List of mayors of Belfast facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lord Mayor of Belfast |
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 Micky Murray since 3 June 2024 |
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| Style | The Right Honourable |
| Appointer | Belfast City Council |
| Term length | One year |
| Inaugural holder | Sir Daniel Dixon (Lord Mayor) George Dunbar (Mayor) John Vesey (Sovereign) |
| Formation | 1892 (as Lord Mayor of Belfast) 1842 (as Mayor of Belfast) 1613 (as Sovereign of Belfast) |
| Deputy | Andrew McCormick |
| Website | Lord Mayor |
The Lord Mayor of Belfast is like the main leader and spokesperson for the city of Belfast. They are chosen every year by the 60 people who are part of the Belfast City Council. The Lord Mayor also represents Belfast when important guests visit from places like the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The current Lord Mayor is Micky Murray from the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. He started his role on 3 June 2024. The Deputy Lord Mayor, who helps the Lord Mayor, is Andrew McCormick from the Democratic Unionist Party.
Contents
History of the Lord Mayor
The role of Lord Mayor started a long time ago in 1613. Back then, it was called the Sovereign of Belfast. This was when Belfast was just a town.
In 1842, the title changed to Mayor of Belfast. Then, in 1892, Belfast became a city. Because of this, the leader's title was upgraded to Lord Mayor. This made Belfast one of only three cities in Ireland with a Lord Mayor. The other two are Cork and Dublin.
Later, in 1929, Belfast's Lord Mayor became one of only six in the United Kingdom to be called "the Right Honourable." This is a special way of showing respect. Until 1973, a Lord Mayor would serve for three years. Now, they serve for one year. For many years, the Lord Mayor was usually from the Unionist parties.
However, things changed in 1997. That year, the Unionist Party no longer had the most members on the Council. This meant that different political parties started to take turns holding the Lord Mayor position. The first Lord Mayor who was not a Unionist since 1921 was David Cook in 1978. The first nationalist Lord Mayor was Alban Maginness in 1997.
What the Lord Mayor Does
The Lord Mayor has many important jobs and responsibilities. Here are some of them:
- They lead meetings of the city council. If there's a tie vote, the Lord Mayor gets to cast the deciding vote.
- They help promote the council's main goals and important issues.
- They support different parts of life in Belfast by going to many public events.
- They welcome important visitors to the city.
- They host events for the city council and the people of Belfast.
- They speak for Belfast to local and international news.
- They respond on behalf of Belfast during big events or emergencies.
- They support charities and other good causes.
- They help promote Belfast's businesses, culture, and social life.
- They encourage people to do business in Belfast and visit as tourists.
About the Deputy Lord Mayor
The Deputy Lord Mayor helps the Lord Mayor represent the city. If the Lord Mayor is busy or away, the Deputy Lord Mayor steps in to do their duties.
While serving as Deputy Lord Mayor, they also continue their regular work as a city councillor. This includes being part of different council committees.
Monuments in Belfast
- Monuments in the grounds of Belfast City Hall
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James Horner Haslett
Mayor of Belfast
1887–88 -
William James Pirrie
Lord Mayor of Belfast
1896–98 -
Sir Daniel Dixon
Lord Mayor of Belfast
1892–93, 1901–04 & 1905–07 -
Robert James McMordie
Lord Mayor of Belfast
1910–14
See also
- Lord Mayor of Dublin
- Lord Mayor of Cork
