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South Down — UK General Election Results

Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30

South Down was won by Sinn Féin at the 2024 general election, with a majority of 9,280 votes over SDLP. This page covers every general election in South Down from 1885 to 2024.

Full Election History, 1885–2024

Election Elected Votes Vote Share Runner-up Majority Turnout
1885 John Francis Small (Irish Parliamentary Party) 4,995 57.2% William Henry Kisbey (Irish Unionist) 1,252 (14.3 pts) 84.5%
1886 Michael McCartan (Irish Parliamentary Party) 4,786 55.6% Robert Swan Corbitt (Liberal Unionist) 970 (11.3 pts) 83.2%
1892 Michael McCartan (Irish Parliamentary Party) 4,207 53.4% John Walker Craig (Liberal Unionist) 571 (7.2 pts) 84.4%
1895 Michael McCartan (Irish Parliamentary Party) 4,057 54.6% Thomas Rowan (Liberal Unionist) 679 (9.1 pts) 85.3%
1900 Michael McCartan (Irish Parliamentary Party) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1906 Jeremiah McVeagh (Irish Parliamentary Party) 3,910 54.5% Peter Kerr Kerr-Smiley (Irish Unionist) 648 (9.0 pts) 89.2%
Dec 1910 Jeremiah McVeagh (Irish Parliamentary Party) 3,668 54.7% John Alexander Weir Johnston (Irish Unionist) 628 (9.4 pts) 86.5%
Jan 1910 Jeremiah McVeagh (Irish Parliamentary Party) 3,815 54.5% Lynden Macassey (Irish Unionist) 635 (9.1 pts) 90.2%
1918 Jeremiah McVeagh (Irish Parliamentary Party) 8,756 59.2% John Alexander Weir Johnston (Irish Unionist) 3,183 (21.5 pts) 79.1%
1950 Lawrence Percy Story Orr (Ulster Unionist) 38,508 63.5% Jack Macgougan (Irish Labour) 16,332 (26.9 pts) 76.7%
1951 Lawrence Percy Story Orr (Ulster Unionist) 37,789 58.3% Gerald Annesley (Independent Republican) 10,813 (16.7 pts) 82.0%
1955 Lawrence Percy Story Orr (Ulster Unionist) 37,921 65.9% Kevin O'Rourke (Sinn Féin) 18,297 (31.8 pts) 73.9%
1959 Lawrence Percy Story Orr (Ulster Unionist) 36,875 85.4% Kevin O'Rourke (Sinn Féin) 29,947 (69.4 pts) 56.4%
1964 Lawrence Percy Story Orr (Ulster Unionist) 32,922 59.0% George Mussen (Independent Republican) 21,891 (39.2 pts) 72.1%
1966 Lawrence Orr (Ulster Unionist) 32,876 64.0% John Quinn (Ulster Liberal) 23,290 (45.3 pts) 65.8%
1970 Lawrence Orr (Ulster Unionist) 34,894 54.3% Hugh Golding (Unity) 13,218 (20.5 pts) 73.9%
Feb 1974 Lawrence Orr (Ulster Unionist) 31,088 52.1% Sean Hollywood (SDLP) 5,602 (9.4 pts) 65.8%
Oct 1974 Enoch Powell (Ulster Unionist) 33,614 50.8% Sean Hollywood (SDLP) 3,567 (5.4 pts) 72.4%
1979 Enoch Powell (Ulster Unionist) 32,254 50.0% Eddie McGrady (SDLP) 8,221 (12.8 pts) 72.0%
1983 Enoch Powell (Ulster Unionist) 20,693 40.3% Eddie McGrady (SDLP) 548 (1.1 pts) 76.7%
1987 Eddie McGrady (SDLP) 26,579 47.0% Enoch Powell (Ulster Unionist) 731 (1.3 pts) 79.4%
1992 Eddie McGrady (SDLP) 31,523 51.2% Drew Nelson (Ulster Unionist) 6,342 (10.3 pts) 80.9%
1997 Eddie McGrady (SDLP) 26,181 52.9% Dermot Nesbitt (Ulster Unionist) 9,933 (20.1 pts) 70.8%
2001 Eddie McGrady (SDLP) 24,136 46.3% Mick Murphy (Sinn Féin) 13,858 (26.6 pts) 70.8%
2005 Eddie McGrady (SDLP) 21,557 44.7% Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin) 9,140 (19.0 pts) 65.8%
2010 Margaret Ritchie (SDLP) 20,648 48.5% Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin) 8,412 (19.8 pts) 60.5%
2015 Margaret Ritchie (SDLP) 18,077 42.3% Chris Hazzard (Sinn Féin) 5,891 (13.8 pts) 57.2%
2017 Chris Hazzard (Sinn Féin) 20,328 39.9% Margaret Ritchie (SDLP) 2,446 (4.8 pts) 67.5%
2019 Chris Hazzard (Sinn Féin) 16,137 32.4% Michael Savage (SDLP) 1,620 (3.3 pts) 63.1%
2024 Chris Hazzard (Sinn Féin) 19,698 43.5% Colin McGrath (SDLP) 9,280 (20.5 pts) 59.6%

