# Sperrin (Magherafelt District Electoral Area)

Sperrin was one of the three district electoral areas in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland which existed from 1985 to 2014. The district elected five members to Magherafelt District Council, and formed part of the Mid Ulster constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.
It was created for the 1985 local elections, replacing Magherafelt Area A which had existed since 1973, and contained the wards of Draperstown, Lower Glenshane, Maghera, Swatragh and Tobermore. It was abolished for the 2014 local elections and largely replaced with the new Carntogher DEA with Draperstown moving to the Moyola DEA.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) |
| 2011 | Brian McGuigan (Sinn Féin) | John Kerr (Sinn Féin) | Kathleen McEldowney (Sinn Féin) | Kathleen Lagan (SDLP) | Anne Forde (DUP) |
| 2005 | Patrick Groogan (Sinn Féin) | John Kerr (Sinn Féin) | Kathleen McEldowney (Sinn Féin) | Kathleen Lagan (SDLP) | Anne Forde (DUP) |
| 2001 | Patrick Groogan (Sinn Féin) | John Kerr (Sinn Féin) | Hugh Mullan (Sinn Féin) | Kathleen Lagan (SDLP) | Robert Montgomery (UUP)/ (Independent) |
| 1997 | Patrick Groogan (Sinn Féin) | John Kelly (Sinn Féin) | Francis McKendry (SDLP) | Kathleen Lagan (SDLP) | Robert Montgomery (UUP)/ (Independent) |
| 1993 | Patrick Groogan (Sinn Féin) | John Walsh (Sinn Féin) | Ghislaine O'Keeney (SDLP) | Kathleen Lagan (SDLP) | Robert Montgomery (UUP)/ (Independent) |
| 1989 | Bernard O'Hagan (Sinn Féin) | Mary McSorley (Independent Nationalist)/ (SDLP) | Ghislaine O'Keeney (SDLP) | Patrick Sweeney (SDLP) | Robert Montgomery (UUP)/ (Independent) |
| 1985 | Patrick Doherty (Sinn Féin) | Mary McSorley (Independent Nationalist)/ (SDLP) | Patrick Toner (Sinn Féin) | Patrick Sweeney (SDLP) | Walter Richardson (UUP) |

## 2011 Election

2005: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP
2011: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP
2005-2011 Change: No change
Sperrin - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Sinn Féin | Brian McGuigan | 18.50% | 1,313 | | | | |
| | SDLP | Kathleen Lagan* | 12.61% | 895 | 944 | 950 | 1,000.1 | 1,434.1 |
| | DUP | Anne Forde* | 9.74% | 691 | 692 | 692 | 1,135 | 1,148.1 |
| | Sinn Féin | Kathleen McEldowney* | 14.25% | 1,011 | 1,076 | 1,092.7 | 1,094.7 | 1,141.4 |
| | Sinn Féin | John Kerr* | 13.29% | 943 | 1,031 | 1,042.2 | 1,042.2 | 1,084.5 |
| | Sinn Féin | Gabhán McFalone | 9.54% | 677 | 728 | 812.2 | 812.2 | 829.6 |
| | SDLP | Austin Kelly | 7.99% | 567 | 613 | 622.9 | 639.9 | |
| | UUP | Alistair Stewart | 8.31% | 590 | 590 | 590.1 | | |
| | Independent | Patrick Groogan* | 5.78% | 410 | | | | |
| Electorate: 10,089 Valid: 7,097 (70.34%) Spoilt: 101 Quota: 1,183 Turnout: 7,198 (71.35%) |||||||||

## 2005 Election

2001: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent
2005: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP
2001-2005 Change: DUP gain from Independent
Sperrin - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick Groogan* | 19.09% | 1,396 | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Kathleen McEldowney | 15.52% | 1,135 | 1,139 | 1,233.2 | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | John Kerr* | 15.27% | 1,117 | 1,123 | 1,159.48 | 1,607.48 | | |
| | DUP | Anne Forde | 10.80% | 790 | 795 | 795.12 | 795.12 | 795.12 | 1,257.12 |
| | SDLP | Kathleen Lagan* | 13.66% | 999 | 1,036 | 1,043.08 | 1,044.88 | 1,136.88 | 1,203.88 |
| | SDLP | Hugh Kelly | 9.23% | 675 | 697 | 709.72 | 727.28 | 741.28 | 762.28 |
| | Independent | Robert Montgomery* | 8.33% | 609 | 615 | 616.2 | 618.2 | 623.2 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Hugh Mullan* | 6.71% | 491 | 496 | 509.2 | | | |
| | Workers' Party | Francis Donnelly | 1.39% | 102 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 9,314 Valid: 7,314 (78.53%) Spoilt: 107 Quota: 1,220 Turnout: 7,421 (79.68%) ||||||||||

