# 1985 Derry City Council election

Elections to Derry City Council were held on 15 May 1985 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used five district electoral areas to elect a total of 30 councillors.

## Election results

Derry City Council Election Result 1985 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| SDLP | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46.7 | 41.9 | 15,264 | 0.6 |
| DUP | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16.7 | 17.3 | 6,317 | 1.3 |
| Sinn Féin | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 16.7 | 17.1 | 6,218 | New |
| UUP | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16.7 | 13.1 | 4,778 | 2.5 |
| Irish Independence | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3.3 | 7.2 | 2,630 | 6.5 |
| Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 971 | 3.7 |
| Workers' Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 253 | 0.3 |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the Derry City Council election, 1985 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | SDLP | SDLP | DUP | DUP | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | UUP | UUP | IIP | IIP | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Cityside | 46.5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 39.6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 10.0 | 0 | 3.9 | 0 | 6 |
| Northland | 53.7 | 3 | 5.4 | 0 | 15.5 | 1 | 11.3 | 1 | 10.9 | 1 | 3.2 | 0 | 6 |
| Rural | 38.2 | 3 | 29.3 | 2 | 6.4 | 0 | 22.9 | 2 | 3.2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Shantallow | 58.8 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 25.3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 10.6 | 0 | 5.3 | 0 | 5 |
| Waterside | 18.5 | 1 | 42.4 | 3 | 6.2 | 0 | 24.2 | 2 | 3.3 | 0 | 5.4 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 41.9 | 14 | 17.3 | 5 | 17.1 | 5 | 13.1 | 5 | 7.2 | 1 | 3.4 | 0 | 30 |

## District results
### Cityside

1985: 3 x SDLP, 3 x Sinn Féin
Cityside - 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 | Patrick Devine* | 12.94% | 836 | 844 | 850 | 851 | 1,077 | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Anne McGuinness | 13.47% | 870 | 883 | 891 | 909 | 918 | 918 | 981 | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Hugh Brady | 13.12% | 848 | 857 | 875 | 890 | 893 | 893.73 | 967.73 | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Mitchel McLaughlin | 12.97% | 838 | 850 | 854 | 900 | 908 | 908 | 960 | | | |
| | SDLP | Tony Carlin | 10.85% | 701 | 701 | 708 | 721 | 792 | 835.8 | 890.26 | 894.26 | 914.26 | 920.26 |
| | SDLP | Pat Ramsey | 7.89% | 510 | 513 | 515 | 551 | 643 | 671.47 | 698.66 | 704.66 | 712.66 | 716.66 |
| | SDLP | Jim Clifford | 7.72% | 499 | 501 | 513 | 548 | 592 | 662.08 | 693.08 | 697.08 | 702.08 | 703.08 |
| | Irish Independence | Liam Bradley* | 5.71% | 369 | 414 | 498 | 539 | 564 | 572.03 | | | | |
| | SDLP | William Keys* | 7.10% | 459 | 463 | 467 | 492 | | | | | | |
| | Workers' Party | Eamonn Melaugh | 3.92% | 253 | 256 | 277 | | | | | | | |
| | Irish Independence | Samuel Brown | 2.23% | 144 | 170 | | | | | | | | |
| | Irish Independence | John McChrystal* | 2.07% | 134 | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 10,598 Valid: 6,461 (60.96%) Spoilt: 213 Quota: 924 Turnout: 6,674 (62.97%) ||||||||||||||

### Northland

1985: 3 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x IIP
Northland - 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 | John Tierney* | 18.32% | 1,417 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Bernard McFadden | 13.78% | 1,066 | 1,074.14 | 1,079.14 | 1,190.14 | | | | | | |
| | UUP | David Davis* | 11.30% | 874 | 874 | 874 | 875 | 928 | 1,329 | | | | |
| | SDLP | Leonard Green* | 10.34% | 800 | 885.36 | 893.24 | 900.56 | 940 | 942 | 952 | 957 | 1,220 | |
| | SDLP | Anna Gallagher* | 9.13% | 706 | 752.42 | 760.86 | 772.3 | 819.96 | 820.96 | 831.96 | 834.96 | 1,024.16 | 1,100.16 |
| | Irish Independence | Fergus McAteer* | 8.81% | 681 | 699.92 | 731.8 | 811.12 | 821.12 | 822.12 | 827.12 | 875.12 | 947.66 | 949.16 |
| | SDLP | William McCorriston* | 7.69% | 595 | 681.68 | 686.68 | 691.22 | 716.88 | 716.88 | 723.88 | 727.88 | 886.56 | 922.56 |
| | SDLP | John Kerr | 8.26% | 639 | 682.12 | 684.78 | 688.22 | 714.1 | 714.1 | 723.1 | 723.1 | | |
| | DUP | John Noble | 5.39% | 417 | 417 | 417 | 419 | 425 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Mary Breen | 3.15% | 244 | 247.52 | 248.52 | 251.52 | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | James McKnight | 1.69% | 131 | 135.62 | 135.62 | | | | | | | |
| | Irish Independence | Annie Burke | 1.27% | 98 | 100.64 | 106.64 | | | | | | | |
| | Irish Independence | John McCool | 0.85% | 66 | 69.08 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,243 Valid: 7,734 (63.17%) Spoilt: 191 Quota: 1,105 Turnout: 7,925 (64.73%) ||||||||||||||

