Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council
Encyclopedia
Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council is a local council in Northern Ireland
. Its main town is Dungannon
, where the council is headquartered. The council area covers the southern part of County Tyrone
(along with a small area of County Armagh
) and has a population of nearly 48,000. Apart from Dungannon there are many smaller towns including: Augher
, Clogher
, Fivemiletown
, Ballygawley, Caledon
, Aughnacloy, Benburb
, Moy and Coalisland
.
The district was originally named Dungannon, and took its present name on November 25, 1999, after petitioning the Secretary of State for the Environment
.
The Dungannon and South Tyrone Council area consists of four electoral areas: Blackwater, Clogher Valley, Dungannon Town and Torrent. In the 2005 elections, 22 members were elected from the following political parties: 8 Sinn Féin
, 5 Democratic Unionist Party
(DUP), 4 Ulster Unionist Party
(UUP) 4 Social Democratic and Labour Party
(SDLP) and 1 Éirígí
(EIR). The Council adopted the d'Hondt
system in 2001 which allows the position of Mayor and Deputy Mayor to be allocated according to party size. The current mayor is Councillor Michelle O'Neill
(SF) and the Deputy Mayor is Councillor Norman Badger (UUP).
In elections for the Westminster Parliament it is split between the Mid-Ulster and Fermanagh & South Tyrone constituencies.
and Cookstown District Council
in 2011 to form a single council for the enlarged area totalling 1714 km² and a population of 120, 096. The next election was due to take place in May 2009, but on April 25, 2008, Shaun Woodward
, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
announced that the scheduled 2009 district council elections were to be postponed until the introduction of the eleven new councils in 2011.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. Its main town is Dungannon
Dungannon
Dungannon is a medium-sized town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the third-largest town in the county and a population of 11,139 people was recorded in the 2001 Census. In August 2006, Dungannon won Ulster In Bloom's Best Kept Town Award for the fifth time...
, where the council is headquartered. The council area covers the southern part of County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
(along with a small area of County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
) and has a population of nearly 48,000. Apart from Dungannon there are many smaller towns including: Augher
Augher
Augher is a small village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is 18 miles southwest of Dungannon, on the A4 Dungannon to Enniskillen road, halfway between Ballygawley and Clogher. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 399....
, Clogher
Clogher
Clogher is a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Blackwater, south of Omagh. The United Kingdom Census of 2001 recorded a population of 309.-History:...
, Fivemiletown
Fivemiletown
Fivemiletown is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is 16 miles east of Enniskillen and 26 miles west-south-west of Dungannon, on the A4 Enniskillen-to-Dungannon road. Its population as of 2009 is estimated to be 1,128. The village is most famous for its creamery, which...
, Ballygawley, Caledon
Caledon, County Tyrone
Caledon , historically known as Kinnaird , is a small village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is in the Clogher Valley on the banks of the River Blackwater, 7 miles from Armagh. It lies in the southeast of Tyrone and near the borders of County Armagh and County Monaghan. In the...
, Aughnacloy, Benburb
Benburb
Benburb is a small village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies seven miles from Armagh and nine miles from Dungannon.Recently Benburb has seen a revival in businesses basing themselves there, Arts and Crafts being the main businesses, there is also a café and a restaurant at...
, Moy and Coalisland
Coalisland
Coalisland is a small town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, with a population of 4,917 people . As its name suggests, it was formerly a centre for coal mining.-History:...
.
The district was originally named Dungannon, and took its present name on November 25, 1999, after petitioning the Secretary of State for the Environment
Secretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
.
The Dungannon and South Tyrone Council area consists of four electoral areas: Blackwater, Clogher Valley, Dungannon Town and Torrent. In the 2005 elections, 22 members were elected from the following political parties: 8 Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, 5 Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
(DUP), 4 Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
(UUP) 4 Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP) and 1 Éirígí
Éirígí
-External links:*...
(EIR). The Council adopted the d'Hondt
D'Hondt method
The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...
system in 2001 which allows the position of Mayor and Deputy Mayor to be allocated according to party size. The current mayor is Councillor Michelle O'Neill
Michelle O'Neill
Michelle O'Neill is a Sinn Féin MLA who has represented Mid Ulster in the Northern Ireland Assembly since 2007. O'Neill is also the current Mayor of Dungannon and South Tyrone...
(SF) and the Deputy Mayor is Councillor Norman Badger (UUP).
In elections for the Westminster Parliament it is split between the Mid-Ulster and Fermanagh & South Tyrone constituencies.
Review of Public Administration
Under the Review of Public Administration (RPA) the council is due to merge with Magherafelt District CouncilMagherafelt District Council
Magherafelt District Council is a district council in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Council headquarters are in Magherafelt. The Council area stretches from Lough Neagh and the River Bann in the east and into the Sperrin Mountains in the west and is divided by the Moyola River. It covers...
and Cookstown District Council
Cookstown District Council
Cookstown District Council is a district council covering an area largely in County Tyrone and partly in County Londonderry. Council headquarters are in Cookstown. Small towns in the council area include Pomeroy, Moneymore, Coagh and Stewartstown and in the east the area is bounded by Lough Neagh...
in 2011 to form a single council for the enlarged area totalling 1714 km² and a population of 120, 096. The next election was due to take place in May 2009, but on April 25, 2008, Shaun Woodward
Shaun Woodward
Shaun Anthony Woodward is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for St Helens South since 2001. He served in the Cabinet from 28 June 2007 to 11 May 2010 as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland...
, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
announced that the scheduled 2009 district council elections were to be postponed until the introduction of the eleven new councils in 2011.