# Carrick Castle (District Electoral Area)

Carrick Castle is one of the seven district electoral areas (DEA) in Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland. The district elects five members to Mid and East Antrim District Council and contains the wards of Boneybefore, Castle, Kilroot, Love Lane and Victoria. Carrick Castle forms part of the East Antrim constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.
It was created for the 1985 local elections, replacing Carrickfergus Area C which had existed since 1973, and originally contained five wards (Killycrot, Love Lane, Milebush, Northland and Sunnylands). For the 2014 local elections it lost Sunnylands to the Knockagh DEA, but also gained parts of the abolished Kilroot DEA.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) |
| March 2024 Defection | Lauren Gray (Alliance) | Bethany Ferris (UUP) | Robin Stewart (UUP) | David Clarke (TUV)/ (Independent)/ (DUP) | Billy Ashe (DUP) |
| January 2024 Defection | Lauren Gray (Alliance) | Bethany Ferris (UUP) | Robin Stewart (UUP) | David Clarke (TUV)/ (Independent)/ (DUP) | Billy Ashe (DUP) |
| October 2023 Co-Option | Lauren Gray (Alliance) | Bethany Ferris (UUP) | Robin Stewart (UUP) | David Clarke (TUV)/ (Independent)/ (DUP) | Billy Ashe (DUP) |
| 2023 | Lauren Gray (Alliance) | Bethany Ferris (UUP) | Robin Stewart (UUP) | Cheryl Brownlee (DUP) | Billy Ashe (DUP) |
| October 2020 Defection | Lauren Gray (Alliance) | John McDermott (DUP)/ (UUP) | Robin Stewart (UUP) | Cheryl Brownlee (DUP) | Billy Ashe (DUP) |
| 2019 | Lauren Gray (Alliance) | John McDermott (DUP)/ (UUP) | Robin Stewart (UUP) | Cheryl Brownlee (DUP) | Billy Ashe (DUP) |
| October 2018 By-Election | Noel Jordan (UKIP)/ (Independent) | Peter Johnston (DUP) | Robin Stewart (UUP) | Cheryl Brownlee (DUP) | Billy Ashe (DUP) |
| June 2018 Defection | Noel Jordan (UKIP)/ (Independent) | James Brown (Independent) | Robin Stewart (UUP) | Cheryl Brownlee (DUP) | Billy Ashe (DUP) |
| April 2017 Co-Option | Noel Jordan (UKIP)/ (Independent) | James Brown (Independent) | Robin Stewart (UUP) | Cheryl Brownlee (DUP) | Billy Ashe (DUP) |
| 2014 | Noel Jordan (UKIP)/ (Independent) | James Brown (Independent) | John Stewart (UUP) | Cheryl Brownlee (DUP) | Billy Ashe (DUP) |
| 2011 | Seán Neeson (Alliance) | William Hamilton (Independent) | Elizabeth McKnight (UUP) | David Hilditch (DUP) | Deborah Emerson (DUP) |
| 2005 | Seán Neeson (Alliance) | William Hamilton (Independent) | Darin Ferguson (UUP) | David Hilditch (DUP) | Patricia McKinney (DUP) |
| 2001 | Seán Neeson (Alliance) | William Hamilton (Independent) | Darin Ferguson (UUP) | David Hilditch (DUP) | Patricia McKinney (DUP) |
| 1997 | Seán Neeson (Alliance) | William Hamilton (Independent) | Samuel McCamley (UUP) | David Hilditch (DUP) | Nicholas Wady (Independent) |
| 1993 | Seán Neeson (Alliance) | William Hamilton (Independent) | Samuel McCamley (UUP) | David Hilditch (DUP) | Arthur McQuitty (Alliance) |
| 1989 | Seán Neeson (Alliance) | Samuel Stewart (PUP) | Samuel McCamley (UUP) | Andrew Blair (DUP) | Arthur McQuitty (Alliance) |
| 1985 | Seán Neeson (Alliance) | Samuel Stewart (PUP) | Samuel McCamley (UUP) | Victor Fleming (DUP) | Robert English (UUP) |

