Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland in 1989, with candidates contesting 565 seats.
Background The elections took place after a turbulent period in Northern Irish politics. The signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement (AIA) in November 1985 had been followed by widespread protests by those in the Unionist community. In November 1985, the 18 Unionist controlled District Councils voted for a policy of adjournment in protest against the AIA and in February 1986 also refused to set the 'rates' (local government taxes). In September 1986 Unionist councillors considered but rejected the option of mass resignations but decided to continue to use council chambers as a forum to protest the agreement.Chronology of the Anglo Irish agreement
One new development on the Unionist side was the entry into Northern Ireland politics of the Conservative Party which was joined by three sitting Unionist councillors.
On the Irish Republican side, the Irish Independence Party had disbanded following poor election results in 1985. Sinn Féin had split in 1986 over the issue of sitting in the Irish parliament, Dáil Éireann, if elected. The dissenting faction had formed Republican Sinn Féin (RSF). Three of the fifty nine councillors elected for Sinn Féin in 1985 joined this grouping. The Remembrance Day bombing of 1987 had a negative impact on subsequent SF support.Sinn Féin background Irish Republicanism was also affected by the passing of the Elected Authorities (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 which disqualified candidates who refused to sign a declaration renouncing:
"(a) any organisation that is for the time being a proscribed organisation specified in Schedule 2 to the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978: or (b) acts of terrorism (that is to say, violence for political ends) connected with the affairs of Northern Ireland"
RSF refused to sign the declaration and thus their twenty three candidates became ineligible.
Results
Overall PartyLocal Government Elections 1989, Northern Ireland Elections Councillors Votes Total +/- % share Total 194+531.3193,064 121+1921.0129,557 110-3217.7109,342 43-1611.269,032 38+46.942,646 23+143.823,617 15+72.615,804 402.113,078 6N/A0.85,204 300.63,839 1+10.42,413Protestant Unionist100.31,879Protestant1+10.31,754Labour '871The councillor had been elected in 1985 for the Newtownabbey Labour Party, which was a member of the Labour '87 coalition.N/A0.21,433 300.21,223 0-60.1804 1N/A0.1752Independent Democratic Unionist000.1585Independent Loyalist000.1351 000.1329 000.1293 000.0175 000.068
By council The results were interpreted as "movement away from the extremes" with the UUP and SDLP increasing their lead over their rivals in the DUP and Sinn Féin respectively. A total of eleven councils saw the two top posts shared by parties from either side of the political/sectarian divide. The number of councils controlled by one party increased from two to six. The DUP retained control of Ballymena, while the UUP retained control of Banbridge and gained control of Antrim and Lisburn. The SDLP gained control of Down and Derry.
Antrim
Antrim North West Party Candidate 1st Pref James Graham1,374 Robert Loughran1,019 Wilson Clyde855 Henry Cushinan668 Donovan McClelland405 Roderick Swann282Turnout4,701SDLP gain from Sinn Féin
Antrim South EastAntrim District Council Elections 1985-1989, Northern Ireland Elections Party Candidate 1st Pref Roy Thompson1,248 Edgar Wallace1,043 Mervyn Rea876 Robert Burns764 Howard Campbell687 Samuel Dunlop492 David Ford299 Roy Stinson284 Theresa Gallagher242 James Simpson210Turnout6,311No change
Antrim Town Party Candidate 1st Pref Jack Allen907 Frederick Marks741 James Brown604 Oran Keenan535 James McConnell355 Andrew Thompson244 James Graham200 Peter Kelly172 Paul Little171 Eamon Gillen158 Avril Swann134 Jim Millar75Turnout4,437UUP gain from DUP
Ards
