Alban Maginness

Infobox Politician | name=Alban Maginness, MLA


width=144px
term_start=1998
term_end=
predecessor=
successor=
birth_date=birth date and age|1950|7|9
birth_place=Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland
constituency=North Belfast
party=Social Democratic and Labour Party
office=MLA
spouse=
website=http://www.albanmaginness.com

Alban Maginness (born 9 July 1950) is a nationalist politician in Northern Ireland.

Maginness was born in Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland. He completed his secondary education at St. Malachy's College, Belfast. He then attended the New University of Ulster and subsequently Queen's University of Belfast where he trained to be a lawyer. In 1976 he was called to the Northern Ireland Bar and in 1984 to the Bar of Ireland.

While 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 which was halted by British troops who killed 14 unarmed civilians in the process. 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.

Maginness became increasingly involved in politics and became a member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party.

He has been an elected member of Belfast City Council since 1985 and in 1997 he became the first nationalist politician to hold the position of Lord Mayor of Belfast.

He is also an elected member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. He was Chair of the SDLP 1984-91.

External links

* [http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_03/maginness_a.htm Biography: NI Assembly]
* [http://www.albanmaginness.com/ SDLP Councillor Alban Maginness MLA] : Official Website
* [http://www.sdlp.ie/party/albanmaginness.shtm SDLP profile]