## 2023 Election

2019: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2023: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2019–2023 Change: No change
Carrick Castle - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | Alliance | Lauren Gray* | 25.70% | 1,607 | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Cheryl Brownlee* † | 18.45% | 1,154 | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Billy Ashe* | 16.47% | 1,030 | 1,047.48 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Robin Stewart* | 12.01% | 751 | 874.50 | 883.50 | 926.39 | 1,021.01 | 1,048.01 | |
| | UUP | Bethany Ferris | 11.29% | 706 | 813.92 | 823.91 | 849.54 | 936.77 | 973.77 | 1,070.67 |
| | TUV | Frances Henderson | 6.99% | 437 | 446.1 | 455.57 | 501.56 | 611.29 | 617.29 | 629.07 |
| | Green (NI) | Jenny Hutchinson | 2.17% | 136 | 420.62 | 421.88 | 425.87 | 426.97 | | |
| | DUP | John McDermott* | 4.30% | 269 | 272.04 | 337.83 | 373.08 | | | |
| | PUP | Jim McCaw | 2.62% | 164 | 169.32 | 175.44 | | | | |
| Electorate: 13,886 Valid: 6,254 (45.04%) Spoilt: 71 Quota: 1,043 Turnout: 6,325 (45.54%) |||||||||||

## 2019 Election

2014: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x UKIP, 1 x Independent
2019: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2014-2019 Change: UUP and Alliance gain from Independent and UKIP
Carrick Castle - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | Alliance | Lauren Gray | 21.40% | 1,210 | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Billy Ashe* | 18.91% | 1,069 | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Cheryl Johnston* | 16.86% | 953 | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Robin Stewart* | 14.38% | 813 | 879 | 906.3 | 928.89 | 979.89 | | |
| | UUP | John McDermott ‡ | 7.87% | 445 | 513.4 | 565.66 | 620.1 | 659.53 | 780.15 | 811.83 |
| | Independent | Noel Jordan* | 7.62% | 431 | 481.1 | 490.72 | 545.03 | 641.47 | 778.2 | 783.15 |
| | Democrats and Veterans | Si Harvey | 4.69% | 265 | 289.3 | 301.26 | 353.08 | 383.37 | | |
| | Independent | Nicholas Wady | 4.32% | 244 | 286.3 | 290.2 | 311.79 | | | |
| | PUP | Jim McCaw | 2.11% | 119 | 127.4 | 135.46 | | | | |
| | UKIP | John Kennedy | 1.84% | 104 | 111.2 | 123.68 | | | | |
| Electorate: 13,323 Valid: 5,653 (42.43%) Spoilt: 68 Quota: 943 Turnout: 5,721 (42.94%) |||||||||||

## 2014 Election

2011: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent
2014: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x UKIP, 1 x Independent
2011-2014 Change: UKIP gain from Alliance
Carrick Castle - 5 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 | John Stewart † | 16.12% | 939 | 967 | 1,010 | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | James Brown* ♭ | 15.14% | 882 | 919 | 936 | 937.9 | 959.9 | 997.9 | | | | |
| | UKIP | Noel Jordan | 12.86% | 749 | 783 | 857 | 867.45 | 875.45 | 984.45 | | | | |
| | DUP | Billy Ashe* | 12.86% | 749 | 769 | 791 | 794.8 | 800.8 | 876.65 | 1,052.65 | | | |
| | DUP | Cheryl Johnston | 7.54% | 439 | 460 | 494 | 501.6 | 506.6 | 564.4 | 793.35 | 872.81 | 880.81 | 892.69 |
| | Alliance | Gavin Norris* | 8.65% | 504 | 523 | 526 | 527.9 | 536.9 | 852.9 | 867.75 | 868.91 | 872.91 | 874.26 |
| | DUP | Fred Cobain* | 6.83% | 398 | 405 | 416 | 418.85 | 419.85 | 463.8 | | | | |
| | TUV | William Knox | 5.80% | 338 | 347 | 385 | 395.45 | 399.45 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Elena Aceves-Cully | 5.87% | 342 | 362 | 363 | 363 | | | | | | |
| | PUP | Jonathan Cooke | 4.26% | 248 | 261 | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Nick Wady | 2.25% | 131 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | John Cameron | 1.80% | 105 | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,878 Valid: 5,824 (45.22%) Spoilt: 69 Quota: 971 Turnout: 5,893 (45.76%) ||||||||||||||

