Ards (named after the Ards Peninsula) was a local government district in Northern Ireland with the status of borough. It was one of twenty-six districts formed on 1 October 1973, and had its headquarters in Newtownards. It was merged with neighbouring North Down on 1 May 2015 to form the new Borough of Ards and North Down. Other towns in the defunct Borough included Portaferry, Comber, and Donaghadee, and the population of the area was 78,078 according to the 2011 census.
Strangford Lough is at the heart of the area, and is the largest inlet in Ireland with internationally renowned wildlife. The Irish Sea coast stretches from Donaghadee to Portaferry. Mount Stewart, a National Trust property on the shore of Strangford Lough, is in the area, as well as Northern Ireland's only aquarium, Exploris, in Portaferry and Grace Neill's pub in Donaghadee.
Borough council The borough was governed by Ards Borough Council (Ulster-Scots: Burgh Cooncil o' the Airds, Newton an' Blathewick). The borough was divided into four district electoral areas: Newtownards, Ards West, Ards East and Ards Peninsula, from which 23 members were elected. As of February 2011 the following parties were represented on the council: 11 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 6 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), 4 Alliance Party, and 1 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and there was 1 Independent councillor. The next election was due to take place in May 2009, but on 25 April 2008, Shaun Woodward, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced that the scheduled 2009 district council elections were to be postponed until the introduction of the eleven new councils in 2011.Northern Ireland elections are postponed, BBC News, April 25, 2008, accessed April 27, 2008 The proposed reforms were abandoned in 2010, and district council elections took place in 2011
Mayor of Ards On creation in 1973 Ards District Council adopted the charter of incorporation of the municipal borough of Newtownards, to become Ards Borough Council. The charter also granted the chairman of the council the title "Mayor of Ards".the Charter of the Corporation of the Borough of Newtownards shall have effect in relation to the District of Ards... the name in the Charter shall be changed to Ards Borough Council.
YearNamePolitical affiliationDeputyDeputy's affiliation1973–75John Algie D. Hamilton 1975–77Henry Cosbey J. B. Caughey 1977–79John Scott Hamilton McKeag 1979–81Hamilton McKeag Robert Gaw 1981–83Robert Gaw Jim McBriar 1983–84Jim McBriar Oliver Johnston 1984–85Oliver Johnston Gladys McIntyre 1985–86Gladys McIntyre Robert Ambrose 1986–87Robert Ambrose Simpson Gibson 1987–88Simpson Gibson Tom Benson 1988–89Tom Benson John Hamilton 1989–1990John Hamilton Robert Gibson 1990–91Robert Gibson Jim Shannon 1991–92Jim Shannon David Smyth 1992–93David Smyth Wilbert Magill 1993–94Wilbert Magill John Shields 1994–95John Shields St Clair McAlister 1995–96St Clair McAlister Robert Gibson June – December 1996Robert Gibson Ronnie Ferguson January – June 1998Ronnie Ferguson George Ennis June 1998 – June 1999George Ennis Alan McDowell 1999–2000Alan McDowell Tom Hamilton 2000–01Tom Hamilton Margaret Craig 2001–02Margaret Craig Jeff Magill 2002–03Jeff Magill Jim McBriar 2003–04Jim McBriar Hamilton Gregory 2004–05Hamilton Gregory Angus Carson 2005–06Terry Williams Angus Carson 2006–07Angus Carson Robin Drysdale 2007–08Robin Drysdale Jim Fletcher 2008–09Jim Fletcher William Montgomery 2009–10William Montgomery David Smyth 2010–11David Smyth Mervyn Oswald 2011–12Mervyn Oswald Hamilton Gregory 2012–2013Hamilton Gregory Stephen McIlveen 2013 Stephen McIlveen Democratic Unionist Party
Source: Freedom of Information request to Ards Borough Council
Parliamentary and assembly representation
In elections for the Westminster Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly most of the borough was included in the Strangford constituency, with part (Donaghadee North, Donaghadee South and Millisle) in the North Down constituency.
Town twinning The borough of Ards had a sister city (twinning) relationship with the city of Peoria, Arizona, USA. As a result of this relationship, regular exchange visits were made between the two communities by artists, educators, business, political and community leaders.
See also Local government in Northern Ireland
References
External links Ards Borough Council Armagh & Down Tourism