Todd is back in Rowallane

Todd is back in Rowallane

3 April 2019

THE decision by former Down Council director Martyn Todd to stand as an independent candidate in the Rowallane area and Antoú’s selection of Crossgar man Liam Mulhern spices things up in an area where there are five seats up for grabs.

Mr Todd stood as a Westminster candidate for the Alliance Party in South Down at the 2014 parliamentary election and succeeded in tripling the party’s vote across the constituency.

His decision to stand will no doubt place pressure on sitting Alliance councillor Patrick Brown, who was the story of the last election in Rowallane in 2014 when he sprung a major surprise by grabbing a seat.

While the five seats currently held by the DUP, SDLP, UUP and Alliance, there could be a change in this electoral area’s political landscape once voters have had their say.

Sinn Fein is hoping its candidate Marianne Cleary can make history by becoming the first woman to secure a seat in Rowallane since the area became part of Newry, Mourne and Down Council.

Her party confident that she can significantly improve on the performance of Eddie Hughes who secured 552 votes in 2015.

Elsewhere, the SDLP’s Terry Andrews is widely expected to retain his seat, but he recognises that there is no room for complacency as the clock ticks towards May 2. He topped the poll in 2014 and will be aiming to do so this time around.

The DUP is hoping that Billy Walker and Harry Harvey can retain their seats, with veteran UUP man Robert Burgess confident that the Rowallane electorate will once again place their faith in him.

In 2014, Cllr Burgess finished 176 votes behind Andrews and will be out to maximise the UUP vote, hoping that he can bring home his running mate — former Ballynahinch UUP councillor Walter Lyons — over the finishing line with him. But it will be difficult.

Antoú’s Liam Mulhern, who lives in Crossgar, believes the present political climate demonstrates division among the community, but believes that his party’s ethos, centred around traditional family values, is one which caters for all.

The Mournes area is another intriguing battleground where former South Down Ulster Unionist MLA Harold McKee is bidding to make a return to local politics.

He has been chosen to replace sitting councillor Jill Macauley on Newry, Mourne and Down Council following her decision to move to contest a seat in the Banbridge DEA on Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Council. 

Mr McKee was the UUP’s Mournes councillor following the 2014 local government elections, but resigned his council seat in 2016 following his election to the Assembly.  A year later, Mr McKee lost his Stormont seat when the number of places for the South Down constituency was reduced from five to six.

Elsewhere in the Mournes, the SDLP is confident of returning sitting councillors Laura Devlin and Brian Quinn, with Sinn Fein counting on Willie Clarke and Sean Doran to retain their seats and secure enough votes to also elect Leeanne McEvoy. If Republicans secure three seats, the SDLP could lose one.

Henry Reilly, who topped the poll in 2014 while standing on a UKIP ticket and who is now an Independent Unionist, looks set to retain his seat alongside DUP stalwart Glyn Hanna. With Alliance’s Andy McMurray switching to the Mournes area, his opponents will be keeping a close eye on how he fares.