Full Result Breakdown by Election

1885

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Francis Small Irish Parliamentary Party 4,99557.2% Yes
William Henry Kisbey Irish Unionist 3,74342.8% No

1886

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Michael McCartan Irish Parliamentary Party 4,78655.6% Yes
Robert Swan Corbitt Liberal Unionist 3,81644.4% No

1892

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Michael McCartan Irish Parliamentary Party 4,20753.4% Yes
John Walker Craig Liberal Unionist 3,63646.1% No
Eiver Magenis Irish Parliamentary Party 420.5% No

1895

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Michael McCartan Irish Parliamentary Party 4,05754.6% Yes
Thomas Rowan Liberal Unionist 3,37845.4% No

1900

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Michael McCartan Irish Parliamentary Party Unopposed Yes

1906

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Jeremiah McVeagh Irish Parliamentary Party 3,91054.5% Yes
Peter Kerr Kerr-Smiley Irish Unionist 3,26245.5% No

Dec 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Jeremiah McVeagh Irish Parliamentary Party 3,66854.7% Yes
John Alexander Weir Johnston Irish Unionist 3,04045.3% No

Jan 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Jeremiah McVeagh Irish Parliamentary Party 3,81554.5% Yes
Lynden Macassey Irish Unionist 3,18045.5% No

1918

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Jeremiah McVeagh Irish Parliamentary Party 8,75659.2% Yes
John Alexander Weir Johnston Irish Unionist 5,57337.7% No
Alexander Fisher Independent 4362.9% No
Éamon de Valerà Sinn Féin 330.2% No

1950

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Lawrence Percy Story Orr Ulster Unionist 38,50863.5% Yes
Jack Macgougan Irish Labour 22,17636.5% No

1951

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Lawrence Percy Story Orr Ulster Unionist 37,78958.3% Yes
Gerald Annesley Independent Republican 26,97641.7% No

1955

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Lawrence Percy Story Orr Ulster Unionist 37,92165.9% Yes
Kevin O'Rourke Sinn Féin 19,62434.1% No

1959

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Lawrence Percy Story Orr Ulster Unionist 36,87585.4% Yes
Kevin O'Rourke Sinn Féin 6,92816.0% No

1964

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Lawrence Percy Story Orr Ulster Unionist 32,92259.0% Yes
George Mussen Independent Republican 11,03119.8% No
Samuel Thompson NI Labour 6,26011.2% No
Hamilton Gooding Ulster Liberal 5,61010.0% No

1966

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Lawrence Orr Ulster Unionist 32,87664.0% Yes
John Quinn Ulster Liberal 9,58618.7% No
George Mussen Independent Republican 8,91717.4% No

1970

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Lawrence Orr Ulster Unionist 34,89454.3% Yes
Hugh Golding Unity 21,67633.7% No
John Quinn Ulster Liberal 7,74712.0% No

Feb 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Lawrence Orr Ulster Unionist 31,08852.1% Yes
Sean Hollywood SDLP 25,48642.7% No
Hugh Golding Republican Clubs 3,0465.1% No

Oct 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Enoch Powell Ulster Unionist 33,61450.8% Yes
Sean Hollywood SDLP 30,04745.4% No
Gerard O'Hanlon Republican Clubs 2,3273.5% No
David Vipond Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist-Leninist) 1520.2% No

1979

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Enoch Powell Ulster Unionist 32,25450.0% Yes
Eddie McGrady SDLP 24,03337.3% No
Patrick Forde Alliance 4,4076.8% No
John Markey Irish Independence 1,8532.9% No
Des O'Hagan Republican Clubs 1,6822.6% No
Francis Rice Inter-Dependence Party 2160.3% No
Peter Courtney Reform 310.0% No

1983

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Enoch Powell Ulster Unionist 20,69340.3% Yes
Eddie McGrady SDLP 20,14539.2% No
Patrick Fitzsimmons Sinn Féin 4,0747.9% No
Cecil Harvey DUP 3,7437.3% No
Patrick Forde Alliance 1,8233.6% No
Margaret Magee Workers' Party 8511.7% No

1987

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Eddie McGrady SDLP 26,57947.0% Yes
Enoch Powell Ulster Unionist 25,84845.7% No
Geraldine Ritchie Sinn Féin 2,3634.2% No
Siobhan Laird Alliance 1,0691.9% No
Des O'Hagan Workers' Party 6751.2% No

1992

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Eddie McGrady SDLP 31,52351.2% Yes
Drew Nelson Ulster Unionist 25,18140.9% No
Sean Fitzpatrick Sinn Féin 1,8433.0% No
Michael Healey Alliance 1,5422.5% No
Stephanie McKenzie-Hill NI Conservatives 1,4882.4% No

1997

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Eddie McGrady SDLP 26,18152.9% Yes
Dermot Nesbitt Ulster Unionist 16,24832.8% No
Mick Murphy Sinn Féin 5,12710.4% No
Julian Crozier Alliance 1,7113.5% No
Rosaleen McKeon Natural Law 2190.4% No

