Central (District Electoral Area)

Central was one of the four district electoral areas in Craigavon, Northern Ireland which existed from 1985 to 2014. The district elected seven members to Craigavon Borough Council, and formed part of the Upper Bann constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.

It was created for the 1985 local elections, replacing Craigavon Area C which had existed since 1973, and contained the wards of Bleary, Drumgask, Drumgor, Edenderry, Kernan, Killycomain and Tullygally. It was abolished for the 2014 local elections and replaced with the Craigavon DEA with areas also moving into the Portadown DEA.

Demography

On Census Day (27 March 2011) the usually resident population of Craigavon District Electoral Area was 25,287 accounting for 1.40% of the NI total.

• 96.92% were from the white (including Irish Traveller) ethnic group;
• 49.12% belong to or were brought up in the Catholic Christian church and 44.12% belong to or were brought up in a 'Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related)' churches; and
• 46.47% indicated that they had a British national identity, 25.04% had an Irish national identity and 29.72% had a Northern Irish national identity.

Respondents could indicate more than one national identity

On Census Day 27 March 2011, in Craigavon District Electoral Area, considering the population aged 3 years old and over:

• 10.17% had some knowledge of Irish;
• 4.83% had some knowledge of Ulster-Scots; and
• 6.95% did not have English as their first language.

Through the late 1970s and early 1980s, Craigavon hosted many families of Refugees of the Vietnam War.

Councillors

2011 Election

2005: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP<br />

2011: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x Alliance<br />

2005-2011 Change: Sinn Féin and Alliance gain from SDLP and DUP

2005 Election

2001: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin<br />

2005: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP<br />

2001–2005 Change: DUP gain from SDLP

2001 Election

1997: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x Alliance<br />

2001: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin<br />

1997-2001 Change: DUP and SDLP gain from UUP and Alliance

1997 Election

1993: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x Alliance<br />

1997: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x Alliance<br />

1993-1997 Change: No change

1993 Election

1989: 4 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance<br />

1993: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x Alliance<br />

1989-1993 Change: Sinn Féin gain from UUP

1989 Election

1985: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Workers' Party<br />

1989: 4 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance<br />

1985-1989 Change: UUP and Alliance gain from DUP and Workers' Party

1985 Election

1985: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Workers' Party

References