Sinn Féin make history as all 18 candidates elected to Derry City & Strabane District Council

Councillor McGinley’s election in the final count to declare means that every single candidate put forward by Sinn Féin was elected onto the new Council in a historic victory that saw the party return to winning ways locally. Sinn Féin are now the biggest party in the Council.

There are 40 seats on Derry City & Strabane District Council and Sinn Féin has increased its seat share by 7 from the 11 councillors returned in 2019.

THE SDLP has returned 10 Councillors to Derry & Strabane, down 1 on its 2019 showing.

The DUP have dropped 2 to 5 elected representatives while the UUP have added 1 after 3 of its candidates were elected.

People Before Profit have also dropped from 2 Councillors to 1 after Maeve O’Neill lost her seat in The Moor after a tight contest.

Three Independent Councillors were also electred in Derry & Strabane.

The Moor – Count 5

SDLP Councillor John Boyle and Sinn Féin Councillor Patricia Logue have been re-elected to represent the people of the The Moor ward on Derry City & Strabane District Council.

The two long-standing elected representatives were returned in the 5th count for the Moor, taking the third and fourth seats with the final seat yet to be confirmed.

The final result for The Moor is expected shortly.

Count 1

The results of the first count for The Moor ward have been formally declared, with poll topper Independent Gary Donnelly and Sinn Féin’s Aisling Hutton surpassing the quota.

The breakdown of the vote in The Moor was as follows: John Boyle (SDLP) 781, Darryl Christy (Aontú) 301, Gary Donnelly (Independent) 1868, Michael Downey (Alliance) 146, Dermott Henderson (SDLP) 445, Aisling Hutton (Sinn Féin) 1317, Patricia Logue (Sinn Féin) 1069, Emma McGinley (Sinn Féin) 912 and Maeve O’Neill (People Before Profit Alliance) 578.

The quota is 1233.

Nine people are standing in The Moor District Electoral Area (DEA).

The candidates in alphabetical order are: John Boyle (SDLP), Darryl Christy (Aontú), Gary Donnelly (Independent), Michael Downey (Alliance), Dermott Henderson (SDLP), Aisling Hutton (Sinn Féin), Patricia Logue (Sinn Féin), Emma McGinley (Sinn Féin) and Maeve O’Neill (People Before Profit Alliance).

In the last local government election in 2019 the Sinn Féin returned two councillors, the SDLP and People Before Profit Alliance once each, and Independent Gary Donnelly was returned with a large first preference tally.

The first preference tallies were as follows: ELECTED - Independent Gary Donnelly 1,374 votes (17.73%); ELECTED – SDLP John Boyle 1,082 votes (13.96%); ELECTED – People Before Profit Eamonn McCann 1,035 votes (13.36%); ELECTED – Sinn Féin Patricia Logue 778 votes (10.04%); ELECTED – Sinn Féin Tina Burke 738 votes (9.53%); Sinn Féin Kevin Campbell 712 votes (9.19%); SDLP Cathy Breslin 669 votes (8.63%); Sinn Féin Sharon Duddy 594 votes (7.67%); Independent Emmet Doyle 496 votes (6.40%); DUP Niree McMorris 148 votes (1.91%); and Alliance Colm Cavanagh 122 votes (1.57%).

Of a total Moor electorate of 13,114 electors, 7,748 (59.08%) valid votes were cast in the May 2019 poll, with the quota set at 1,292 votes.

There were 169 spoilt votes. Turnout was 7,917 (60.37%).

John Boyle, SDLP.

The former Mayor of Derry and Strabane was first elected to Derry City and Strabane District Council in the Foyleside District Electoral Area (DEA) in 2014 when he topped the poll with 1,132 first preference votes (17.78%).

He switched to the neighbouring Moor DEA in 2019 and received 1,082 votes (13.96%), the second-highest first preference total. He was first elected to council in the Northland DEA of the old Derry City Council in 2011 when he received 1099 votes (11.87%).

In the last local government election in May 2019 the SDLP's two candidates received 1,751 first preference votes (22.59%) in the Moor DEA, a percentage share before transfers that translated into 1.4 quotas.

