# 1989 North Down Borough Council election

Elections to North Down Borough Council were held on 17 May 1989 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used four district electoral areas to elect a total of 24 councillors.
Prior to the election three Ulster Unionist politicians, including George Green, had defected to the Conservative Party in Northern Ireland. The election saw the Conservative presence in North Down doubling, with the Conservatives emerging as the single largest party on the council.

## Election results

North Down Borough Council Election Result 1989 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| NI Conservatives | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 25.0 | 24.9 | 5,204 | New |
| UUP | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 20.8 | 21.7 | 4,548 | 10.6 |
| Alliance | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 16.7 | 20.7 | 4,313 | 5.6 |
| DUP | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 16.7 | 15.5 | 3,234 | 7.8 |
| Independent | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8.3 | 6.9 | 1,443 | 4.2 |
| UPUP | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8.3 | 5.9 | 1,223 | 3.8 |
| Ind. Unionist | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 578 | 1.2 |
| PUP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 325 | 0.1 |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the North Down Borough Council election, 1989 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | Conservative | Conservative | UUP | UUP | Alliance | Alliance | DUP | DUP | UPUP | UPUP | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Abbey | 19.2 | 1 | 12.4 | 1 | 12.9 | 1 | 25.6 | 1 | 29.9 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 6 |
| Ballyholme and Groomsport | 27.5 | 2 | 25.4 | 1 | 24.1 | 1 | 12.4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 10.6 | 1 | 6 |
| Bangor West | 26.7 | 2 | 23.0 | 2 | 19.3 | 1 | 14.5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 16.5 | 1 | 7 |
| Holywood | 24.6 | 1 | 24.1 | 1 | 25.2 | 1 | 11.7 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 14.4 | 1 | 5 |
| Total | 24.9 | 6 | 21.7 | 5 | 20.7 | 4 | 15.5 | 4 | 5.9 | 2 | 11.3 | 3 | 24 |

## Districts results
### Abbey

1985: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UPUP 1989: 2 x UPUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Conservative, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP 1985-1989 Change: UPUP and Conservative gain from DUP and UUP
Abbey - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | UPUP | Valerie Kinghan | 18.19% | 745 | | | | | | |
| | NI Conservatives | George Green* | 13.09% | 536 | 546.12 | 551.66 | 558.66 | 752.66 | | |
| | UPUP | Cecil Braniff* | 11.67% | 478 | 560.50 | 580.36 | 584.80 | 587.46 | | |
| | Alliance | James Magee* | 7.30% | 299 | 305.82 | 308.92 | 513.80 | 541.46 | 605.46 | |
| | DUP | Denny Vitty | 10.47% | 429 | 438.68 | 445.34 | 445.56 | 448.78 | 454.78 | 609.78 |
| | UUP | Irene Cree | 8.52% | 349 | 364.40 | 483.26 | 483.26 | 498.92 | 546.92 | 571.9 |
| | DUP | Ivy Cooling* | 7.89% | 323 | 332.24 | 337.12 | 337.12 | 338.34 | 349.34 | 462.10 |
| | NI Conservatives | Shirley McCann | 6.10% | 250 | 252.86 | 254.30 | 262.30 | | | |
| | Alliance | Mariam Judge | 5.57% | 228 | 229.76 | 229.98 | | | | |
| | UUP | Edward Johnston | 2.91% | 119 | 128.02 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Robert Todd | 1.03% | 42 | 45.30 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 11,789 Valid: 4,096 (34.74%) Spoilt: 188 Quota: 586 Turnout: 4,284 (36.34%) |||||||||||

### Ballyholme and Groomsport

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%) ||||||||||||||

### Bangor West

1985: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 2 x DUP, 1 x UPUP 1989: 2 x Conservative, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent 1985-1989 Change: Conservatives (two seats) and Independent gain from Alliance, DUP and UPUP
Bangor West - 7 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 | Hazel Bradford* | 10.73% | 698 | 707 | 710 | 716 | 748 | 880 | | | | |
| | DUP | William Baxter | 7.10% | 462 | 497 | 498 | 502 | 551 | 573 | 575.5 | 829.5 | | |
| | Alliance | Brian Wilson* | 10.71% | 697 | 699 | 763 | 779 | 789 | 802 | 808 | 817 | | |
| | Independent | Ann-Marie Hillen | 8.25% | 537 | 540 | 549 | 701 | 725 | 741 | 742.5 | 764.5 | 902.5 | |
| | NI Conservatives | Thomas Miskelly | 9.62% | 626 | 629 | 632 | 643 | 664 | 694 | 695.5 | 703.5 | 763.5 | 794.5 |
| | NI Conservatives | James O'Fee | 8.81% | 573 | 579 | 580 | 587 | 597 | 623 | 624.5 | 641.5 | 717 | 744 |
| | UUP | Roy Bradford | 6.19% | 403 | 408 | 409 | 411 | 443 | 534 | 581 | 650 | 693 | 706 |
| | NI Conservatives | Jack Preston | 8.25% | 537 | 550 | 551 | 556 | 577 | 605 | 605 | 613 | 662 | 673 |
| | Alliance | William Bailie* | 6.36% | 414 | 416 | 471 | 473 | 476 | 491 | 491.5 | 493.5 | | |
| | DUP | Alan Graham* | 5.34% | 347 | 398 | 402 | 404 | 429 | 453 | 457.5 | | | |
| | UUP | Terence McKeag | 6.09% | 396 | 397 | 398 | 399 | 425 | | | | | |
| | PUP | Thomas O'Brien | 4.86% | 316 | 327 | 328 | 329 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Colin Simpson | 3.24% | 211 | 212 | 212 | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Eileen Bell | 2.23% | 145 | 145 | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Elizabeth McMurtry | 2.08% | 135 | | | | | | | | | |
| | PUP | Samuel Meneely | 0.14% | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 15,249 Valid: 6,506 (42.67%) Spoilt: 147 Quota: 814 Turnout: 6,653 (43.63%) ||||||||||||||

### Holywood

1985: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP 1989: 1 x Alliance, 1 x Conservative, 1 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent 1985-1989 Change: Conservative and Independent gain from UUP and Alliance
Holywood - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | NI Conservatives | Laurence Kennedy | 16.14% | 775 | 852 | | | | |
| | UUP | Ellie McKay* | 12.27% | 589 | 641 | 694 | 704.12 | 1,035.12 | |
| | Independent | Dennis Ogborn | 14.47% | 695 | 712 | 755 | 764.2 | 804.2 | |
| | DUP | Gordon Dunne* | 11.68% | 561 | 564 | 576 | 578.76 | 659.28 | 805.28 |
| | Alliance | Susan O'Brien* | 13.74% | 660 | 670 | 696 | 701.52 | 732.96 | 754.96 |
| | Alliance | Paul De Haan | 11.50% | 552 | 559 | 585 | 592.36 | 626.12 | 659.12 |
| | UUP | John Auld* | 9.85% | 473 | 498 | 549 | 564.64 | | |
| | NI Conservatives | Alice Kennedy | 5.60% | 269 | 299 | | | | |
| | NI Conservatives | Michael Weir | 2.81% | 135 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Ian Sinclair* | 1.94% | 93 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 10,290 Valid: 4,802 (46.67%) Spoilt: 116 Quota: 801 Turnout: 4,918 (47.79%) ||||||||||