# 1981 Banbridge District Council election

Elections to Banbridge District Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used two district electoral areas to elect a total of 15 councillors.

## Election results

Banbridge District Council Election Result 1981 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| UUP | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53.3 | 42.1 | 6,241 | 4.9 |
| DUP | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 26.7 | 26.5 | 3,929 | 9.2 |
| SDLP | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.3 | 14.9 | 2,217 | 0.1 |
| Ind. Nationalist | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 950 | 2.2 |
| Ind. Unionist | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 5.5 | 818 | 0.8 |
| Alliance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4.6 | 677 | 1.6 |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the Banbridge District Council election, 1981 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | UUP | UUP | DUP | DUP | SDLP | SDLP | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Area A | 34.7 | 3 | 25.3 | 2 | 13.9 | 1 | 26.1 | 1 | 7 |
| Area B | 50.4 | 5 | 27.9 | 2 | 16.2 | 1 | 5.5 | 0 | 8 |
| Total | 42.1 | 8 | 26.5 | 4 | 14.9 | 2 | 16.5 | 1 | 15 |

## Districts results
### Area A

1977: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Nationalist, 1 x Independent Unionist 1981: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Nationalist 1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from Independent Unionist
Banbridge Area A - 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 | James Walsh* | 13.86% | 1,092 | | | | | | | |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Laurence McCartan* | 10.98% | 865 | 932.6 | 988.6 | | | | | |
| | DUP | Wilfred McFadden | 11.52% | 907 | 907.2 | 907.5 | 914.5 | 993.5 | | | |
| | UUP | Wilson Davidson* | 11.92% | 939 | 939.2 | 939.3 | 972.3 | 979.3 | 1,017.3 | | |
| | UUP | Samuel Cowan* | 8.66% | 682 | 682.2 | 683.4 | 698.4 | 699.4 | 909.4 | 940.4 | 1,063.4 |
| | DUP | Gareth Bennett | 6.34% | 499 | 499.1 | 499.1 | 500.1 | 552.1 | 566.1 | 882.2 | 989.2 |
| | UUP | Norman Ferguson* | 8.68% | 684 | 684.1 | 685.1 | 707.1 | 708.1 | 736.1 | 762.1 | 959.4 |
| | Alliance | Kenneth McElroy | 7.28% | 573 | 579.6 | 605.3 | 608.3 | 610.3 | 626.5 | 659.8 | 726.1 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Hugh Anderson* | 6.83% | 538 | 540.8 | 543.6 | 550.6 | 554.6 | 567.6 | 579.6 | |
| | DUP | Irene Todd | 5.36% | 422 | 422.3 | 422.4 | 425.4 | 436.4 | 452.4 | | |
| | UUP | Raymond Armstrong | 3.53% | 278 | 278.1 | 278.2 | 335.2 | 337.2 | | | |
| | DUP | Mildred McDowell | 2.04% | 161 | 161 | 161 | 162.1 | | | | |
| | UUP | Herbert Plunkett | 1.92% | 151 | 151.1 | 151.2 | | | | | |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Margaret McStraw | 1.08% | 85 | 111.8 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 11,561 Valid: 7,876 (68.13%) Spoilt: 259 Quota: 985 Turnout: 8,135 (70.37%) ||||||||||||

### Area B

1977: 5 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP 1981: 5 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP 1977-1981 Change: No change
Banbridge Area B - 8 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| | SDLP | Patrick McAvoy* | 16.17% | 1,125 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Brian Biggerstaff* | 10.78% | 750 | 751.92 | 774.92 | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Raymond McCullough* | 10.19% | 709 | 719.08 | 720.08 | 720.08 | 789.08 | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Matthew Bailey* | 8.47% | 589 | 598.6 | 626.6 | 641.04 | 685.52 | 688.51 | 852.51 | | | | |
| | UUP | George Gamble | 7.55% | 525 | 527.88 | 528.88 | 647.2 | 652.88 | 652.91 | 790.91 | | | | |
| | UUP | Herbert Heslip* | 7.09% | 493 | 494.44 | 502.92 | 505.92 | 674.4 | 682.68 | 707.39 | 740.87 | 784.87 | | |
| | UUP | Robert Hill* | 6.40% | 445 | 447.88 | 455.88 | 478.88 | 498.88 | 501.64 | 556.64 | 582.02 | 646.1 | 659.7 | 670.34 |
| | DUP | David Herron* | 6.79% | 472 | 473.92 | 530.92 | 539.4 | 574.4 | 574.86 | 600.57 | 609.75 | 623.59 | 626.95 | 626.95 |
| | DUP | Robert McIlroy | 6.40% | 445 | 450.76 | 569.72 | 577.72 | 583.72 | 584.18 | 598.18 | 608.98 | 617.34 | 617.82 | 618.96 |
| | Alliance | Ebezener Mulligan | 1.50% | 104 | 349.28 | 353.16 | 447.4 | 462.88 | 462.88 | 470.8 | 471.34 | | | |
| | UUP | Robert Barr* | 5.26% | 366 | 373.2 | 391.2 | 429.08 | 447.08 | 447.54 | | | | | |
| | UUP | Eric Williamson | 5.46% | 380 | 388.16 | 395.16 | 397.12 | | | | | | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Thompson Howe | 4.03% | 280 | 326.56 | 326.56 | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Robert McIlroy | 3.92% | 273 | 277.32 | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 9,513 Valid: 6,956 (73.12%) Spoilt: 172 Quota: 773 Turnout: 7,128 (74.93%) |||||||||||||||