Seamus Close

Northern Irish politician (1947–2019)

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Seamus Close

Deputy leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
In office
1991 – 22 June 2001
Leader| John Alderdice
Séan Neeson
Preceded by| Gordon Mawhinney
Succeeded by| Eileen Bell
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Lagan Valley
In office
25 June 1998 – 7 March 2007
Preceded by| New Creation
Succeeded by| Trevor Lunn
Northern Ireland Forum Member
In office
30 May 1996 – 25 April 1998
Preceded by| New forum
Succeeded by| Forum dissolved
Constituency| Top-up list
Personal details
Born|

Seamus Anthony Close

(1947-08-12)12 August 1947
Died| 7 May 2019(2019-05-07) (aged 71)
Political party| Alliance
Spouse| Deirdre

Seamus Anthony Close OBE (12 August 1947 – 7 May 2019)[1] was a Northern Irish politician who was deputy leader of the Alliance Party from 1998 to 2001, and a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Lagan Valley from 1998 to 2007.[2]

## Political career

[edit]

In August 1981, he was the Alliance candidate for the second Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election. The following year under the redistribution and expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies his local political base became part of the new Lagan Valley constituency which he has contested in the Alliance interest in all elections since 1983 apart from the 1986 by-election called in protest against the Anglo-Irish Agreement when the local Alliance branch declined to contest the seat as they believed the by-election was a political stunt.

Close also held several positions in the Alliance, including serving as Chair between 1981 and 1982 and as Deputy Leader from 1991 until 2001. He was often a member of the key Alliance delegations in successive talks about the future of the province, culminating in the Belfast Agreement of 1998.

In the 1996 elections for the Northern Ireland Forum, Close stood at the head of the Alliance's list for Lagan Valley but the party failed to secure enough votes to win one of the local seats. Close was also included on the province-wide list, and as the most senior Alliance member to not be elected locally he won one of Alliance's two seats. In the 1998 election for the new Northern Ireland Assembly he topped the poll in Lagan Valley and gained a further personal triumph in the 2001 general election when he had the highest vote share of any Alliance candidate.

In June 2001, he resigned as Deputy Leader of the party,[3] citing differences with the leadership of Seán Neeson. Close has remained a member of the Assembly and successfully held his seat in the 2003 Assembly election.

In July 2005, Mr Close proposed that the Lisburn Council deny gay couples access to the council's designated wedding facility if they were seeking a civil partnership under the Civil Partnership Act 2004. The council adopted his recommendation, to the great annoyance of many liberal campaigners. This ran against Alliance policy, which had been strongly supportive of the introduction of civil partnership laws, and he was publicly criticised by other senior party members.[2]

In November 2006, Close announced that he was retiring from politics[2] In the 2007 election he was succeeded as Alliance Party Lagan Valley Assembly representative by the then Mayor of Lisburn, Councillor Trevor Lunn.[4]

Close was succeeded as Mayor of Lisburn by Harry Lewis.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Alliance leader pays tribute after death of party veteran Seamus Close". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
2. ^ a b c "Endgame for Close after 33 years". BBC. 14 November 2006. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
3. ^ Noel McAdam (15 November 2006). "A final salvo from Seamus Close at the end of 30 years of politics". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
4. ^ Noel McAdam (27 February 2007). "Close call as Seamus bows out of bearpit". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 13 July 2010.

Northern Ireland Assembly (1982)

New assembly |  MPA for South Antrim
1982–1986  | Assembly abolished
Northern Ireland Forum
New forum |  Regional Member
1996–1998  | Forum dissolved
Northern Ireland Assembly
New assembly |  MLA for Lagan Valley
1998–2007  | Succeeded by

Trevor Lunn

Party political offices
Preceded by

Gordon Mawhinney

|  Deputy Leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
1991–2001  | Succeeded by

Eileen Bell

Civic offices
Preceded by

Ivan Davis

|  Mayor of Lisburn
1993–1994  | Succeeded by

Harry Lewis

* v
* t
* e

Alliance Party of Northern Ireland

Leadership|

| Leaders|

* Oliver Napier & Bob Cooper (1970–1972)
* Phelim O'Neill (1972, acting)
* Oliver Napier (1973–1984)
* John Cushnahan (1984–1987)
* John Alderdice (1987–1998)
* Séan Neeson (1998–2001)
* David Ford (2001–2016)
* Naomi Long (2016–present)

|

Deputy Leaders|

* Bob Cooper (1974–1976)
* Basil Glass (1976–1980)
* David Cook (1980–1984)
* Addie Morrow (1984–1987)
* Gordon Mawhinney (1987–1991)
* Seamus Close (1991–2001)
* Eileen Bell (2001–2006)
* Naomi Long (2006–2016)
* Stephen Farry (2016–2024)
* Eóin Tennyson (2024 - present)

General Secretaries|

* Grace Wilson (1970–1972)
* Bob Cooper (1972–1974)
* John Cushnahan (1974–1982)
* Eileen Bell (1986–1990)
* David Ford (1990–1998)
* Richard Good (1998–2000)
* Stephen Farry (2000–2007)
* Stephen Douglas (2010–2011)
* Sharon Lowry (2011–present)

Elected
representatives|

| Members of Parliament|

* Sorcha Eastwood

|

Members of the
Northern Ireland Assembly|

* Kellie Armstrong
* John Blair
* Paula Bradshaw
* Stewart Dickson
* Danny Donnelly
* Connie Egan
* Michelle Guy
* David Honeyford
* Naomi Long
* Chris Lyttle
* Nick Mathison
* Nuala McAllister
* Andrew McMurray
* Peter McReynolds
* Andrew Muir
* Sian Mulholland
* Kate Nicholl
* Eóin Tennyson

History|

| History and
related organisations|

* New Ulster Movement
* Ulster Liberal Party
* Northern Ireland Peace Process
* Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats
* Alliance Youth

|

Other topics|

* Election results
* MPs

Alliances|

| European|

* Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party

|

International|

* Liberal International

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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template