# The Orchard (District Electoral Area)

The Orchard was one of the four district electoral areas in Armagh, Northern Ireland which existed from 1985 to 2014. The district elected five members to Armagh City and District Council, and formed part of the Newry and Armagh constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.
It was created for the 1985 local elections, replacing Armagh Area A which had existed since 1973, and contained the wards of Ballymartrim, Charlemont, Hockley, Loughgall and Rich Hill. It was abolished for the 2014 local elections and largely moved into the Cusher DEA.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) |
| 2011 | John Campbell (SDLP) | Gerard White (Sinn Féin) | Jim Speers (UUP) | Joy Rollston (UUP) | William Irwin (DUP) |
| 2005 | John Campbell (SDLP) | Paul Corrigan (Sinn Féin) | Jim Speers (UUP) | Charles Rollston (UUP) | William Irwin (DUP) |
| 2001 | John Campbell (SDLP) | Paul Corrigan (Sinn Féin) | Jim Speers (UUP) | Charles Rollston (UUP) | Brian Hutchinson (DUP) |
| 1997 | John Campbell (SDLP) | Olive Whitten (UUP) | Jim Speers (UUP) | Charles Rollston (UUP) | Brian Hutchinson (DUP) |
| 1993 | John Kernan (SDLP) | Olive Whitten (UUP) | Jim Speers (UUP) | Charles Rollston (UUP) | Brian Hutchinson (DUP) |
| 1989 | John Kernan (SDLP) | Olive Whitten (UUP) | Jim Speers (UUP) | Samuel Foster (UUP) | Douglas Hutchinson (DUP) |
| 1985 | Christopher McAnallen (SDLP) | Ronald Allen (UUP) | Jim Speers (UUP) | Samuel Foster (UUP) | Douglas Hutchinson (DUP) |

## 2011 Election

2005: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
2011: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
2005-2011 Change: No change
The Orchard - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | DUP | William Irwin* | 24.46% | 1,520 | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Gerard White | 19.55% | 1,215 | | | | |
| | UUP | Jim Speers* | 19.42% | 1,207 | | | | |
| | SDLP | John Campbell* | 15.11% | 939 | 944.12 | 946.76 | 1,115.56 | |
| | UUP | Joy Rollston | 11.65% | 724 | 828.64 | 904.44 | 905.24 | 1,054.19 |
| | DUP | Philip Weir | 7.48% | 465 | 814.12 | 863.32 | 864.72 | 886.47 |
| | TUV | Paul Coleman | 2.32% | 144 | 154.56 | | | |
| Electorate: 9,928 Valid: 6,214 (62.59%) Spoilt: 79 Quota: 1,036 Turnout: 6,293 (63.39%) |||||||||

## 2005 Election

2001: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
2005: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
2001-2005 Change: No change
The Orchard - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | DUP | William Irwin | 28.02% | 1,809 | | | | |
| | UUP | Jim Speers* | 18.88% | 1,219 | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Paul Corrigan* | 18.49% | 1,194 | | | | |
| | SDLP | John Campbell* | 17.59% | 1,136 | | | | |
| | UUP | Charles Rollston* | 11.12% | 718 | 845.1 | 973.14 | 1,072.34 | 1,123 |
| | DUP | Robert Steenson | 5.90% | 381 | 982.47 | 995.79 | 1,013.39 | 1,018.66 |
| Electorate: 9,140 Valid: 6,457 (70.65%) Spoilt: 95 Quota: 1,077 Turnout: 6,552 (71.68%) |||||||||

