# 1977 Newry and Mourne District Council election

Elections to Newry and Mourne District Council were held on 18 May 1977 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used six district electoral areas to elect a total of 30 councillors.

## Election results

Newry and Mourne District Council Election Result 1977 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| SDLP | 15 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50.0 | 46.9 | 13,538 | 11.6 |
| UUP | 7 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 23.3 | 24.5 | 7,078 | 11.6 |
| Alliance | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10.0 | 8.3 | 2,382 | 5.2 |
| Ind. Nationalist | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10.0 | 7.6 | 2,194 | 3.3 |
| DUP | 1 | 1 | 0 | | 3.3 | 3.1 | 884 | New |
| Ind. Republican | 1 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 2.2 | 632 | 0.8 |
| Republican Clubs | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 5.1 | 1,477 | 5.7 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 2.3 | 676 | 0.7 |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the Newry and Mourne District Council election, 1977 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | SDLP | SDLP | UUP | UUP | Alliance | Alliance | DUP | DUP | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Area A | 33.2 | 2 | 32.4 | 2 | 2.2 | 0 | 15.8 | 1 | 16.4 | 0 | 5 |
| Area B | 50.0 | 2 | 11.6 | 0 | 17.9 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 20.5 | 1 | 4 |
| Area C | 48.2 | 2 | 47.0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4.8 | 0 | 4 |
| Area D | 44.2 | 3 | 25.5 | 2 | 9.5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 20.8 | 1 | 7 |
| Area E | 61.1 | 4 | 11.3 | 0 | 1.3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 26.3 | 2 | 6 |
| Area F | 47.7 | 2 | 23.4 | 1 | 19.9 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 9.0 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 46.9 | 15 | 24.5 | 7 | 8.3 | 3 | 3.1 | 1 | 17.2 | 4 | 30 |

## Districts results
### Area A

1973: 3 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Nationalist 1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x DUP 1973-1977 Change: SDLP and DUP gain from UUP and Independent Nationalist
Newry and Mourne Area A - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | UUP | William Russell* | 22.15% | 1,238 | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Anne Marie Cunningham* | 15.62% | 873 | 873.25 | 894.5 | 1,081.5 | | |
| | UUP | Arthur Coulter* | 10.25% | 573 | 793.5 | 806 | 806.25 | 806.25 | 1,037.25 |
| | DUP | George Graham | 15.82% | 884 | 910 | 910.5 | 911.5 | 912.34 | 945.34 |
| | SDLP | Frank MacCann | 10.18% | 569 | 569.75 | 585.75 | 763.75 | 892.27 | 910.27 |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Arthur Doran* | 9.07% | 507 | 509.75 | 538.5 | 588.5 | 607.82 | 687.82 |
| | Independent | John Henning | 7.16% | 400 | 450 | 484.25 | 485.25 | 485.25 | |
| | SDLP | Hugh Cunningham | 7.48% | 418 | 418.5 | 427.5 | | | |
| | Alliance | Doreen Leitch | 2.27% | 127 | 130.75 | | | | |
| Electorate: 8,225 Valid: 5,589 (67.95%) Spoilt: 292 Quota: 932 Turnout: 5,881 (71.50%) ||||||||||

### Area B

1973: 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Nationalist 1977: 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Nationalist 1973-1977 Change: No change
Newry and Mourne Area B - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | SDLP | Jim McCart* | 31.71% | 1,377 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Anthony Williamson* | 15.93% | 692 | 727.72 | 792 | 797.14 | 831.9 | 977.9 |
| | Ind. Nationalist | John McAteer* | 15.82% | 687 | 715.88 | 721.26 | 725.26 | 763.78 | 809.54 |
| | SDLP | Liam Trainor | 8.24% | 358 | 658.96 | 665.72 | 665.72 | 709.64 | 727.3 |
| | SDLP | Brian Mulligan | 10.04% | 436 | 528.34 | 531.62 | 533 | 563.56 | 570.22 |
| | UUP | William Gordon | 7.83% | 340 | 348.36 | 350.74 | 497.04 | 503.64 | |
| | Republican Clubs | Thomas Moore | 4.72% | 205 | 224 | 230.04 | 230.04 | | |
| | UUP | James Thompson | 3.78% | 164 | 167.8 | 168.8 | | | |
| | Alliance | James McGowan | 1.93% | 84 | 93.5 | | | | |
| Electorate: 6,723 Valid: 4,343 (64.60%) Spoilt: 276 Quota: 869 Turnout: 4,619 (68.70%) ||||||||||

### Area C

1973: 2 x SDLP, 2 x Independent Unionist 1977: 2 x SDLP, 2 x UUP 1973-1977 Change: UUP (two seats) gain from Independent Unionist (two seats)
Newry and Mourne Area C - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 |
| | UUP | Violet Cromie* | 31.36% | 1,075 | |
| | SDLP | Nan Sands* | 26.90% | 922 | |
| | SDLP | Patrick McAlinden | 21.30% | 730 | |
| | UUP | Edward Walsh | 15.67% | 537 | 921.18 |
| | Republican Clubs | Daniel Mussen | 4.78% | 164 | 167.8 |
| Electorate: 5,658 Valid: 3,428 (60.59%) Spoilt: 245 Quota: 686 Turnout: 3,673 (64.92%) ||||||