## 2001 Election

1997: 2 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP, 1 x UUP
2001: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent
1997-2001 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP, Independent leaves UUP
Sperrin - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick Groogan* | 22.08% | 1,651 | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Hugh Mullan | 17.80% | 1,331 | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | John Kerr | 16.13% | 1,206 | 1,554 | | | |
| | SDLP | Kathleen Lagan* | 15.19% | 1,136 | 1,165 | 1,234 | 1,294.5 | |
| | Independent | Robert Montgomery* | 10.38% | 776 | 776.75 | 778.75 | 783 | 900 |
| | DUP | Rodney Mitchell | 9.67% | 723 | 723 | 723 | 725 | 740.25 |
| | SDLP | Francis McKendry* | 7.37% | 551 | 557.5 | 577.75 | 588.25 | |
| | Workers' Party | Francis Donnelly | 1.39% | 104 | 110.5 | 120 | | |
| Electorate: 8,941 Valid: 7,478 (83.64%) Spoilt: 147 Quota: 1,247 Turnout: 7,625 (85.28%) |||||||||

## 1997 Election

1993: 2 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP, 1 x UUP
1997: 2 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP, 1 x UUP
1993-1997 Change: No change
Sperrin - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick Groogan* | 27.00% | 1,801 | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | John Kelly | 24.01% | 1,602 | | | | |
| | SDLP | Kathleen Lagan* | 17.54% | 1,170 | | | | |
| | SDLP | Francis McKendry | 7.72% | 515 | 1,059.62 | 1,416.32 | | |
| | UUP | Robert Montgomery* | 12.14% | 810 | 810 | 810 | 810.87 | 851.45 |
| | DUP | Rodney Mitchell | 9.86% | 658 | 658 | 658 | 658.87 | 701.41 |
| | Workers' Party | Francis Donnelly | 1.54% | 103 | 218.71 | 328.33 | 444.04 | |
| | Green (NI) | Judith Stephens | 0.18% | 12 | 34.62 | 53.76 | 72.9 | |
| Electorate: 8,541 Valid: 6,671 (78.11%) Spoilt: 102 Quota: 1,112 Turnout: 6,773 (79.30%) |||||||||

## 1993 Election

1989: 2 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent Nationalist 1993: 2 x SDLP, 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP 1989-1993 Change: Sinn Féin gain from Independent Nationalist
Sperrin - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick Groogan | 20.18% | 1,244 | | |
| | UUP | Robert Montgomery* | 17.26% | 1,064 | | |
| | SDLP | Kathleen Lagan | 15.16% | 935 | 950.3 | 1,090.64 |
| | Sinn Féin | John Walsh | 12.94% | 798 | 967.2 | 990.18 |
| | SDLP | Ghislaine O'Keeney* | 14.08% | 868 | 882.94 | 915.3 |
| | SDLP | Francis McKendry | 10.57% | 652 | 654.88 | 689.78 |
| | DUP | Wesley Brown | 6.23% | 384 | 384.18 | |
| | Workers' Party | Francis Donnelly | 3.58% | 221 | 227.84 | |
| Electorate: 8,201 Valid: 6,166 (75.19%) Spoilt: 134 Quota: 1,028 Turnout: 6,300 (76.82%) |||||||

## 1989 Election

1985: 2 x SDLP, 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP
1989: 2 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent Nationalist
1985-1989 Change: SDLP gain from Sinn Féin, Independent Nationalist leaves SDLP
Sperrin - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | UUP | Robert Montgomery | 14.43% | 842 | 846 | 847 | 1,429 | |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Mary McSorley* | 11.84% | 691 | 753 | 796 | 821 | 997 |
| | SDLP | Patrick Sweeney* | 10.52% | 614 | 680 | 952 | 957 | 986 |
| | Sinn Féin | Bernard O'Hagan | 13.73% | 801 | 819 | 869 | 869 | 869 |
| | SDLP | Ghislaine O'Keeney | 11.55% | 674 | 689 | 857 | 858 | 862 |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick Groogan | 12.87% | 751 | 794 | 803 | 804 | 805 |
| | DUP | John Linton | 10.83% | 632 | 635 | 635 | | |
| | SDLP | Francis McKendry | 9.08% | 530 | 575 | | | |
| | Workers' Party | Francis Donnelly | 5.14% | 300 | | | | |
| Electorate: 7,827 Valid: 5,835 (74.55%) Spoilt: 134 Quota: 973 Turnout: 5,969 (76.26%) |||||||||

## 1985 Election

1985: 2 x SDLP, 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP
Sperrin - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick Doherty | 16.87% | 1,028 | | | | |
| | SDLP | Patrick Sweeney* | 10.59% | 645 | 715 | 1,037 | | |
| | SDLP | Mary McSorley* | 14.20% | 865 | 886 | 950 | 1,427 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick Toner | 12.64% | 770 | 806 | 814 | 860 | 1,001 |
| | UUP | Walter Richardson | 15.35% | 935 | 945 | 946 | 950 | 959 |
| | DUP | John Linton* | 10.70% | 652 | 654 | 655 | 659 | 663 |
| | SDLP | John Bradley | 8.32% | 507 | 524 | 586 | | |
| | SDLP | Francis McKendry* | 7.42% | 452 | 478 | | | |
| | Workers' Party | Francis Donnelly | 3.92% | 239 | | | | |
| Electorate: 7,558 Valid: 6,093 (80.62%) Spoilt: 108 Quota: 1,016 Turnout: 6,201 (82.05%) |||||||||