Seamus Close facts for kids

Seamus Anthony Close (12 August 1947 – 7 May 2019) was an important politician from Northern Ireland. He was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for an area called Lagan Valley. He also served as a deputy leader of the Alliance Party. He was given an honour called the OBE for his work.

Seamus Close: A Northern Ireland Politician

Seamus Close was a well-known figure in Northern Irish politics. He spent many years working to represent the people of his area. He was part of the Alliance Party, which aims to bring people together in Northern Ireland.

Early Political Life

In August 1981, Seamus Close ran as a candidate for the Alliance Party in a special election. This election was for the Fermanagh and South Tyrone area. The next year, political areas in Northern Ireland changed. His local area became part of the new Lagan Valley area.

He ran for election in Lagan Valley for the Alliance Party many times after 1983. However, he did not run in a special election in 1986. This was because the local Alliance group felt that election was just a political trick.

Key Roles and Agreements

Seamus Close held several important jobs within the Alliance Party. He was the Chair of the party from 1981 to 1982. He also served as Deputy Leader from 1991 until 2001.

He was often part of important Alliance Party groups. These groups took part in many discussions about the future of Northern Ireland. These talks led to the Belfast Agreement in 1998. This agreement was a big step towards peace in the region.

Elections and Assembly Work

In 1996, Seamus Close ran in elections for the Northern Ireland Forum. He was at the top of the Alliance Party's list for Lagan Valley. However, the party did not get enough votes to win a local seat.

Even so, Close was also on a list for the whole region. Because he was the most senior Alliance member not elected locally, he won one of the party's two seats. In the 1998 election, he won the most votes in Lagan Valley. He had another great success in the 2001 general election. In that election, he received the highest number of votes of any Alliance candidate.

In June 2001, he stepped down as Deputy Leader of the party. He continued to be a member of the Assembly. He successfully kept his seat in the 2003 Assembly election.

Retirement from Politics

In November 2006, Seamus Close announced that he would be leaving politics. He retired from his role. In the 2007 election, Trevor Lunn took his place. Trevor Lunn was the Mayor of Lisburn at that time.

Seamus Close was also a Mayor of Lisburn himself. After his time as Mayor, Harry Lewis took over the role.