Alban Maginness

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
Member of Belfast City Council
In office 5 May 2005 – 2010
Preceded by	Martin Morgan
Succeeded by	Nichola Mallon
Constituency	Oldpark
In office 15 May 1985 – 5 May 2005
Preceded by	District created
Succeeded by	Pat Convery
Constituency	Castle
Personal details
Born	(1950-07-09) 9 July 1950 Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	SDLP
Spouse	Carmel Maginness
Children	8
Alma mater	Queen's University Belfast University of Ulster
Profession	Barrister
Website	http://www.albanmaginness.com

Alban Maginness (born 9 July 1950) is an Irish Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) politician who was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Belfast North from 1998 to 2016.

Early life and education

Maginness was born in Holywood, County Down. He completed his grammar school education at St. Malachy's College, Belfast. He then attended the University of Ulster and Queen's University of Belfast where he undertook legal training. He was called to the Bar in 1984.

Whilst at university he became involved in the non-violent protests organised by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association. 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. He stood unsuccessfully for the party in East Belfast in the 1975 Constitutional Convention election and North Belfast in the 1982 Assembly election.

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.

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."

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

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.
• Northern Ireland Assembly | AIMS Portal | Plenary Item Details