Ards Borough | |
---|---|
Area | 376 km2 (145 sq mi) Ranked 20th of 26 |
District HQ | Newtownards |
Catholic | 12.7% |
Protestant | 76.9% |
Country | Northern Ireland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Councillors |
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Website | www |
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.[ citation needed ]
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. [1] 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. [2] The proposed reforms were abandoned in 2010, and district council elections took place in 2011 [3]
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". [4]
Year | Name | Political affiliation | Deputy | Deputy's affiliation | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1973 - 75 | John Algie | Ulster Unionist | D. Hamilton | Ulster Unionist | ||
1975 - 77 | Henry Cosbey | Ulster Unionist | J. B. Caughey | Independent | ||
1977 - 79 | John Scott | Ulster Unionist | Hamilton McKeag | Ulster Unionist | ||
1979 - 81 | Hamilton McKeag | Ulster Unionist | Robert Gaw | NI Labour | ||
1981 - 83 | Robert Gaw | NI Labour | Jim McBriar | Alliance | ||
1983 - 84 | Jim McBriar | Alliance | Oliver Johnston | DUP | ||
1984 - 85 | Oliver Johnston | DUP | Gladys McIntyre | UPUP | ||
1985 - 86 | Gladys McIntyre | UPUP | Robert Ambrose | Ulster Unionist | ||
1986 - 87 | Robert Ambrose | Ulster Unionist | Simpson Gibson | DUP | ||
1987 - 88 | Simpson Gibson | DUP | Tom Benson | Ulster Unionist | ||
1988 - 89 | Tom Benson | Ulster Unionist | John Hamilton | DUP | ||
1989–1990 | John Hamilton | DUP | Robert Gibson | Ulster Unionist | ||
1990 - 91 | Robert Gibson | Ulster Unionist | Jim Shannon | DUP | ||
1991 - 92 | Jim Shannon | DUP | David Smyth | Ulster Unionist | ||
1992 - 93 | David Smyth | Ulster Unionist | Wilbert Magill | DUP | ||
1993 - 94 | Wilbert Magill | DUP | John Shields | Ulster Unionist | ||
1994 - 95 | John Shields | Ulster Unionist | St Clair McAlister | DUP | ||
1995 - 96 | St Clair McAlister | DUP | Robert Gibson | Ulster Unionist | ||
June - December 1996 | Robert Gibson | Ulster Unionist | Ronnie Ferguson | Ulster Unionist | ||
January - June 1998 | Ronnie Ferguson | Ulster Unionist | George Ennis | DUP | ||
June 1998 - June 1999 | George Ennis | DUP | Alan McDowell | Alliance | ||
1999–2000 | Alan McDowell | Alliance | Tom Hamilton | Ulster Unionist | ||
2000 - 01 | Tom Hamilton | Ulster Unionist | Margaret Craig | DUP | ||
2001 - 02 | Margaret Craig | DUP | Jeff Magill | Ulster Unionist | ||
2002 - 03 | Jeff Magill | Ulster Unionist | Jim McBriar | Alliance | ||
2003 - 04 | Jim McBriar | Alliance | Hamilton Gregory | DUP | ||
2004 - 05 | Hamilton Gregory | DUP | Angus Carson | Ulster Unionist | ||
2005 - 06 | Terry Williams | DUP | Angus Carson | Ulster Unionist | ||
2006 - 07 | Angus Carson | Ulster Unionist | Robin Drysdale | DUP | ||
2007 - 08 | Robin Drysdale | DUP | Jim Fletcher | Ulster Unionist | ||
2008 - 09 | Jim Fletcher | Ulster Unionist | William Montgomery | DUP | ||
2009 - 10 | William Montgomery | DUP | David Smyth | Ulster Unionist | ||
2010 - 11 [1] | David Smyth | Ulster Unionist | Mervyn Oswald | DUP | ||
2011 - 12 | Mervyn Oswald | DUP | Hamilton Gregory | DUP | ||
2012 - 2013 | Hamilton Gregory | DUP | Stephen McIlveen | DUP |
2013 Stephen McIlveen Democratic Unionist Party
Source: Freedom of Information request to Ards Borough Council
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. [5]
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.
Newtownards is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles (16 km) east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. It is in the civil parish of Newtownards and the historic baronies of Ards Lower and Castlereagh Lower. Newtownards is in the Ards and North Down Borough. The population was 28,050 in the 2011 Census.
