1981 Coleraine Borough Council election

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

	Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
UUP	8	0	2	2	40.0	34.2	7,670	4.0
DUP	6	4	0	4	30.0	33.2	7,440	15.6
Independent	3	1	1	0	15.0	10.8	2,421	3.8
SDLP	2	1	1	0	10.0	11.7	2,620	1.2
Alliance	1	0	1	1	5.0	6.3	1,417	4.3
Ind. Unionist	0	0	1	1	0.0	3.1	705	0.3
Green (NI)	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.6	142	New

Ward	%	Cllrs	%	Cllrs	%	Cllrs	%	Cllrs	%	Cllrs	Total Cllrs
Ward	UUP		DUP		SDLP		Alliance		Others		Total Cllrs
Area A	34.2	2	26.1	2	28.0	2	1.7	0	10.0	0	6
Area B	43.4	4	34.2	2	10.0	0	11.4	1	1.0	0	7
Area C	27.4	2	38.1	2	0.0	0	6.3	0	28.2	3	7
Total	34.2	8	33.2	6	11.7	2	6.3	1	14.6	3	20

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
Party		Candidate	FPv%	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
	SDLP	John Dallat*	15.14%	1,061
	SDLP	Gerard O'Kane	12.86%	901	925	975.7
	UUP	William King*	12.33%	864	883	883.1	890.15	943.15	1,235.15
	UUP	George McIlrath*	9.85%	690	702	702.25	712.25	910.25	1,058.25
	DUP	Thomas Malone	11.17%	783	784	784	983	992	1,026
	DUP	Robert Catherwood*	9.70%	680	682	682	802	827	888	969	998.68
	Ind. Unionist	William Watt*	10.06%	705	725	725.65	745.65	773.65	788.65	898.65	924.41
	UUP	James Anderson*	6.36%	446	460	460	464	562
	UUP	Mayne Long	5.64%	395	405	405	413
	DUP	Irwin Holmes	5.22%	366	368	368.1
	Alliance	Anne Lambert	1.67%	117
Electorate: 8,960 Valid: 7,008 (78.21%) Spoilt: 179 Quota: 1,002 Turnout: 7,187 (80.21%)

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
Party		Candidate	FPv%	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
	DUP	William Creelman	17.09%	1,119
	UUP	William Glenn*	10.29%	674	692.2	695.2	809.72	810.72	819.28
	UUP	Albert Clarke*	9.62%	630	637.54	638.54	683.32	697.32	713.1	877.1
	DUP	Matthew Kane	8.25%	540	611.76	614.76	621.02	624.02	777.64	790.16	791.27	1,105.27
	UUP	Elizabeth Connolly	6.46%	423	425.6	425.6	508.6	517.6	562.16	630.24	666.13	735.82	808.82
	Alliance	Patrick McGowan	6.92%	453	453.78	466.78	468.3	730.3	731.3	754.08	755.93	761.64	764.64
	UUP	Robert Mitchell	7.53%	493	494.82	494.82	508.6	519.6	531.86	583.9	599.07	636.44	718.44
	SDLP	Sean Farren*	10.05%	658	658.52	669.52	669.52	673.52	674.78	678.56	678.93	679.56	679.56
	DUP	Roy Hilldrup	4.15%	272	423.58	426.84	432.4	435.4	520.42	535.5	537.72
	UUP	John Earl*	5.08%	333	341.32	341.32	351.58	356.58	357.84
	DUP	William Sweeney	4.72%	309	331.36	332.36	334.36	335.36
	Alliance	Peter Scott	4.47%	293	293	311	316
	UUP	Thomas Henry	4.44%	291	295.68	295.68
	Green (NI)	Malcolm Samuel	0.93%	61	61.26
Electorate: 10,492 Valid: 6,549 (62.42%) Spoilt: 166 Quota: 819 Turnout: 6,715 (64.00%)

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
Party		Candidate	FPv%	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
	DUP	James McClure*	36.16%	3,203
	UUP	Robert White*	15.51%	1,374
	Independent	James McFeely*	13.25%	1,174
	UUP	Paul Baxter	6.94%	615	800.46	863.35	864.13	872.8	959.61	979.83	1,186.83
	Independent	William McNabb	8.42%	746	909.02	935.24	953.72	968.95	1,007.37	1,018.35	1,096.82	1,116.82
	Independent	Randall Crawford*	5.28%	468	627.72	652.23	658.77	664.87	686.75	707.44	798.61	815.66	1,086.08
	DUP	Robert Bolton	0.78%	69	634.62	637.85	637.85	637.85	643.55	781.35	824.6	847.15	873.36
	DUP	Robert McElfatrick	0.68%	60	588.66	591.32	591.5	594.48	601.63	729.34	764.44	773.79	794.16
	Alliance	William Mathews*	5.64%	500	525.08	545.6	571.34	573.84	663.43	667.94	700.07	709.42
	UUP	Matthew Adams*	4.01%	355	469.84	537.29	538.01	541.2	573.36	581.32
	DUP	Elizabeth Gaston	0.44%	39	328.08	329.22	329.4	329.4	336.61
	UUP	Antony Alcock	0.54%	48	58.56	90.86	90.86	90.86
	Green (NI)	Avril McCandless	0.91%	81	84.3	84.49	86.77	88.89
	UUP	Robert Hunter	0.44%	39	56.82	67.65	67.71	68.77
	Alliance	Margaret Smith	0.61%	54	57.3	58.63	59.95	62.01
	Independent	James Leonard	0.37%	33	43.56	45.46	47.8
Electorate: 12,636 Valid: 8,858 (70.10%) Spoilt: 215 Quota: 1,108 Turnout: 9,073 (71.80%)

Districts summary

v t e Council elections in County Londonderry
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council	2014 2019 2023
Derry City and Strabane District Council	2014 2019 2023
Mid Ulster District Council	2014 2019 2023
Coleraine Borough Council	1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2011 Abolished
Derry City Council	1920 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2011 Abolished
Limavady Borough Council	1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2011 Abolished
Magherafelt District Council	1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2011 Abolished
Londonderry County Council	1899 1902 1905 1908 1911 1914 1920 1924 1927 1930 1933 1937 1964 1967 Abolished

v t e (1980 ←) 1981 United Kingdom local elections (→ 1982)
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Sui generis	Isles of Scilly