### Rural

1985: 3 x SDLP, 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP
Rural - 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 | John McNickle* | 11.54% | 1,004 | 1,016 | 1,040 | 1,042 | 1,146 | | | |
| | DUP | William Hay* | 11.58% | 1,008 | 1,008 | 1,008 | 1,048 | 1,048 | 1,048 | 1,390 | |
| | DUP | Ellis Allen | 9.32% | 811 | 811 | 811 | 841 | 841 | 841 | 1,126 | |
| | UUP | John Adams | 8.89% | 774 | 774 | 775 | 1,045 | 1,048 | 1,048 | 1,076 | 1,174 |
| | UUP | Ernest Hamilton | 7.88% | 686 | 686 | 686 | 853 | 853 | 853 | 928 | 1,088 |
| | SDLP | Annie Courtney | 11.09% | 965 | 969 | 1,028 | 1,029 | 1,071 | 1,078.36 | 1,078.36 | 1,080.36 |
| | SDLP | Hugh O'Neill | 8.02% | 698 | 702 | 801 | 802 | 875 | 910.88 | 915.88 | 915.88 |
| | SDLP | George Peoples* | 7.61% | 662 | 667 | 685 | 688 | 744 | 758.72 | 759.72 | 759.72 |
| | DUP | Mervyn Lindsay | 8.39% | 730 | 731 | 731 | 742 | 742 | 742 | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Edward McGowan | 3.49% | 304 | 516 | 565 | 565 | | | | |
| | UUP | Robert Bond* | 6.09% | 530 | 530 | 532 | | | | | |
| | Irish Independence | Michael Breslin | 3.17% | 276 | 285 | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick McNaught | 2.92% | 254 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,752 Valid: 8,702 (68.24%) Spoilt: 185 Quota: 1,088 Turnout: 8,887 (69.69%) ||||||||||||

### Shantallow

1985: 4 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin
Shantallow - 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 |
| | SDLP | William O'Connell* | 19.83% | 1,117 | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Mary Bradley | 19.42% | 1,094 | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Noel McKenna | 11.63% | 655 | 743.96 | 772.1 | 776.4 | 783.62 | 883.14 | 890.28 | 951.36 |
| | Sinn Féin | Gerard Doherty | 8.87% | 500 | 501.28 | 504.78 | 511.38 | 517.7 | 520.7 | 754.14 | 796.6 |
| | SDLP | Teresa Coyle | 7.90% | 445 | 513.48 | 615.4 | 629.12 | 641.66 | 704.52 | 707.94 | 761.88 |
| | Sinn Féin | William McCartney | 8.68% | 489 | 490.44 | 491.7 | 505 | 518.14 | 519.3 | 686.78 | 734.22 |
| | Irish Independence | Robert Hegarty | 4.31% | 243 | 246.04 | 248.14 | 290.44 | 474.3 | 482.76 | 498.9 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Susan O'Hagan | 7.72% | 435 | 436.12 | 437.24 | 439.56 | 450.86 | 453.02 | | |
| | Alliance | Gerard O'Grady | 5.29% | 298 | 302.32 | 304.56 | 308.88 | 316.34 | | | |
| | Irish Independence | James Nicholl | 3.27% | 184 | 187.52 | 191.02 | 270.44 | | | | |
| | Irish Independence | Thomas Mullan | 3.08% | 174 | 176.72 | 179.94 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 9,401 Valid: 5,634 (59.93%) Spoilt: 204 Quota: 940 Turnout: 5,838 (62.10%) ||||||||||||

### Waterside

1985: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP
Waterside - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| | DUP | Gregory Campbell* | 30.05% | 2,374 | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Margaret Buchanan* | 10.27% | 811 | 1,402.76 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | James Guy* | 10.35% | 818 | 920.96 | 937.04 | 999.92 | 1,001.92 | 1,159.96 | | | |
| | SDLP | Michael Fegan* | 11.06% | 874 | 875.56 | 875.56 | 875.56 | 985.56 | 1,071.56 | 1,201.56 | | |
| | UUP | George Duddy | 5.90% | 466 | 532.56 | 556.56 | 637.68 | 638.92 | 690.48 | 691.48 | 693.48 | 1,136.44 |
| | DUP | Annette Hamilton | 2.10% | 166 | 560.16 | 777.84 | 786.08 | 786.08 | 803.16 | 803.16 | 803.16 | 894.12 |
| | SDLP | Paul O'Donnell | 7.44% | 588 | 588.52 | 588.52 | 589.52 | 640.52 | 674.52 | 762.52 | 817.52 | 820.52 |
| | UUP | Robert Ferris* | 5.84% | 461 | 508.84 | 517.48 | 543.52 | 544.52 | 594.52 | 597.52 | 597.52 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Michael Roddy | 6.11% | 483 | 483 | 483 | 484 | 535 | 535 | | | |
| | Alliance | Robert McCullough | 5.43% | 429 | 434.2 | 434.92 | 439.92 | 446.92 | | | | |
| | Irish Independence | Robert Concannon | 3.30% | 261 | 262.04 | 263 | 263.52 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Andrew McManus | 2.14% | 169 | 185.64 | 187.56 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 11,705 Valid: 7,900 (67.49%) Spoilt: 144 Quota: 1,129 Turnout: 8,044 (68.72%) |||||||||||||