# 1977 Down District Council election

Elections to Down District Council were held on 18 May 1977 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

Down District Council Election Result 1977 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| SDLP | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50.0 | 44.6 | 9,251 | 9.6 |
| UUP | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 35.0 | 31.4 | 6,520 | 7.2 |
| Alliance | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15.0 | 11.8 | 2,446 | 0.5 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 3.5 | 736 | 3.6 |
| Unionist Party NI | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 3.3 | 700 | New |
| UUUP | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 2.7 | 569 | New |
| Republican Clubs | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 2.6 | 536 | 0.2 |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the Down District Council election, 1977 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | SDLP | SDLP | UUP | UUP | Alliance | Alliance | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Area A | 19.9 | 2 | 50.1 | 4 | 13.5 | 1 | 16.5 | 0 | 7 |
| Area B | 58.8 | 4 | 18.4 | 1 | 8.5 | 1 | 14.3 | 0 | 6 |
| Area C | 53.4 | 4 | 26.9 | 2 | 13.5 | 1 | 6.2 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 44.6 | 10 | 31.4 | 7 | 11.8 | 3 | 12.2 | 0 | 20 |

## Districts results
### Area A

1973: 4 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Vanguard 1977: 4 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance 1973-1977 Change: SDLP gain from Vanguard
Down Area A - 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 |
| | SDLP | Patrick Smyth* | 12.65% | 837 | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Samuel Osborne* | 9.54% | 631 | 638 | 638 | 663 | 663 | 668 | 841 | | | |
| | Alliance | Denis Rowan-Hamilton* | 7.98% | 528 | 534 | 534.33 | 573.33 | 577.35 | 638.42 | 652.42 | 904.42 | | |
| | UUP | Edward McVeigh* | 11.08% | 733 | 736 | 736.03 | 770.03 | 773.03 | 773.04 | 803.04 | 813.09 | 823.82 | 963.82 |
| | UUP | William Finlay* | 9.13% | 604 | 605 | 605 | 622 | 622.01 | 622.01 | 646.01 | 648.01 | 650.6 | 849.6 |
| | UUP | William Brown | 9.02% | 597 | 601 | 601 | 621 | 621 | 621.01 | 634.01 | 635.01 | 640.19 | 801.56 |
| | SDLP | Francis Laverty | 3.89% | 257 | 260 | 264.88 | 267.9 | 449.39 | 605.83 | 605.83 | 717.4 | 774.01 | 778.09 |
| | UUUP | Andrew Gaskin | 8.60% | 569 | 570 | 570.01 | 572.01 | 572.01 | 573.01 | 580.01 | 582.01 | 582.01 | 603.01 |
| | UUP | William Cochrane* | 7.07% | 468 | 475 | 475.04 | 517.04 | 518.06 | 524.07 | 548.07 | 548.09 | 549.57 | |
| | Alliance | John Rodgers | 5.47% | 362 | 365 | 365.64 | 379.64 | 404.69 | 428.76 | 429.76 | | | |
| | UUP | Hugh Martin | 4.22% | 279 | 280 | 280 | 288 | 288 | 290.01 | | | | |
| | Independent | George Kerr | 4.05% | 268 | 268 | 268.58 | 269.58 | 273.69 | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Allen Gilgunn | 3.33% | 220 | 220 | 221.7 | 223.71 | | | | | | |
| | Unionist Party NI | William Hutton | 2.45% | 162 | 221 | 221.03 | | | | | | | |
| | Unionist Party NI | John McKee | 1.51% | 100 | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 11,641 Valid: 6,615 (56.83%) Spoilt: 221 Quota: 827 Turnout: 6,836 (58.72%) ||||||||||||||

### Area B

1973: 3 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent 1977: 4 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance 1973-1977 Change: SDLP gain from Independent
Down Area B - 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 |
| | SDLP | Eddie McGrady* | 21.72% | 1,524 | | | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Dermot Curran* | 14.17% | 994 | 1,069.48 | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Cecil Maxwell* | 12.09% | 848 | 853.44 | 854.34 | 862.68 | 873.68 | 903.36 | 1,325.36 | | | |
| | SDLP | John Ritchie* | 8.48% | 595 | 694.96 | 707.56 | 722.52 | 738.18 | 771.2 | 771.88 | 772.88 | 1,153.76 | |
| | SDLP | Sean Quinn | 7.81% | 548 | 755.06 | 780.86 | 806.16 | 823.2 | 921.78 | 924.76 | 925.76 | 1,153.76 | |
| | Alliance | George Flinn | 5.20% | 365 | 373.84 | 374.74 | 388.42 | 564.76 | 618.46 | 631.46 | 768.46 | 793.66 | 833.66 |
| | Republican Clubs | Raymond Blaney | 7.64% | 536 | 551.64 | 554.04 | 586.72 | 593.72 | 661.34 | 662.34 | 680.34 | 735.08 | 782.08 |
| | SDLP | Theresa McEvoy | 6.66% | 467 | 525.48 | 540.18 | 551.86 | 556.88 | 614.5 | 615.5 | 616.5 | | |
| | UUP | Robert Nicholson | 6.30% | 442 | 443.7 | 444 | 448 | 451 | 454 | | | | |
| | Independent | John Bryce | 4.12% | 289 | 308.04 | 313.14 | 376.18 | 384.54 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | William McNamara | 3.26% | 229 | 242.94 | 244.74 | 250.08 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | James McDowell | 2.55% | 179 | 187.16 | 188.66 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 10,436 Valid: 7,016 (67.23%) Spoilt: 262 Quota: 1,003 Turnout: 7,278 (69.74%) ||||||||||||||

### Area C

1973: 4 x SDLP, 3 x UUP 1977: 4 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance 1977-1981 Change: Alliance gain from UUP
Down Area C - 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 |
| | SDLP | Patrick O'Donoghue* | 18.73% | 1,335 | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Eamon O'Neill | 9.13% | 651 | 814.35 | 824.67 | 824.67 | 898.89 | | | |
| | UUP | Ethel Smyth | 11.04% | 787 | 787 | 799 | 851 | 857.66 | 1,155.66 | | |
| | UUP | Norman Bicker | 9.30% | 663 | 663 | 671 | 829 | 837.66 | 1,042.66 | | |
| | Alliance | Patrick Forde | 5.92% | 422 | 429.59 | 539.25 | 620.58 | 818.87 | 844.87 | 901.87 | |
| | SDLP | Jarlath Carey* | 9.02% | 643 | 772.36 | 789.02 | 794.02 | 845.23 | 847.56 | 849.56 | 860.56 |
| | SDLP | James Magee | 9.64% | 687 | 713.4 | 728.73 | 729.73 | 744.03 | 746.03 | 747.03 | 753.03 |
| | SDLP | James McClean | 6.92% | 493 | 556.69 | 561.35 | 561.35 | 578.99 | 579.99 | 581.99 | 583.99 |
| | UUP | William Keown | 6.57% | 468 | 468.66 | 477.66 | 544.66 | 555.32 | | | |
| | Alliance | Joseph Keenan | 5.11% | 364 | 402.94 | 421.27 | 442.27 | | | | |
| | Unionist Party NI | John Beck | 4.66% | 332 | 332.33 | 409.33 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Patrick Doherty | 2.47% | 176 | 180.29 | | | | | | |
| | Unionist Party NI | Henry Cromie | 1.49% | 106 | 106.66 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 10,834 Valid: 7,127 (65.78%) Spoilt: 398 Quota: 891 Turnout: 7,525 (69.46%) ||||||||||||