Alban Maginness

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Alban Maginness, MLA
MLA
Incumbent
Assumed office 1998
Constituency	North Belfast

Born	July 9, 1950 (age 56) Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland
Political party	Social Democratic and Labour Party
Website	http://www.albanmaginness.com

Alban Maginness (b. 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 and has stood unsuccessfully for election to Westminster parliament.

He was Chair of the SDLP 1984-91.