Ards PeninsulaArds District Council Elections 1985-1989, Northern Ireland Elections Party Candidate 1st Pref Kieran McCarthy1,119 Jim Shannon1,030 John Shields1,018 Robert Ambrose1,008 Mervyn Rea584 James McMullan564 Clifford Auld512 Ronald Ferguson459 Oliver Johnston452 Trevor Hussey165Turnout7,140Alliance gain from IndependentUUP gain from UPUP
Ards West Party Candidate 1st Pref Robert Gibson1,375 Edward Archdale815 Bobby McBride773 Thomas McBriar660 John Hamilton651 David McKibben619 Alan McDowell387 William Elliott273 Andrew Marks194 Glynn Moore190Turnout6,073No change
Newtownards Party Candidate 1st Pref Tom Benson1,307 Simpson Gibson1,283 Owen Dorrian719 Wilbert Magill548 John Purdy473 David Smyth452 William Hannigan434 John Elliott408 Cedric Wilson228 Laurence Thompson213 Tom Hamilton183 James McKernon98Turnout6,521Independent gain from NILP
Armagh
Armagh CityArmagh District Council Elections 1985-1989, Northern Ireland Elections Party Candidate 1st Pref John Agnew1,019 George McCartney979 John Doogan898 Pat Brannigan893 Anna Brolly816 Harold Carson660 Seamus Hart540 Stephen Fields305 Patrick McCusker232Turnout6,544SDLP gain from DUP
Crossmore Party Candidate 1st Pref Jim Nicholson1,484 Thomas Kavanagh1,162 James McKernan1,041 Charles Mallon643 Thomas Carroll475 Thomas Shilliday440Turnout5,403No change
Cusher Party Candidate 1st Pref Eric Speers1,561 Thomas Black1,444 Thomas Johnston1,314 Thomas Canavan1,154 Robert Turner936 James Clayton822 Margaret McNally 329 Eugene Turley100Turnout7,811No change
The Orchard Party Candidate 1st Pref Jim Speers1,665 John Kernan1,203 Douglas Hutchinson950 Samuel Foster855 Olive Whitten677 Brendan Casey401Turnout5,862No change
Ballymena
Ballymena TownBallymena District Council Elections 1985-1989, Northern Ireland Elections Party Candidate 1st Pref Patrick McAvoy897 John Williams832 Samuel Henry814 James Alexander631 Robert Coulter595 Maurice Mills485 John Wilson442 John Carson409 Declan O'Loan403 Vera Mills261 Robert Simpson186Turnout6,085 Alliance gain from DUP
Braid Valley Party Candidate 1st Pref Desmond Armstrong957 James Woulahan887 Margaret Alexander795 Samuel Hanna672 William Armstrong510 Agnes McLeister507 Robert Robinson395 William Owens372Turnout5,211 Independent gain from DUP
Kells Water Party Candidate 1st Pref William Brownlees929 Martin Clarke759 James Currie729 Ronald Fry512 David McClintock509 James McCosh499 Andrew McKendry381 Melvyn McKendry219Turnout4,675 Ulster Unionist gain from DUP
The Main Party Candidate 1st Pref Roy Gillespie1,068 Sandy Spence752 Thomas Nicholl749 James Laverty626 John Johnston598 Hubert Nicholl525 David Alderdice448 Sarah McCullough291 Robert Megaw258 John Sutter150Turnout5,583No change
Ballymoney
Ballymoney TownBallymoney District Council Elections 1985-1989, Northern Ireland Elections Party Candidate 1st Pref James McKeownN/A James SimpsonNA Cecil CousleyN/A Samuel McConaghieN/A Robert McCombN/ATurnoutN/ANo change
Bann Valley Party Candidate 1st Pref Joe Gaston790 Robert Halliday710 Malachy McCamphill450 Charley O'Kane430 Robert Wilson429 Una Casey365 John Watt356 Daniel Taylor195Turnout3,816SDLP gain from Sinn Féin
Bushvale Party Candidate 1st Pref John Ramsay575 William Logan533 Harry Connolly521 William Kennedy497 Donald McKenzie354 Malachy Carey235Turnout2,774No change
Banbridge
Banbridge TownBanbridge District Council Elections 1985-1989, Northern Ireland Elections Party Candidate 1st Pref Kathleen Baird1,549 Archie McKelvey836 John Dobson782 James Walsh774 Margaret Walker486 Mary Doyle343 Robert Murray198Turnout5,094No change
Dromore Party Candidate 1st Pref Drew Nelson1,109 Catherine McDermott976 William Martin846 Robert Hill767 William McCracken569 Robert McIlroy446 William Lough327 Colin Halliday217 Thomas Dickson73Turnout5,433UUP gain from DUP
Knockiveagh Party Candidate 1st Pref Wilfred McFadden824 Laurence McCartan784 Seamus Doyle739 Vivienne Bennett721 Samuel Walker699 John Hanna526 Bertie McRoberts524 Peter McGreevy272Turnout5,206No change