## 2001 Election

1997: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP
2001: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
1997-2001 Change: Sinn Féin gain from UUP
The Orchard - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | DUP | Brian Hutchinson* | 18.99% | 1,363 | | | | |
| | UUP | Jim Speers* | 18.45% | 1,324 | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Paul Corrigan | 17.01% | 1,221 | | | | |
| | SDLP | John Campbell* | 11.09% | 796 | 796.48 | 797.48 | 798.08 | 1,407.08 |
| | UUP | Charles Rollston* | 8.99% | 645 | 653.88 | 1,056.16 | 1,164.66 | 1,174.28 |
| | DUP | William Irwin | 9.56% | 686 | 831.92 | 898.12 | 914.42 | 919.52 |
| | SDLP | Eamon McNeill | 9.07% | 651 | 651.24 | 656.24 | 657.14 | |
| | UUP | Olive Whitten* | 6.85% | 492 | 497.16 | | | |
| Electorate: 9,234 Valid: 7,178 (77.73%) Spoilt: 117 Quota: 1,197 Turnout: 7,295 (79.00%) |||||||||

## 1997 Election

1993: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP
1997: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP
1993-1997 Change: No change
The Orchard - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | UUP | Jim Speers* | 26.38% | 1,630 | | | |
| | DUP | Brian Hutchinson* | 16.36% | 1,011 | 1,119.78 | | |
| | UUP | Charles Rollston* | 13.53% | 836 | 1,061.33 | | |
| | UUP | Olive Whitten* | 9.92% | 613 | 873.85 | 960.3 | |
| | SDLP | John Campbell | 14.27% | 882 | 883.11 | 883.46 | 1,205.46 |
| | SDLP | Eamon McNeill | 10.18% | 629 | 631.22 | 632.62 | 717.62 |
| | Sinn Féin | Elizabeth Gartland | 9.35% | 578 | 578 | 578 | |
| Electorate: 8,976 Valid: 6,179 (68.84%) Spoilt: 80 Quota: 1,030 Turnout: 6,259 (69.73%) ||||||||

## 1993 Election

1989: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP
1993: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP
1989-1993 Change: No change
The Orchard - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| | UUP | Jim Speers* | 27.66% | 1,620 | | |
| | SDLP | John Kernan* | 24.08% | 1,410 | | |
| | DUP | Brian Hutchinson | 20.05% | 1,174 | | |
| | UUP | Charles Rollston | 12.79% | 749 | 991 | |
| | UUP | Olive Whitten* | 9.48% | 555 | 940.2 | 985.95 |
| | Sinn Féin | Brendan Casey | 5.94% | 348 | 348.8 | 733.55 |
| Electorate: 8,581 Valid: 5,856 (68.24%) Spoilt: 93 Quota: 977 Turnout: 5,949 (69.33%) |||||||

## 1989 Election

1985: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP
1989: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP
1985-1989 Change: No change
The Orchard - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | UUP | Jim Speers* | 28.95% | 1,665 | | | |
| | SDLP | John Kernan | 20.92% | 1,203 | | | |
| | UUP | Samuel Foster* | 14.87% | 855 | 1,179.24 | | |
| | DUP | Douglas Hutchinson* | 16.52% | 950 | 1,081.88 | | |
| | UUP | Olive Whitten | 11.77% | 677 | 910.52 | 928 | 1,147.9 |
| | Sinn Féin | Brendan Casey | 6.97% | 401 | 401 | 625.02 | 625.02 |
| Electorate: 8,056 Valid: 5,751 (71.39%) Spoilt: 111 Quota: 959 Turnout: 5,862 (72.77%) ||||||||

## 1985 Election

1985: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP
The Orchard - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | UUP | Jim Speers* | 21.13% | 1,189 | | | | | |
| | DUP | Douglas Hutchinson* | 20.44% | 1,150 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Ronald Allen* | 15.55% | 875 | 972.23 | | | | |
| | UUP | Samuel Foster* | 12.02% | 676 | 823.21 | 1,027.81 | | | |
| | SDLP | Christopher McAnallen | 10.88% | 612 | 612.63 | 612.83 | 626.43 | 783.63 | 794.34 |
| | SDLP | Francis McIlvanna* | 10.29% | 579 | 579.84 | 580.04 | 584.64 | 771.04 | 773.14 |
| | Sinn Féin | Brigid McCartan | 9.69% | 545 | 545 | 546.4 | 546.6 | | |
| Electorate: 7,682 Valid: 5,626 (73.24%) Spoilt: 92 Quota: 938 Turnout: 5,718 (74.43%) ||||||||||