2001

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Eddie McGrady SDLP 24,13646.3% Yes
Mick Murphy Sinn Féin 10,27819.7% No
Dermot Nesbitt Ulster Unionist 9,17317.6% No
Jim Wells DUP 7,80215.0% No
Betty Campbell Alliance 6851.3% No

2005

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Eddie McGrady SDLP 21,55744.7% Yes
Caitriona Ruane Sinn Féin 12,41725.8% No
Jim Wells DUP 8,81518.3% No
Demot Nesbitt Ulster Unionist 4,7759.9% No
Julian Crozier Alliance 6131.3% No

2010

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Margaret Ritchie SDLP 20,64848.5% Yes
Caitriona Ruane Sinn Féin 12,23628.7% No
Jim Wells DUP 3,6458.6% No
John McCallister Independent 3,0937.3% No
Ivor McConnell Traditional Unionist Voice 1,5063.5% No
Cadogan Enright Green 9012.1% No
David Griffin Alliance 5601.3% No

2015

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Margaret Ritchie SDLP 18,07742.3% Yes
Chris Hazzard Sinn Féin 12,18628.5% No
Harold McKee Ulster Unionist 3,9649.3% No
Jim Wells DUP 3,4868.2% No
Henry Reilly UKIP 3,0447.1% No
Martyn Todd Alliance 1,6223.8% No
Felicity Buchan Conservative 3180.7% No

2017

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Chris Hazzard Sinn Féin 20,32839.9% Yes
Margaret Ritchie SDLP 17,88235.1% No
Diane Forsythe DUP 8,86717.4% No
Harold McKee Ulster Unionist 2,0023.9% No
Andrew McMurray Alliance 1,8143.6% No

2019

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Chris Hazzard Sinn Féin 16,13732.4% Yes
Michael Savage SDLP 14,51729.2% No
Glyn Hanna DUP 7,61915.3% No
Patrick Brown Alliance 6,91613.9% No
Jill Macauley Ulster Unionist 3,3076.6% No
Paul Brady Aontú 1,2662.5% No

2024

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Chris Hazzard Sinn Féin 19,69843.5% Yes
Colin McGrath SDLP 10,41823.0% No
Diane Forsythe DUP 7,34916.2% No
Andrew McMurray Alliance 3,1877.0% No
Jim Wells Traditional Unionist Voice 1,8934.2% No
Michael O'Loan Ulster Unionist 1,4113.1% No
Rosemary McGlone Aontú 7971.8% No
Declan Walsh Green 4441.0% No
Hannah Westropp Conservative 460.1% No

Margin Over Time

Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.

1885: Irish Parliamentary Party margin 14.3 pts 1886: Irish Parliamentary Party margin 11.3 pts 1892: Irish Parliamentary Party margin 7.2 pts 1895: Irish Parliamentary Party margin 9.1 pts 1906: Irish Parliamentary Party margin 9.0 pts Dec 1910: Irish Parliamentary Party margin 9.4 pts Jan 1910: Irish Parliamentary Party margin 9.1 pts 1918: Irish Parliamentary Party margin 21.5 pts 1950: Ulster Unionist margin 26.9 pts 1951: Ulster Unionist margin 16.7 pts 1955: Ulster Unionist margin 31.8 pts 1959: Ulster Unionist margin 69.4 pts 1964: Ulster Unionist margin 39.2 pts 1966: Ulster Unionist margin 45.3 pts 1970: Ulster Unionist margin 20.5 pts Feb 1974: Ulster Unionist margin 9.4 pts Oct 1974: Ulster Unionist margin 5.4 pts 1979: Ulster Unionist margin 12.8 pts 1983: Ulster Unionist margin 1.1 pts 1987: SDLP margin 1.3 pts 1992: SDLP margin 10.3 pts 1997: SDLP margin 20.1 pts 2001: SDLP margin 26.6 pts 2005: SDLP margin 19.0 pts 2010: SDLP margin 19.8 pts 2015: SDLP margin 13.8 pts 2017: Sinn Féin margin 4.8 pts 2019: Sinn Féin margin 3.3 pts 2024: Sinn Féin margin 20.5 pts 1885 1886 1892 1895 1906 Dec 1910 Jan 1910 1918 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 Feb 1974 Oct 1974 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019 2024

Trend

South Down has been contested at 30 general elections on record since 1885. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Irish Parliamentary Party, Ulster Unionist, SDLP, Sinn Féin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won South Down in the 2024 general election?

Sinn Féin won South Down in 2024 with 19,698 votes (43.5%), a majority of 9,280 votes over SDLP in second place.

Which parties have won South Down since 1885?

Since 1885, South Down has been won by: Irish Parliamentary Party, SDLP, Sinn Féin, Ulster Unionist.

What was the closest result in South Down?

The closest result on record for South Down was 1983, when Ulster Unionist beat SDLP by just 548 votes (1.1 percentage points).

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