2023 Fermanagh and Omagh District Council election

The 2023 election to Fermanagh and Omagh District Council was held on 18 May 2023, alongside other local elections in Northern Ireland, two weeks after local elections in England.[1] The Northern Ireland elections were delayed by 2 weeks to avoid overlapping with the coronation of King Charles III.[2]

2023 Fermanagh and Omagh District Council election

← 2019 18 May 2023 2027 →

All 40 council seats
21 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Doug Beattie.png
Leader Michelle O'Neill[n 1] Doug Beattie Jeffrey Donaldson
Party Sinn Féin UUP DUP
Last election 15 9 5
Seats won 21 7 6
Seat change Increase 6 Decrease 2 Increase 1
Popular vote 26,749 7,467 8,580
Percentage 49.24% 13.75% 15.80%
Swing Increase 12.43% Decrease 2.84% Decrease 0.14%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Colum Eastwood MLA.JPG
Naomi Long 2021.png
Leader Colum Eastwood Naomi Long
Party SDLP Alliance Independent
Last election 5 1 4
Seats won 3 2 1
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 1 Decrease 3
Popular vote 4,283 3,248 2,482
Percentage 7.89% 5.98% 4.57%
Swing Decrease 2.66% Increase 2.06% Decrease 5.35%

Fermanagh and Omagh 2023 Council Election Results by DEA (Shaded by plurality of FPVs)

Council control before election

No overall control

Council control after election

Sinn Féin

Voters returned 40 members to the council via Single Transferable Vote.[3] In the elections, Sinn Féin took control of the council from no overall control.[4]

Election results

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[5]

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Election Result 2023
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Sinn Féin 21 6 0   6 52.50 49.24 26,749   12.43
  UUP 7 0 2   2 17.50 13.75 7,467   2.84
  DUP 6 1 0   1 15.00 15.80 8,580   0.14
  SDLP 3 1 3   2 7.50 7.89 4,283   2.66
  Alliance 2 1 0   1 5.00 5.98 3,248   2.06
  Independent 1 0 3   3 2.50 4.57 2,482   5.35
  TUV 0 0 0   0 0.0 1.71 931   0.36
  Labour Alternative 0 0 1   1 0.0 0.93 504   0.46
Total 40 54,319


Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

  • The electorate was 87,488 the turnout was 62.89% (55,021) and there were 702 spoiled votes.

Districts summary

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Results of the 2023 Fermanagh and Omagh District Council election
by district
District Electoral Area (DEA) %
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
Total
cllrs
Sinn Féin UUP DUP SDLP Alliance Independents and others
Enniskillen 34.52 2   1 16.01 2   19.10 1   7.02 0   1 10.15 1   1 13.20 0   1 6
Erne East 52.33 3   1 13.15 1   16.63 1   5.87 1   2.61 0   9.42 0   1 6
Erne North 33.99 2   1 27.06 2   16.94 1   11.03 0   1 5.04 0   5.94 0   5
Erne West 54.19 3   1 15.78 1   9.06 0   11.01 1   3.30 0   6.67 0   1 5
Mid Tyrone 62.77 4   8.04 0   1 12.37 1   1 5.82 1   1 3.64 0   7.36 0   1 6
Omagh 47.14 3   1 7.37 0   1 17.15 1   5.80 0   13.14 1   9.41 1   6
West Tyrone 56.02 4   1 9.99 1   19.50 1   8.99 0   1 5.51 0   0.00 0   6
Total 49.24 21   6 13.75 7   2 15.80 6   1 7.89 3   2 5.98 2   1 7.21 1   4 40

District results

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Enniskillen

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2019: 2 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Cross-Community Labour Alternative

2023: 2 x UUP, 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance

2019–2023 Change: Sinn Féin and Alliance gain from SDLP and Cross-Community Labour Alternative