Darryl Christy, Aontú.

Darryl Christy, a husband and father of a baby boy, is a panel technician and part-time sheep and horse farmer. This is his first election.

It is also the first time Aontú has fielded a candidate in the Moor - the party was launched only a few months before the 2019 council elections. Emmet Doyle, the Aontú candidate in Ballyarnett, stood as an independent in the Moor in 2019, when he received 496 (6.40%) first preference votes.

Gary Donnelly, Independent.

Gary Donnelly, a member of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement (32CSM) has been contesting local elections as an independent republican since 2005.

He was first elected to Derry City & Strabane District Council in the Moor District Electoral Area (DEA) in 2014 when he received 1,154 votes (16.83%), topping the poll. He was re-elected in 2019 when he increased his tally with 1,374 first preferences votes (17.73%), exceeding the quota.

Michael Downey, Alliance.

One of the youngest candidates in Derry-Strabane Michael Downey is currently finishing his final year of healthcare studies at the University of Central Lancashire.

It is the Bogside-native's first election. In the 2019 council election Alliance veteran Colm Cavanagh stood for the party in the Moor District Electoral Area and received 122 first preference votes (1.57%).

Dermott Henderson, SDLP.

Dermott Henderson, a Creggan native, Irish language enthusiast and long-time SDLP activist, first stood for the party in the Cityside District Electoral Area of the old Derry City Council in 2011 when he received 214 votes.

He contested the Moor District Electoral Area (DEA) of Derry City and Strabane District Council in 2014 and won 542 votes (7.91%) but did not stand in the 2019 council elections.

In the last local government election in May 2019 the SDLP's two candidates received 1,751 first preference votes (22.59%) in the Moor DEA, a percentage share before transfers that translated into 1.4 quotas.

Aisling Hutton, Sinn Féin.

This is the first election for Aisling Hutton, a well-known community worker at the Bogside and Brandywell Health Forum.

In the last local government election in May 2019 Sinn Féin's four candidates received 2,822 first preference votes (36.43%) in the Moor DEA, a percentage share worth 2.18 quotas. In this election the party is fielding three candidates in the Moor.

Patricia Logue, Sinn Féin.

One of the longest standing councillors in Derry, Patricia Logue was first elected in the Cityside District Electoral Area (DEA) of the old Derry City Council in 2005 when she received 801 first preference votes, increasing this to 937 in 2011.

In the first elections to the new Derry City and Strabane District Council in 2014 she received 997 votes (14.54%), this time in the the Moor DEA, which corresponds to the old Cityside area.

She was returned as a councillor for the fourth time in 2019, polling 778 first preferences (10.04%). In the last local government election in May 2019 Sinn Féin's four candidates received 2,822 first preference votes (36.43%) in the Moor DEA, a percentage share worth 2.18 quotas. In this election the party is fielding three candidates in the Moor.

Emma McGinley, Sinn Féin.

Emma McGinley was co-opted to replace Tina Burke when the latter stood down as a councillor for the Moor District Electoral Area (DEA) in August 2021.

The local government election on May 18 will be her first electoral outing. In the council elections of 2019 Tina Burke received 738 votes (9.53%) - 0.57 quotas.

In the last local government election in May 2019 Sinn Féin's four candidates received 2,822 first preference votes (36.43%) in the Moor DEA, a percentage share worth 2.18 quotas. In this election the party is fielding three candidates in the Moor.

Maeve O'Neill, People Before Profit.

A long-standing activist with the Zero Waste North West and Alliance for Choice campaigns, Maeve O'Neill stood for the People Before Profit Alliance in the Waterside District Electoral Area (DEA) in 2019.

The health care worker received 752 first preference votes (7.6%) from a standing start for the PBP in the district in what was a breakthrough election for the party.

Although unsuccessful she was co-opted to replace Eamonn McCann when the veteran socialist stood down as a councillor for the Moor DEA in March 2021. In 2019 Mr. McCann received 1,034 first preferences in the Moor (13.36%), the equivalent of 0.8 quotas.