## 2011 Election

2005: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent
2011: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent
2005-2011 Change: No change
Carrick Castle - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | Alliance | Sean Neeson* | 26.44% | 651 | | | | | | |
| | DUP | David Hilditch* | 20.59% | 507 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | William Hamilton* | 14.87% | 366 | 391.08 | 400.01 | 448.01 | | | |
| | DUP | Deborah Emerson | 10.56% | 260 | 272.16 | 308.07 | 314.97 | 318.97 | 455.97 | |
| | UUP | Elizabeth McKnight | 9.87% | 243 | 262 | 266.37 | 283.7 | 286.7 | 316.52 | 355.4 |
| | Alliance | Noel Williams | 5.04% | 124 | 270.68 | 273.34 | 297.84 | 305.84 | 321.96 | 327.63 |
| | DUP | Patricia McKinney* | 7.55% | 186 | 198.92 | 237.68 | 250.34 | 260.34 | | |
| | Independent | Nicholas Wady | 5.08% | 125 | 145.14 | 147.61 | | | | |
| Electorate: 5,761 Valid: 2,462 (42.74%) Spoilt: 51 Quota: 411 Turnout: 2,513 (43.62%) |||||||||||

## 2005 Election

2001: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent
2005: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent
2001-2005 Change: No change
Carrick Castle - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | DUP | David Hilditch* | 34.96% | 1,052 | | | |
| | Alliance | Sean Neeson* | 26.32% | 792 | | | |
| | DUP | Patricia McKinney* | 6.18% | 186 | 612.12 | | |
| | Independent | William Hamilton* | 13.99% | 421 | 477.18 | 570.46 | |
| | UUP | Darin Ferguson* | 9.14% | 275 | 312.63 | 415.59 | 494.34 |
| | Independent | Philip Mannis | 6.75% | 203 | 214.66 | 230.94 | 243.33 |
| | Independent | Nicholas Wady | 2.66% | 80 | 89.01 | 162.05 | 177.59 |
| Electorate: 5,944 Valid: 3,009 (50.62%) Spoilt: 83 Quota: 502 Turnout: 3,092 (52.02%) ||||||||

## 2001 Election

1997: 2 x Independent, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP
2001: 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent
1997-2001 Change: DUP gain from Independent
Carrick Castle - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | DUP | David Hilditch* | 27.80% | 996 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Sean Neeson* | 18.48% | 662 | | | | | |
| | Independent | William Hamilton* | 15.41% | 552 | 581.93 | 588.23 | 604.23 | | |
| | UUP | Darin Ferguson | 12.14% | 435 | 448.53 | 456.13 | 487.83 | 528.87 | 589.03 |
| | DUP | Patricia McKinney | 3.63% | 130 | 443.65 | 446.55 | 451.36 | 465.81 | 530.6 |
| | Independent | William Cameron | 8.46% | 303 | 315.3 | 316.6 | 322.6 | 337.95 | 388.4 |
| | PUP | David Beck | 7.23% | 259 | 271.3 | 273.1 | 277.9 | 298.05 | |
| | Independent | Nicholas Wady* | 3.74% | 134 | 146.3 | 153.8 | 192.4 | | |
| | Alliance | Margaret Hawkins | 3.13% | 112 | 113.64 | 148.04 | | | |
| Electorate: 6,542 Valid: 3,583 (54.77%) Spoilt: 92 Quota: 598 Turnout: 3,675 (56.18%) ||||||||||

## 1997 Election

1993: 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent
1997: 2 x Independent, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP
1993-1997 Change: Independent gain from Alliance
Carrick Castle - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Alliance | Sean Neeson* | 26.87% | 741 | | | | | |
| | DUP | David Hilditch* | 22.70% | 626 | | | | | |
| | Independent | William Hamilton* | 17.91% | 494 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Samuel McCamley* | 16.90% | 466 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Nicholas Wady | 8.45% | 233 | 266.18 | 305.13 | 320.13 | 320.79 | 398.87 |
| | Alliance | Arthur McQuitty* | 1.96% | 54 | 274.92 | 291.32 | 294.12 | 294.97 | 332.75 |
| | PUP | Samuel Stewart | 5.22% | 144 | 169.2 | 277.44 | 291.44 | 293.09 | |
| Electorate: 6,744 Valid: 2,758 (40.90%) Spoilt: 56 Quota: 460 Turnout: 2,814 (41.73%) ||||||||||

