Alban Maginness

Alban Maginness (born 9 July 1950) is a politician from Holywood, County Down, in Northern Ireland.[1] From 1998 to 2016, he was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast North.

Alban Maginness
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast North
In office 25 June 1998 – 30 March 2016
Preceded by	New Creation
Succeeded by	Nichola Mallon
42nd Lord Mayor of Belfast
In office 1997–1998
Preceded by	Ian Adamson
Succeeded by	David Alderdice
Personal details
Born	9 July 1950 Belfast, Northern Ireland[1]
Nationality	Irish
Political party	SDLP
Spouse(s)	Carmel Maginness
Children	8
Alma mater	Queen's University Belfast University of Ulster
Profession	Barrister
Website	http://www.albanmaginness.com

Early life and education

He completed his grammar education at St. Malachy's College, Belfast. He then attended the University of Ulster and Queen's University of Belfast before being called to the Bar in 1976.

Whilst at university he became involved in the non-violent protests organised by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association.[2] Maginness participated in the famous civil rights march in Derry in 1972 at which British troops killed 14 unarmed civilians. This event, now termed Bloody Sunday, has gone down in Northern Ireland politics as one of the turning points in The Troubles that contributed to the development of the Provisional IRA.

Political career

Maginness became increasingly involved in politics and became a member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party.[3] He stood unsuccessfully for the party in East Belfast in the 1975 Constitutional Convention election and North Belfast in the 1982 Assembly election.[4]

He has been an elected member of Belfast City Council since 1985 and in 1997 he became the first Catholic politician to hold the position of Lord Mayor of Belfast. In 1998 he was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly to represent Belfast North.

He was Chair of the SDLP from 1984 to 1991.

In November 2008 Maginness had his trademark moustache shaved off for the BBC's Children in Need.[5]

Maginness was the SDLP candidate for the 2009 European Election.

Maginness accused the Secretary of State of interning dissident republican Marian Price without trial, saying "We do not support putting people away in prison because of intelligence or because of some political point of view and we are convinced that she has been detained without trial because of that by the secretary of state."[6]

Having served as an MLA for North Belfast from 1998, Maginness decided not to stand for election in 2016.[7] He was replaced by Nichola Mallon.

References

1. "Profile: Alban Maginness". BBC News. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
2. "Personal profile". Retrieved 27 July 2009.
3. http://www.ucd.ie/ibis/filestore/newslet1.PDF%7CRedefining Northern Nationalism (Lecture in UCD, 2 October 2000
4. Northern Ireland elections
5. "Maginness' hairy moment for charity". BBC News. 14 November 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
6. "BBC News - Marian Price being interned says SDLP's Alban Maginness". BBC News. BBC News. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
7. "SDLP's Alban Maginness: I will not contest assembly election in May". Retrieved 12 January 2019.

External links

• Biography: NI Assembly
• SDLP Councillor Alban Maginness MLA: Official Website
• "2005 SDLP profile". Archived from the original on 25 January 2005. Retrieved 19 January 2007.