Enniskillen - 6 seats[6]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
DUP Keith Elliott* 13.41% 1,029 1,412              
Alliance Eddie Roofe 10.15% 779 783 789.8 953.8 1,257.8        
Sinn Féin Tommy Maguire* 13.34% 1,024 1,024 1,024 1,091 1,135        
UUP Roy Crawford* 8.69% 667 674 752.2 766.2 784.2 810.12 810.12 1,130.43  
Sinn Féin Dermot Browne 11.02% 846 846 846 879 1,003 1,057.72 1,074.21 1,077.17 1,077.17
UUP Robert Irvine* 7.32% 562 580 673.5 684.5 701.5 720.7 721.67 995.32 1,028.47
Sinn Féin Andrea McManus 10.16% 780 780 780 817 884 941.6 961.97 963.97 963.97
TUV Donald Crawford 6.63% 509 531 665.3 668.3 680.3 683.18 683.18    
SDLP Paul Blake* 7.02% 539 539 539 663          
Labour Alternative Donal O'Cofaigh* 6.57% 504 506 507.7            
DUP Jill Mahon 5.69% 437                
Electorate: 13,642   Valid: 7,676 (56.27%)   Spoilt: 99   Quota: 1,097   Turnout: 7,775 (56.99%)  

Erne East

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2019: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent

2023: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP

2019–2023 Change: Sinn Féin gain from Independent

Erne East - 6 seats[7]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Sinn Féin Sheamus Greene* 20.68% 1,753            
DUP Paul Robinson* 16.63% 1,410            
Sinn Féin Thomas O'Reilly* 16.36% 1,387            
Sinn Féin Noeleen Hayes 15.29% 1,296            
UUP Victor Warrington* 13.15% 1,115 1,118.08 1,309.46        
SDLP Garbhan McPhillips* 5.87% 498 747.48 748.46 824.36 855.02 893.94 1,145.86
Independent Eamon Keenan* 6.61% 560 719.39 719.81 760.61 764.81 794.35 1,068.17
Alliance Richard Bullick 2.61% 221 277.98 278.98 298.78 352.68 363.18  
Independent Tina McDermott 2.81% 238 307.30 307.44 345.24 348.88 351.82  
Electorate: 12,127   Valid: 8,478 (69.91%)   Spoilt: 110   Quota: 1,212   Turnout: 8,588 (70.82%)  

Erne North

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2019: 2 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP

2023: 2 x Sinn Féin, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP

2019–2023 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP

Erne North - 5 seats[7]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
Sinn Féin Debbie Coyle* 21.99% 1,561          
UUP Diana Armstrong* 19.61% 1,392          
DUP David Mahon 13.86% 984 984.24 1,009.44 1,184.20    
Sinn Féin John Feely 12.00% 852 1,181.76 1,181.76 1,181.76 1,210.76  
UUP John McClaughry* 7.45% 529 529 673.34 699.58 771.68 1,146.04
SDLP John Coyle* 11.03% 783 815.16 818.66 818.66 1,023.54 1,034.48
TUV Alex Elliott 5.94% 422 422.24 433.72 453.14 461.42  
Alliance Eric Bullick 5.04% 358 366.16 370.36 370.36    
DUP Paul Stevenson* 3.08% 219 219.24 224.70      
Electorate: 11,509   Valid: 7,100 (61.69%)   Spoilt: 93   Quota: 1,184   Turnout: 7,193 (62.46%)  

Erne West

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2019: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent

2023: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP

2019–2023 Change: Sinn Féin gain from Independent

Erne West - 5 seats[7]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Sinn Féin Anthony Feely* 19.68% 1,493        
Sinn Féin Elaine Brough 17.95% 1,362        
Sinn Féin Declan McArdle 16.56% 1,256 1,426.40      
SDLP Adam Gannon* 11.01% 835 869.35 1,005.55 1,053.40 1,313.40
UUP Mark Ovens 15.78% 1,197 1,198.35 1,250.35 1,250.95 1,273.95
DUP Aaron Elliott 9.06% 687 687.90 692.90 693.05 699.05
Independent Paul McColdrick 6.67% 506 517.85 555.15 580.65  
Alliance Gerard McCusker 3.30% 250 251.95      
Electorate: 11,196   Valid: 7,586 (67.76%)   Spoilt: 66   Quota: 1,265   Turnout: 7,652 (68.35%)  

Mid Tyrone

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2019: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent

