Downshire was one of the district electoral areas in Lisburn, Northern Ireland which existed from 1985 to 2014. It was one of four Lisburn DEAs until 1993, and one of five until 2014. The district elected seven members to Lisburn City Council from 1985 to 1993, and five members from 1993 to 2014, and formed part of Lagan Valley constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Parliament.
It was created for the 1985 local elections, replacing Lisburn Area B and part of Lisburn Area C which had existed since 1973, and contained the wards of Ballymacashbrennan, Blaris, Dromara, Drumbo, Hillhall, Hillsborough and Maze. For the 1993 local elections, it was reduced by two wards as Blaris and Hillhall were transferred to the new Lisburn South DEA. It was abolished for the 2014 local elections and most of the area was transferred to the new Downshire East DEA and Downshire West DEA.
2005: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance<br />
2011: 3 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance<br />
2005-2011 Change: DUP gain from UUP
2001: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance<br />
2005: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance<br />
2001-2005 Change: DUP gain from UUP
1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Conservative<br />
2001: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance<br />
1997-2001 Change: UUP gain from Conservative
1993: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Conservative<br />
1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Conservative<br />
1997-2001 Change: Alliance gain from UUP
1989: 4 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance
1993: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Conservative
1989-1993 Change: DUP and Alliance loss due to the reduction of two seats, Conservative leaves UUP
1985: 3 x UUP, 3 x DUP, 1 x Alliance<br />
1989: 4 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance<br />
1985-1989 Change: UUP gain from DUP
1985: 3 x UUP, 3 x DUP, 1 x Alliance