Ards (borough) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ards Borough |
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| Area | 376 km2 (145 sq mi) Ranked 20th of 26 |
| District HQ | Newtownards |
| Catholic | 12.7% |
| Protestant | 76.9% |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| EU Parliament | Northern Ireland |
| Councillors |
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Ards was a special area in Northern Ireland that had its own local government. It was called a "borough" because it had a special old permission, or charter.
Ards was one of 26 such areas created on October 1, 1973. Its main town was Newtownards. Other towns in the area included Portaferry, Comber, and Donaghadee. In 2011, about 78,078 people lived there.
On May 1, 2015, Ards joined with a nearby area called North Down. Together, they formed a new, bigger area known as the Borough of Ards and North Down.
At the heart of the Ards area is Strangford Lough. This is the largest inlet (a narrow arm of the sea) in Ireland. It's famous around the world for its amazing wildlife. The coast along the Irish Sea stretches from Donaghadee to Portaferry.
You could also find Mount Stewart in Ards. This is a beautiful old house and gardens owned by the National Trust. It sits right on the shore of Strangford Lough. In Portaferry, there was Exploris, which is Northern Ireland's only aquarium. And in Donaghadee, you could visit Grace Neill's pub, which is a very old and famous place.
Contents
Ards Borough Council: How It Worked
The Ards area was run by the Ards Borough Council. This council was made up of elected members who made decisions for the local community.
The borough was split into four main areas for elections: Newtownards, Ards West, Ards East, and the Ards Peninsula. People living in these areas voted for 23 members to represent them on the council.
In February 2011, different political groups were part of the council. These included the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the Alliance Party, and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). There was also one independent councillor, meaning they didn't belong to a specific political party.
Sometimes, elections for the council were postponed. For example, the elections planned for 2009 were put off until 2011 because there were plans to create new, larger councils. However, these plans changed, and elections went ahead in 2011.
The Mayor of Ards
When Ards District Council was first created in 1973, it got a special permission, or charter, from the old town of Newtownards. This charter allowed the leader of the council to be called the "Mayor of Ards." The Mayor was the main representative of the borough.
Ards and Bigger Government
For elections to the Westminster Parliament (the main government in the UK) and the Northern Ireland Assembly (the local government for Northern Ireland), most of Ards was part of the Strangford area. A small part of Ards, including Donaghadee and Millisle, was in the North Down area.
Ards and Its Sister City
The borough of Ards had a special friendship with the city of Peoria, Arizona in the USA. This is called a "sister city" or "town twinning" relationship. Because of this friendship, artists, teachers, business people, and community leaders from both places would visit each other regularly. This helped them learn about each other's cultures and ideas.
See also
In Spanish: Ards para niños
