2 | 6,187 | 7.1 |
| Alliance | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 20.0 | 18.8 | 3,610 | 6.4 |
| Ind. Unionist | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 907 | 4.7 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 564 | 1.2 |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the Ards Borough Council election, 1989 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | UUP | UUP | DUP | DUP | Alliance | Alliance | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Ards Peninsula | 38.3 | 3 | 30.0 | 2 | 23.6 | 2 | 8.1 | 0 | 7 |
| Ards West | 54.5 | 3 | 27.8 | 2 | 17.6 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 6 |
| Newtownards | 32.1 | 2 | 38.9 | 3 | 14.7 | 1 | 14.3 | 1 | 7 |
| Total | 41.3 | 8 | 32.2 | 7 | 18.8 | 4 | 7.7 | 1 | 20 |

## Districts results
### Ards Peninsula

1985: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UPUP, 1 x Independent 1989: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 2 x Alliance 1985-1989 Change: UUP and Alliance gain from UPUP and Independent
Ards Peninsula - 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 |
| | Alliance | Kieran McCarthy* | 16.19% | 1,119 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Jim Shannon* | 14.90% | 1,030 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | John Shields* | 14.73% | 1,018 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Robert Ambrose* | 14.59% | 1,008 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Mervyn Rea | 8.45% | 584 | 588.56 | 682.4 | 705.49 | 738.45 | 748.8 | 1,139.8 | |
| | UUP | Ronald Ferguson | 6.64% | 459 | 464.52 | 474.21 | 586.38 | 688.3 | 786.85 | 845.31 | 983.31 |
| | Alliance | Clifford Auld | 7.41% | 512 | 698 | 705.48 | 717.3 | 726.1 | 742 | 753.72 | 765.72 |
| | Independent | James McMullan | 8.16% | 564 | 616.32 | 616.83 | 616.83 | 617.95 | 619 | 624.15 | 632.15 |
| | DUP | Oliver Johnston* | 6.54% | 452 | 453.44 | 502.4 | 511.57 | 519.09 | 531.84 | | |
| | UUP | Trevor Hussey | 2.39% | 165 | 167.4 | 172.5 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 16,006 Valid: 6,911 (43.18%) Spoilt: 229 Quota: 864 Turnout: 7,140 (44.61%) ||||||||||||

### Ards West

1985: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance 1989: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance 1985-1989 Change: UUP gain from DUP
Ards West - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | UUP | Robert Gibson* | 23.16% | 1,375 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Edward Archdale | 13.73% | 815 | 930.05 | | | | |
| | UUP | Bobby McBride* | 13.02% | 773 | 856.46 | | | | |
| | DUP | David McKibbin | 10.43% | 619 | 698.17 | 702.09 | 759.48 | 887.48 | |
| | Alliance | Jim McBriar* | 11.12% | 660 | 692.37 | 696.57 | 700.57 | 706.8 | 1,072.8 |
| | DUP | John Hamilton* | 10.97% | 651 | 684.15 | 689.47 | 727.47 | 817.61 | 822.78 |
| | UUP | William Elliott | 4.60% | 273 | 427.05 | 488.37 | 497.65 | 515 | 530.07 |
| | Alliance | Alan McDowell | 6.52% | 387 | 393.24 | 394.08 | 400.08 | 402.08 | |
| | DUP | Glynn Moore | 3.20% | 190 | 205.21 | 207.45 | 268.12 | | |
| | DUP | Andrew Marks | 3.27% | 194 | 195.17 | 196.01 | | | |
| Electorate: 13,303 Valid: 5,937 (44.63%) Spoilt: 136 Quota: 849 Turnout: 6,073 (45.65%) ||||||||||

### Newtownards

1985: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x NILP 1989: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Unionist 1985-1989 Change: Independent Unionist gain from NILP
Newtownards - 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 |
| | UUP | Thomas Benson* | 20.60% | 1,307 | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Simpson Gibson* | 20.22% | 1,283 | | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Owen Dorrian* | 11.33% | 719 | 757 | 763.08 | 770.08 | 964.08 | | | | |
| | DUP | Wilbert Magill | 8.64% | 548 | 565.6 | 679.98 | 686.38 | 686.38 | 687.38 | 799.54 | | |
| | DUP | John Elliott* | 6.43% | 408 | 450.4 | 625.2 | 633.1 | 633.48 | 634.48 | 785.14 | 906.14 | |
| | UUP | David Smyth* | 7.12% | 452 | 544 | 565.66 | 625.38 | 628.18 | 671.18 | 699.68 | 794.68 | |
| | Ind. Unionist | John Purdy | 7.45% | 473 | 485.4 | 496.04 | 503.22 | 511.82 | 578.82 | 585.74 | 682.36 | 697.36 |
| | UUP | Thomas Hamilton | 2.88% | 183 | 430.6 | 449.22 | 482.58 | 489.58 | 525.58 | 535.06 | 603.58 | 636.58 |
| | Ind. Unionist | William Hannigan | 6.84% | 434 | 449.6 | 473.92 | 478.72 | 481.12 | 490.12 | 504.1 | | |
| | DUP | Cedric Wilson | 3.59% | 228 | 236.4 | 339.38 | 340.18 | 342.58 | 343.58 | | | |
| | Alliance | Laurence Thompson | 3.36% | 213 | 218.2 | 218.58 | 221.58 | | | | | |
| | UUP | James McKernon | 1.54% | 98 | 130.8 | 136.12 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 16,907 Valid: 6,346 (37.53%) Spoilt: 175 Quota: 794 Turnout: 6,521 (38.57%) |||||||||||||