An MLA for South Antrim, Paul Girvan was first elected in 2003 and later returned to Stormont when he was co-opted into the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2010 to replace William McCrea before being elected in 2011, 2016 and again in 2017. He was previously appointed Private Secretary to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. He recently sat on the Committee for Infrastructure and the Finance Committee. Mr Girvan is a former mayor of Newtownabbey.
Constituency: South Antrim
| Electorate | Seats | Total Poll | Turnout | Valid Poll | Spoiled Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68,244 | 1 | 43,292 | 63.44% | 43,170 | 122 |
Vote Distribution
Left Right
Count Results
| Candidate | 1 |
|---|---|
|
|
16508 |
|
|
13300 |
|
|
7797 |
|
|
3203 |
|
|
2362 |
On the Ballot
Sinn Fein national chairperson Declan Kearney was first elected to the Assembly in 2016 and was re-elected in March 2017, topping the poll in South Antrim. He is a key member of the party's leadership. He was previously northern chairperson and deputy general secretary. Mr Kearney has spoken often on the theme of reconciliation and has shared a platform with the Chief Constable George Hamilton. A keen sportsman, he played football and hurling, and also taught Irish. He has also been involved in community economic development work.
Born in Antrim, Neil Kelly has worked for 28 years in the health and social care sector, qualifying as a Learning Disability Nurse. In 2008 he became Operations Manager for Community Learning Disability teams across South and West Belfast for Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. He was selected to replace then Alliance leader David Ford on Antrim Council in 2010 and was subsequently elected in 2011. He now sits on the Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, representing the Antrim DEA.
Danny Kinahan was elected as MP for South Antrim in 2015, taking the seat from the DUP's William McCrea. He has served as a member of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee and as Chair of the APPG on Education. He has previously represented South Antrim in the Northern Ireland Assembly and at local government level. Before joining the Ulster Unionist Party, he was an officer in the British Army, serving in Germany, Northern Ireland and the Falklands. He also pursued a career as an arts dealer after he left the Army.
A businesswoman in Antrim, Roisin Lynch sits on Farranshane Social Trust and is a governor of St Comgall’s Primary School in Antrim. The mother of seven is also a committee member of the mental health charity Rehability and a committee member and former chair of St Comgall’s GAA club. She stood in the Northern Ireland Assembly election earlier this year.
