# 1973 Magherafelt District Council election

Elections to Magherafelt District Council were held on 30 May 1973 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 15 councillors.

## Election results

| Party | Party | Seats | First Pref. votes | FPv% | ±% |
| | SDLP | 6 | 5,520 | 32.2 | |
| | UUP | 5 | 4,978 | 29.1 | |
| | United Loyalist | 1 | 1,749 | 10.2 | |
| | Republican Clubs | 1 | 1,562 | 9.1 | |
| | Vanguard | 1 | 1,083 | 6.3 | |
| | Ind. Nationalist | 1 | 888 | 5.2 | |
| | Alliance | 0 | 788 | 4.6 | |
| | Unity | 0 | 377 | 2.2 | |
| | Independent | 0 | 186 | 1.1 | |
| Totals | Totals | 15 | 17,131 | 100.0 | — |

## Districts summary

Results of the Magherafelt District Council election, 1973 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | SDLP | SDLP | UUP | UUP | RC | RC | Vanguard | Vanguard | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Area A | 43.6 | 3 | 28.1 | 1 | 20.5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 7.8 | 1 | 5 |
| Area B | 24.0 | 1 | 35.9 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 19.2 | 1 | 20.9 | 1 | 5 |
| Area C | 29.0 | 2 | 23.3 | 2 | 6.8 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 40.9 | 1 | 5 |
| Total | 32.2 | 6 | 29.1 | 5 | 9.1 | 1 | 6.3 | 1 | 23.3 | 2 | 15 |

## Districts results
### Area A

1973: 3 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Republican Clubs
Magherafelt Area A - 5 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 | P. J. Heron | 20.42% | 1,168 | | | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Patrick Sweeney | 9.37% | 536 | 550.76 | 565.76 | 581.94 | 619.48 | 633.84 | 874.58 | 928.76 | ???? | |
| | Republican Clubs | Francis Donnelly | 5.94% | 340 | 341.62 | 357.62 | 396.62 | 398.8 | 399.8 | 412.16 | 632.34 | ???? | |
| | UUP | David Campbell | 14.90% | 852 | 852.54 | 854.54 | 854.54 | 873.54 | 944.54 | 944.54 | 945.54 | ???? | ???? |
| | SDLP | Philip Bradley | 9.20% | 526 | 686.36 | 709.28 | 711.28 | 722 | 725 | 756.86 | 768.04 | ???? | ???? |
| | UUP | Esmond Thompson | 13.18% | 754 | 754 | 754 | 754 | 779 | 890 | 892 | 893 | ???? | ???? |
| | Republican Clubs | J. Convery | 7.01% | 401 | 414.5 | 426.5 | 435.5 | 437.68 | 437.68 | 443.76 | 535.12 | | |
| | Republican Clubs | W. Gribben | 5.63% | 322 | 322.54 | 330.72 | 370.72 | 377.72 | 380.9 | 387.9 | | | |
| | SDLP | Bridget McKeown | 4.62% | 264 | 277.14 | 278.14 | 284.5 | 303.22 | 308.4 | | | | |
| | Independent | R. W. Shiels | 3.25% | 186 | 186.54 | 190.54 | 190.54 | 221.72 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Andrew Davidson | 2.80% | 160 | 162.52 | 166.52 | 166.52 | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | Peter Merron | 1.87% | 107 | 107.54 | 113.54 | | | | | | | |
| | Unity | Kevin Agnew | 1.82% | 104 | 105.26 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 7,097 Valid: 5,720 (80.60%) Spoilt: 122 Quota: 954 Turnout: 5,842 (82.32%) ||||||||||||||
* Data missing from stages 9 and 10

### Area B

1973: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Vanguard, 1 x Independent Nationalist
Magherafelt Area B - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | UUP | Thomas Kelso | 20.79% | 1,172 | | | | | |
| | Vanguard | Ian Davidson | 19.21% | 1,083 | | | | | |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Vincent O'Neill | 15.75% | 888 | 888 | 888.52 | 949.52 | | |
| | UUP | David Porte | 8.35% | 471 | 562.77 | 615.94 | 615.94 | 657.79 | 1,051.79 |
| | SDLP | Patrick Scullion | 13.07% | 737 | 737.19 | 737.56 | 760.58 | 813.58 | 816.57 |
| | SDLP | John Madden | 10.89% | 614 | 614 | 614.13 | 626.13 | 655.32 | 662.07 |
| | UUP | T. J. Johnston | 6.78% | 382 | 506.07 | 583.55 | 583.55 | 638.93 | |
| | Alliance | John Stewart | 3.37% | 190 | 194.56 | 197.03 | 197.03 | | |
| | Unity | Harry McCoy | 1.79% | 101 | 101.19 | 101.32 | | | |
| Electorate: 6,838 Valid: 5,638 (82.45%) Spoilt: 57 Quota: 940 Turnout: 5,695 (83.28%) ||||||||||

### Area C

1973: 2 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x United Loyalist
Magherafelt Area C - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | 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 | 12 |
| | United Loyalist | William McCrea | 28.39% | 1,639 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Aidan Larkin | 17.18% | 992 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Michael O'Neill | 6.53% | 377 | 377 | 387.88 | 395.06 | 402.12 | 410.34 | 422.54 | 423.54 | 654.06 | 654.06 | 789.64 | 1,018.64 |
| | UUP | Thomas Bradley | 6.57% | 379 | 431.89 | 431.89 | 431.89 | 431.89 | 436.71 | 436.71 | 541.42 | 541.42 | 716.18 | 824.88 | 827.92 |
| | UUP | William Galway | 7.64% | 441 | 466.83 | 466.87 | 466.87 | 467.87 | 467.87 | 467.87 | 502.25 | 504.27 | 663.96 | 772.78 | 774.84 |
| | United Loyalist | James Palmer | 1.91% | 110 | 633.98 | 633.98 | 633.98 | 634.98 | 635.98 | 636.98 | 674.46 | 674.46 | 700.66 | 716.96 | 717.98 |
| | Republican Clubs | M. Devlin | 4.59% | 265 | 265 | 265.84 | 278.92 | 310.94 | 317.02 | 427.14 | 427.14 | 508.66 | 509.66 | 527.37 | |
| | Alliance | W. G. Wade | 5.21% | 301 | 305.92 | 306.62 | 308.64 | 317.07 | 433.41 | 437.41 | 444.41 | 464.73 | 499.96 | | |
| | UUP | R. A. Brown | 6.15% | 355 | 380.83 | 380.83 | 380.83 | 380.83 | 382.83 | 382.83 | 401.52 | 401.52 | | | |
| | SDLP | H. P. Walls | 5.30% | 306 | 306 | 311.14 | 316.14 | 346.32 | 350.52 | 384.8 | 384.8 | | | | |
| | UUP | William Lees | 2.98% | 172 | 207.67 | 207.67 | 207.67 | 207.67 | 208.67 | 208.67 | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | M. McKenna | 2.20% | 127 | 127 | 127.4 | 136.58 | 168.6 | 170.64 | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | L. Luparia | 2.37% | 137 | 137.82 | 138.74 | 140.8 | 147.82 | | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | Michael O'Neill | 1.66% | 96 | 96.41 | 96.67 | 132.75 | | | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | William Mulholland | 1.32% | 76 | 76 | 76.6 | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 7,314 Valid: 5,773 (78.93%) Spoilt: 87 Quota: 963 Turnout: 5,860 (80.12%) ||||||||||||||||