2023: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP

2019–2023 Change: DUP and SDLP gain from UUP and Independent

Mid Tyrone - 6 seats[7]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sinn Féin Pádraigín Kelly* 18.98% 1,621              
Sinn Féin Roisin Devine Gallagher 17.14% 1,464              
Sinn Féin Anne Marie Fitzgerald* 14.10% 1,204 1,535.68            
Sinn Féin Patrick Withers* 12.55% 1,072 1,097.20 1,359.52          
DUP Shirley Hawkes 12.37% 1,057 1,057.48 1,057.48 1,061.44 1,071.44 1,071.44 1,667.44  
SDLP Bernard McGrath 5.82% 497 505.88 517.40 619.92 786.60 825.00 891.24 1,087.24
Independent Emmet McAleer* 7.36% 629 646.28 656.84 739.12 812.76 843.00 867.92 946.92
UUP Rosemary Barton* 8.04% 687 687.00 687.24 689.00 735.24 737.88    
Alliance Matthew Beaumont 3.64% 311 313.88 319.40 371.76        
Electorate: 13,083   Valid: 8,542 (65.29%)   Spoilt: 119   Quota: 1,221   Turnout: 8,661 (66.20%)  

Omagh

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2019: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent

2023: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent

2019–2023 Change: Sinn Féin gain from UUP

Omagh - 6 seats[7]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Sinn Féin Barry McElduff* 20.22% 1,342            
DUP Errol Thompson* 17.15% 1,138            
Sinn Féin Catherine Kelly 15.27% 1,013            
Sinn Féin Marty McColgan 11.65% 773 1,073.44          
Alliance Stephen Donnelly* 13.14% 872 899.84 903.92 958.92      
Independent Josephine Deehan* 7.07% 469 492.20 494.58 545.49 582.01 601.81 940.60
UUP Matthew Bell* 7.37% 489 489.29 668.13 673.47 674.79 675.23 695.14
SDLP Brenda Mellon 5.80% 385 410.81 412.34 437.67 520.61 561.97  
Independent Kathy Dunphy 1.21% 80 85.22 85.90        
Socialist Party Amy Ferguson 1.13% 75 76.74 77.08        
Electorate: 13,279   Valid: 6,636 (49.97%)   Spoilt: 103   Quota: 949   Turnout: 6,739 (50.75%)  

West Tyrone

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2019: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP

2023: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP

2019–2023 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP

West Tyrone - 6 seats[7]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
DUP Mark Buchanan* 19.50% 1,619      
Sinn Féin Glenn Campbell* 15.41% 1,279      
UUP Allan Rainey* 9.99% 829 1,232.38    
Sinn Féin Ann-Marie Donnelly* 13.60% 1,129 1,129.81 1,174.81 1,209.74
Sinn Féin Colette McNulty 13.84% 1,149 1,151.43 1,163.43 1,171.20
Sinn Féin Stephen McCann* 13.17% 1,093 1,093.00 1,112.00 1,153.16
SDLP Mary Garrity* 8.99% 746 750.32 1,044.45 1,049.77
Alliance Joyce Donnelly 5.51% 457 465.91    
Electorate: 12,652   Valid: 8,301 (65.61%)   Spoilt: 112   Quota: 1,186   Turnout: 8,413 (66.50%)  

† Co-options

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Date co-opted Electoral Area Party Outgoing Co-optee Reason
21 October 2024 Erne North UUP Diana Armstrong Rosemary Barton Armstrong was co-opted to the Northern Ireland Assembly.[8]

Notes

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  1. ^ The leader of Sinn Féin is Mary Lou McDonald, who sits as a TD in the Irish Dáil Éireann for Dublin Central. O'Neill is the leader of the party in Northern Ireland.

References

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  1. ^ "Local government elections in Northern Ireland". www.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  2. ^ "NI council election moved to avoid coronation clash". BBC News. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  3. ^ Henderson, Roisin (2023-05-16). "Everything you need to know about the local election". The Fermanagh Herald. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  4. ^ Coyle, Conor (2023-05-20). "Your full list of new councillors elected in Fermanagh and Omagh". BelfastLive. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  5. ^ "Fermanagh and Omagh result - Northern Ireland Council Elections 2023". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
  6. ^ "Election Results 2023". Fermanagh & Omagh District Council.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Northern Ireland council election: List of all the candidates in the May 2023 poll". Belfast Live. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  8. ^ "New Councillor - Erne North District Electoral Area".