Former Mayor of Ards Margaret Craig died on March 4. She served as a councillor for Ards West, covering Comber, Ballygowan, Killinchy and Lisbane.

Craig won election for the Ulster Unionist Party in 1993 and 1997. She switched to the Democratic Unionist Party and won again in 2001 and 2005. She held the mayor position from 2001 to 2002.

Strangford MP Jim Shannon called her a traditional voice for constituents who delivered results. He noted her shift from the UUP stemmed from disillusionment, viewing the move to DUP as logical.

Shannon said Craig supported the DUP council team and raised funds for the party. She later chose to serve as an independent but kept advocating for constituents.

Her funeral took place on March 9 at Second Presbyterian Church in Comber, followed by burial at Loughview Cemetery in Comber.