County Down is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of 961 sq mi (2,490 km2) and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the north, the Irish Sea to the east, County Armagh to the west, and County Louth across Carlingford Lough to the southwest.
Castlereagh was a local government district with the status of borough in Northern Ireland. It merged with Lisburn City Council in May 2015 under local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland to become Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, with a small amount being transferred to Belfast City Council.
Strangford Lough is a large sea lough or inlet in County Down, in the east of Northern Ireland. It is the largest inlet in Ireland and the wider British Isles, covering 150 km2 (58 sq mi). The lough is almost fully enclosed by the Ards Peninsula and is linked to the Irish Sea by a long narrow channel at its southeastern edge. The main body of the lough has at least seventy islands along with many islets (pladdies), bays, coves, headlands and mudflats. Historically it was called 'Lough Coan', while 'Strangford' referred to the narrow sea channel. It is part of the 'Strangford and Lecale' Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Strangford Lough was designated as Northern Ireland's first Marine Conservation Zone in 2013, and has been designated a Special Area of Conservation for its important wildlife.
Magherafelt District Council was a district council in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. It was merged with Cookstown District Council and Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council on 1 April 2015 under local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland becoming Mid-Ulster District Council.
Antrim was a local government district in Northern Ireland. It was one of twenty-six districts created in 1973, and was granted borough status on 9 May 1977. The borough covered an area of some 220 square miles (570 km2) and had a population of 53,428 according to the 2011 census. It was situated about 19 miles (31 km) north-west of Belfast. It bordered the north and east shores of Lough Neagh, the largest fresh water lake in the United Kingdom, and included the towns of Antrim, Toomebridge, Crumlin, Randalstown, Parkgate and Templepatrick. The council headquarters were located on the outskirts of Antrim town. Although the borough was not within the Belfast Metropolitan Area, it housed the city's international airport and many commuter villages.
Newtownabbey Borough Council was a Local Authority in County Antrim in Northern Ireland, on the north shore of Belfast Lough just immediately north of Belfast. The Council merged with Antrim Borough Council in April 2015 under local government reform in Northern Ireland to form Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.
North Down Borough Council was a Local Council in County Down in Northern Ireland. It merged with Ards Borough Council in May 2015 under local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland to become North Down and Ards District Council.
North Down is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Stephen Farry of the Alliance Party. Farry was elected to the position in the 2019 general election, replacing the incumbent Sylvia Hermon. Hermon had held the position since being elected to it in the 2001 general election, but chose not to contest in 2019.
The Ards Peninsula is a peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the north-east coast of Ireland. It separates Strangford Lough from the North Channel of the Irish Sea. Towns and villages on the peninsula include Donaghadee, Millisle, Portavogie and Portaferry. The large towns of Newtownards and Bangor are at the mainland edge of the peninsula. Burr Point is the easternmost point on the island of Ireland. Approximately 30,000 people live on the peninsula.
Cookstown District Council was a district council covering an area largely in County Tyrone and partly in County Londonderry. It merged with Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council and Magherafelt District Council in May 2015 under local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland to become Mid-Ulster District Council.
Craigavon Borough Council was a local council in counties Armagh, Down and Antrim, in Northern Ireland. It merged with Armagh City and District Council and Banbridge District Council in May 2015 under local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland to become Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon District Council.
Larne Borough Council was a Local Council in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. It merged with Ballymena Borough Council and Carrickfergus Borough Council in May 2015 under the reorganisation of local government in Northern Ireland to become Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
Lisburn City Council was the local authority for an area partly in County Antrim and partly in County Down in Northern Ireland. As of May 2015 it was merged with Castlereagh Borough Council as part of the reform of local government in Northern Ireland to become Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.
The A20 is a road in County Down in Northern Ireland. It runs from Belfast to Newtownards and on to Portaferry.
Michelle McIlveen MLA is a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland representing the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). She was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly as a Democratic Unionist Party member for Strangford in 2007. She has been General Secretary of the DUP since 2008. She served as Minister for Education from June 2021 to October 2022
Hugh John Simpson Gibson MBE is a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician in Northern Ireland who was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Strangford from 2010 to 2011.
Colonel William Stephen Brownlow was a British Army officer and Northern Irish Unionist politician.