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These elections marked a considerable consolidation of the party system, with the UUP and DUP emerging dominant, the UUUP, Vanguard and UPNI all failing to make an impact, and the SDLP hoovering up many of the independent nationalists and emerging well ahead of Alliance (which none the less had its best election ever). My main source for the results is The Northern Ireland local government elections of 1977 by Sydney Elliott and F.J. Smith. I have adopted all of their party descriptions, though I have merged UUP/UUUC and UUP results, likewise for the DUP and UUUP.

Results by Council

Council	UUP	DUP	UUUP	Vanguard	UPNI	Oth U	SDLP	Alliance	Rep Clubs	Others
Antrim	8	3++		0-				2		2 Ind's
Ards	6-----	3+++					1	5+++		1 Ind, 1 NILP
Armagh	9-	2	1+				7+++	0-	0-	1 Ind
Ballymena	4-----	11++++++				1 Ind U, 1 U Rtpyr		1		1 Ind, 2 NP's
Ballymoney	5+	3++				1 Ind U	3+	1		1 Ind, 2 NP's
Banbridge	8	3+++				1 Ind U	2+			1 Ind
Belfast	15----------	7+++++		0-	2	1 U, 1 Ind U	8+	13+++++	3+	1 Ind
Carrickfergus	5	3+++			1	1 Loy/UUUC		5++
Castlereagh	6--	4++++				1 U		7++		1 Ind Cmnty
Coleraine	10--	2++				1 Ind U	2+	2-		3 NP's
Cookstown	4---	1+	3+++				5++		0-	2 Ind's
Craigavon	10+++	4+	1-				6++	3-	1+
Down	7-			0-			10++	3+
Dungannon	8---	2++					6+			4 Ind's
Fermanagh	6+		3+++				7+++			2 Unity, 2 Ind's
Larne	2+	3+++		3+++			1+	4+		1 Ind, 1 NP
Limavady	6++++++	2++					6++	0--		1 NP
Lisburn	9-----	6++	2+		1		2+	3
Londonderry	6++++++	2++					13+++	2--		4 Nats
Magherafelt	4	3+++	1				5-		1	1 Ind
Moyle	3-	2++				2 U's	3+			5 Ind's, 1 NP
Newry and Mourne	7+++	1+					15++	3-	0--	4 Ind's
Newtownabbey	8-	4+			1	1 Loy		6+++		1 Ind Labour
North Down	7--	1+	1+	2++	1	1 U		7
Omagh	8++						6++	3	1+	2 Ind's
Strabane	5-	2++					5+	0--		3 Ind's
Totals	176	74	12	5	6	12	113	70	6	51

The changes noted above demonstrate in many cases just how fragile the "Unionist" or "Loyalist" coalitions of 1973 were. Changes from Vanguard in 1973 are marked for the UUUP where they won seats in 1977. (No overt Vanguard candidates won in North Down in 1973 though both Vanguard councillors elected in 1977 appear to have been "Loyalist" candidates four years previously.)

I have very few differences from Flackes and Elliot in terms of classifying councillors by party affiliation for this election.

• Castlereagh: I rate McFarland as an independent Unionist, in line with Elliott and Smith; Flackes and Elliott seem to have counted him as UUP.
• Moyle: The two independent Unionists listed by Elliott and Smith are counted as UUP by Flackes and Elliott.
• Larne: Flackes and Elliott have one Loyalist elected and only one UUP; Elliott and Smith however have two UUP and no Loyalist, and I go with them.