Lower Falls was one of the nine district electoral areas which existed in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 1985 to 2014. Located in the west of the city, the district elected five members to Belfast City Council and contained the wards of Beechmount; Clonard; Falls; Upper Springfield; and Whiterock. Lower Falls formed part of the Belfast West constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament. The district, along with the neighbouring Upper Falls district took its name from the Falls Road, one of the main arterial routes in the west of the city.
History Lower Falls was created for the 1985 local elections. The Falls and Clonard wards had previously been in Area F, with the remaining wards part of Area D.
It was abolished for the 2014 local elections. The Falls and Clonard wards joined the Court District Electoral Area, while the remaining wards became part of a new Black Mountain District Electoral Area.
Wards Map Ward Population (2011 Census) Catholic Protestant Other No religion Area Density NI Assembly UK Parliament Ref 1 Beechmount 5,485 90.8% 6.1% 0.6% 2.5% 0.84 km2 6,530/km2 Belfast West Belfast West 2 Clonard 4,975 90.5% 6.4% 0.6% 2.6% 0.61 km2 8,156/km2 Belfast West Belfast West 3 Falls 5,184 87.6% 7.5% 2.3% 2.6% 1.2 km2 4,320/km2 Belfast West Belfast West 4 Upper Springfield 5,250 93.5% 4.6% 0.3% 1.6% 2.5 km2 2,100/km2 Belfast West Belfast West 5 Whiterock 5,694 93.1% 4.7% 0.3% 1.8% 0.78 km2 7,300/km2 Belfast West Belfast West Lower Falls 26,588 91.1% 5.8% 0.3% 1.8% 5.93 km2 4,484 /km2 Belfast West Belfast West
Councillors Election Councillor (party) Councillor (party) Councillor (party) Councillor (party) Councillor (party) 2011 Tom Hartley (Sinn Féin) Jim McVeigh (Sinn Féin) Steven Corr (Sinn Féin) Janice Austin (Sinn Féin) Colin Keenan (SDLP) 2005 Marie Moore (Sinn Féin) Máire Cush (Sinn Féin) Fra McCann (Sinn Féin) 2001 Margaret Walsh (SDLP) 1997 Seán McKnight (Sinn Féin) 1993 Mary Muldoon (SDLP) Patsy McGeown (Sinn Féin) 1989 Elizabeth Fitzsimons (Sinn Féin) Seán McKnight (Sinn Féin) Joe Hendron (SDLP) 1985 Seán Keenan (Sinn Féin) Will Glendinning (Alliance)
2011 election
2005: 5 x Sinn Féin
2011: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
2005-2011 change: SDLP gain from Sinn Féin
2005 election
2001: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
2005: 5 x Sinn Féin
2001-2005 change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP
2001 election
1997: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
2001: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
1997-2001 change: No change
1997 election
1993: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
1997: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
1993-1997 change: No change
1993 election
1989: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP
1993: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
1989-1993 change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP
1989 election
1985: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
1989: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP
1985-1989 change: SDLP gain from Alliance
1985 election
1985: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
See also Belfast City Council Electoral wards of Belfast Local government in Northern Ireland Members of Belfast City Council
References