## 1993 Election

1989: 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x PUP
1993: 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent
1989-1993 Change: Independent gain from PUP
Carrick Castle - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Alliance | Sean Neeson* | 35.91% | 1,096 | | | | |
| | DUP | David Hilditch | 22.80% | 696 | | | | |
| | Independent | William Hamilton | 19.00% | 580 | | | | |
| | Alliance | Arthur McQuitty* | 3.01% | 92 | 532.73 | | | |
| | UUP | Samuel McCamley* | 7.57% | 231 | 267.58 | 358.93 | 379.09 | 556.58 |
| | PUP | Samuel Stewart* | 6.00% | 183 | 243.18 | 292.88 | 327.44 | 351.69 |
| | UUP | Robert McCartney | 5.70% | 174 | 218.25 | 259.55 | 274.67 | |
| Electorate: 6,731 Valid: 3,052 (45.34%) Spoilt: 67 Quota: 510 Turnout: 3,119 (46.34%) |||||||||

## 1989 Election

1985: 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP
1989: 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x PUP
1985-1989 Change: Alliance gain from UUP
Carrick Castle - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Alliance | Sean Neeson* | 32.91% | 1,029 | | | | | |
| | PUP | Samuel Stewart* | 15.09% | 472 | 531.16 | | | | |
| | UUP | Samuel McCamley* | 9.18% | 287 | 320.15 | 362.72 | 381.29 | 398.88 | 567.88 |
| | DUP | Andrew Blair | 9.31% | 291 | 298.65 | 301.16 | 444.69 | 458.22 | 492.79 |
| | Alliance | Arthur McQuitty | 2.59% | 81 | 369.66 | 375.72 | 376.72 | 458.75 | 476.93 |
| | Protestant Unionist | David Hilditch | 9.66% | 302 | 315.77 | 325.83 | 339.34 | 353.87 | 383.4 |
| | UUP | Robert English* | 7.29% | 228 | 245.85 | 263.91 | 275.91 | 290.48 | |
| | Independent | Patrick Lennox | 5.47% | 171 | 222 | 225.51 | 226.51 | | |
| | UUP | Margaret Cross | 6.08% | 190 | 199.69 | 203.2 | | | |
| | UUP | Sarah Picken | 2.43% | 76 | 93.34 | | | | |
| Electorate: 6,840 Valid: 3,127 (45.72%) Spoilt: 54 Quota: 522 Turnout: 3,181 (46.51%) ||||||||||

## 1985 Election

1985: 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP
Carrick Castle - 5 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 | Sean Neeson* | 29.92% | 1,005 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Victor Fleming | 14.20% | 477 | 488.7 | 503.7 | 582.7 | | | | |
| | UUP | Samuel McCamley | 12.89% | 433 | 485.2 | 550.25 | 571.25 | | | | |
| | UUP | Robert English | 12.21% | 410 | 430.7 | 477.85 | 500.15 | 582.25 | | | |
| | PUP | Samuel Stewart | 9.35% | 314 | 349.55 | 354.9 | 378.5 | 440.15 | 441.65 | 458.45 | 461.89 |
| | DUP | James Strange* | 8.01% | 269 | 283.85 | 295.3 | 411.15 | 422.6 | 443.3 | 448.34 | 456.08 |
| | Alliance | Owen Mulvenna | 1.82% | 61 | 331.9 | 333.35 | 334.8 | | | | |
| | DUP | Gladys Service | 7.35% | 247 | 269.95 | 273.4 | | | | | |
| | UUP | James McBride | 4.26% | 143 | 153.35 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 6,872 Valid: 3,359 (48.88%) Spoilt: 81 Quota: 560 Turnout: 3,440 (50.06%) ||||||||||||