Belfast Balmoral Party Candidate 1st Pref Margaret Crooks2,163 Jim Kirkpatrick1,818 Dorita Field1,636 Joan Parkes1,602 Billy Dickson1,177 Mark Long1,105 John Montgomery1,061 Caroline Bingham599 Shaun McKeown243Turnout12,160SDLP gain from DUP
Castle Party Candidate 1st Pref Alban Maginness2,301 John Carson2,192 Frank Millar1,835 Nigel Dodds1,779 Nelson McCausland1,163 Tom Campbell1,053 Alfred Redpath767 Anthony Kerr496 Bobby Lavery453 Samuel Lowry216Labour '87Thomas Galloway103 Maria O'Sullivan95Turnout12,326Independent Unionist gain from UUP
CourtBelfast City Council Elections 1985–1989, Northern Ireland Elections Party Candidate 1st Pref Hugh Smyth2,533Protestant UnionistElizabeth Seawright1,408 Fred Cobain1,170 Eric Smyth1,006 Joe Coggle953 Herbert Ditty897 William Smith717 Frederick Ashby644 Alfie Ferguson509 Peter Cullen367 Joe Austin240Turnout10,825No change
Laganbank Party Candidate 1st Pref Dixie Gilmore1,496 Alasdair McDonnell1,415 Steve McBride1,107 Rhonda Paisley1,036 Jim Clarke854 Mary Thomas755 Harry Fletcher753 James Clinton753 Gerard McGettrick629 Kevin Smyth479 Margaret Dickson198 Benjamin Horan132Labour '87Paul Hainsworth109 Barry Bruton91Turnout10,179No change
Lower Falls Party Candidate 1st Pref Joe Hendron2,748 Fra McCann2,307 Elizabeth Fitzsimons1,765 Richard May1,626 Seán McKnight1,428 Mary McMahon1,093 Mary Muldoon588 Derrick Crothers135Turnout12,260SDLP gain from Alliance
Oldpark Party Candidate 1st Pref Brian Feeney2,426 Fred Proctor1,850 Gerard McGuigan1,682 Seamus Lynch1,639 Paddy McManus1,548 William McGarry1,115Ulster Loyalist DemocraticPaddy Bird837 Stanley Mulholland805 William Gault780 George Jones443Ulster Loyalist DemocraticWilliam Clark71Turnout13,744UUP gain from DUP
Pottinger Party Candidate 1st Pref Sammy Wilson2,780 Margaret Clarke1,480 Mervyn Jones1,296 Dorothy Dunlop1,179 Reg Empey864 Frank Leslie768 Joe O'Donnell629 Sean Flanagan541 Jim Walker493 David McNutt420 John Norris263 Stuart McCullough27Turnout11,248Independent Unionist gain from DUP
Upper Falls Party Candidate 1st Pref Alex Attwood3,292 Alex Maskey2,378 Theresa Holland2,329 Máirtín Ó Muilleoir1,435 Cormac Boomer1,189 Peter Prendiville713 Cormac Boomer378 Jean Craig380 Dan McGuinness326 Robert Morrow283 Kevin O'Donnell84Turnout12,835Sinn Féin gain from Alliance
Victoria Party Candidate 1st Pref John Alderdice2,933 Tommy Patton2,845 Ian Adamson1,730 Wallace Browne1,374 Robin Newton1,171 Alan Montgomery767 Danny Dow732 Irene Lewis667 George Thompson533 Samuel Walker449 Hugh Jordan333Turnout13,901No change
Carrickfergus
Carrick CastleCarrickfergus District Council Elections 1985-1989, Northern Ireland Elections Party Candidate 1st Pref Sean Neeson1,029 Samuel Stewart472Protestant UnionistDavid Hilditch302 Andrew Blair291 Samuel McCamley287 Robert English228 Margaret Cross190 Patrick Lennox171 Arthur McQuitty81 Sarah Picken76Turnout3,181Alliance gain from UUP
Kilroot Party Candidate 1st Pref Alexander Beggs739 Janet Crampsey719 Robert Patton668 James Brown599 William Cross535 David McCann213 Eric Ferguson212Turnout3,769Robert Patton leaves UUP
Knockagh Monument Party Candidate 1st Pref William Haggan668 Stewart Dickson650 Charles Johnston628 William Murray503 Mary Ardill435 Samuel Wilson312Protestant UnionistJohn Everitt169 Noreen McIlwrath111Turnout3,549Mary Ardill leaves UUP
Castlereagh Castlereagh CentralCastlereagh Council Elections 1985–1989, Northern Ireland Elections Party Candidate 1st Pref Peter Robinson3,461 Grant Dillon914 Robert Mitchell909 Ellen Gray453 Ann Smith446 Alan Carson277 Joyce Boyd184 Cecil Moore150 Paul McNaughten26Turnout6,820No change
Castlereagh East Party Candidate 1st Pref Iris Robinson1,168 Matthew Anderson938 William Abraham756 William Boyd749 Thomas Jeffers509 John Bell501 Alexander Murray312 Muriel Wilkes257 John Boyle196 Simon Robinson122 Michael Brooks40Turnout5,548UPUP gain from UUPWilliam Abraham leaves UUP