### Area D

1973: 3 x SDLP, 2 x Independent Unionist, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Republican Clubs 1977: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Nationalist 1973-1977 Change: UUP (two seats) and Independent Nationalist gain from Independent Unionist (two seats) and Republican Clubs
Newry and Mourne Area D - 7 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 |
| | UUP | Clarence Morrow* | 13.32% | 845 | | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | John Bell* | 12.86% | 816 | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Andy Moffett | 12.20% | 774 | 822.66 | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Thomas McGrath* | 11.91% | 756 | 756.06 | 756.3 | 760.3 | 765.7 | 796.7 | | | |
| | SDLP | John McEvoy* | 11.11% | 705 | 705 | 705.06 | 727.06 | 730.5 | 761.78 | 768.84 | 810.84 | |
| | Alliance | Victor Frizell* | 7.85% | 498 | 498.66 | 507.66 | 565.8 | 566.58 | 589.8 | 591.86 | 631.16 | 699.84 |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Eugene Markey | 8.81% | 559 | 559.06 | 559.06 | 562.06 | 562.56 | 564.58 | 575.6 | 661.72 | 684.98 |
| | Republican Clubs | Noel Collins* | 5.23% | 332 | 332 | 332 | 335 | 335.64 | 339.64 | 451.66 | 515.14 | 564.56 |
| | SDLP | John Grant | 6.11% | 388 | 388.12 | 388.54 | 389.6 | 392.92 | 435.04 | 438.08 | 467.26 | |
| | Independent | Fabian Boyle | 4.35% | 276 | 276 | 276.06 | 283.18 | 284.3 | 288.36 | 297.38 | | |
| | Republican Clubs | Edward McGeown | 2.36% | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150.06 | 150.18 | 151.18 | | | |
| | SDLP | Patrick Sloan | 2.24% | 142 | 142.18 | 142.36 | 146.36 | 146.84 | | | | |
| | Alliance | Monica Sweeney | 1.65% | 105 | 105.24 | 106.74 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 11,390 Valid: 6,346 (55.72%) Spoilt: 343 Quota: 794 Turnout: 6,689 (58.73%) |||||||||||||

### Area E

1973: 3 x SDLP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Independent Republican, 1 x Independent Unionist 1977: 4 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Nationalist, 1 x Independent Republican 1973-1977 Change: SDLP (two seats) gain from Republican Clubs and Independent Unionist, Independent Nationalist leaves SDLP
Newry and Mourne Area E - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | SDLP | Pat Toner* | 18.61% | 948 | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Peter McMahon* | 15.84% | 807 | | | | | |
| | SDLP | James Savage | 15.41% | 785 | | | | | |
| | Ind. Republican | Sean McCreesh* | 12.41% | 632 | 707.75 | 718.5 | 764.5 | | |
| | SDLP | Owen Kelly | 11.21% | 571 | 677.5 | 699 | 756 | | |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Jim Murphy* | 8.66% | 441 | 460 | 467 | 572.25 | 645.69 | 687.81 |
| | UUP | Caroline Donaldson* | 11.27% | 574 | 574.5 | 591.75 | 595 | 600.44 | 613.4 |
| | Republican Clubs | Seamus Murphy | 5.28% | 269 | 283 | 284 | | | |
| | Alliance | John Magowan | 1.32% | 67 | 69 | | | | |
| Electorate: 9,174 Valid: 5,094 (55.53%) Spoilt: 284 Quota: 728 Turnout: 5,378 (58.62%) ||||||||||

### Area F

1973: 2 x SDLP, 2 x Alliance 1977: 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP 1973-1977 Change: UUP gain from Alliance
Newry and Mourne Area F - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | UUP | William McCaigue | 23.59% | 958 | | | | |
| | SDLP | Arthur Ruddy* | 19.13% | 777 | 777.87 | 851.87 | | |
| | Alliance | Michael McVerry* | 9.97% | 405 | 485.33 | 513.33 | 516.23 | 813.55 |
| | SDLP | Daniel Hughes | 14.63% | 594 | 617.49 | 643.49 | 646.97 | 726.87 |
| | SDLP | William Feely | 13.94% | 566 | 567.45 | 624.45 | 643.01 | 722.52 |
| | Alliance | John McClelland | 9.95% | 404 | 440.83 | 499.83 | 513.17 | |
| | Republican Clubs | Alan Wadforth | 8.79% | 357 | 357 | | | |
| Electorate: 7,173 Valid: 4,061 (56.62%) Spoilt: 234 Quota: 813 Turnout: 4,295 (59.88%) |||||||||