19 Facts About Alex Maskey

Alex Maskey was born on 8 January 1952 and is an Irish former politician who served as Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly from 2020 to 2024 and was the first member of Sinn Fein to serve as Lord Mayor of Belfast from 2002 to 2003.

Alex Maskey was Sinn Fein's longest sitting councillor, representing the Laganbank electoral area of Belfast.

Alex Maskey was an MLA for Belfast West for two periods, and for Belfast South.

Alex Maskey reportedly retired "from frontline politics" in early 2024.

Alex Maskey was a successful amateur boxer, having only lost 4 out of 75 fights.

Alex Maskey stood unsuccessfully in West Belfast in the 1982 Assembly Election.

In June 1983, Alex Maskey won a by-election and became the first member of Sinn Fein to be elected to Belfast City Council since the 1920s.

Alex Maskey was greeted with boos and jeers when he entered the chamber for his first council meeting, and unionist councillors started stamping their feet and screaming when he attempted to deliver his maiden speech in Irish.

Alex Maskey emerged as a key ally of Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams' approach to the strategy.

Alex Maskey was targeted again by loyalists in 1988, and a gun attack at his home in 1993 when one of his friends, Alan Lundy, was killed.

In 1996 Alex Maskey was elected to the Northern Ireland Peace Forum for the Belfast West constituency but did not attend the Forum in accordance with Sinn Fein's policy of abstentionism.

Alex Maskey's growing political profile led him to contest the Belfast South constituency in the 2001 general election as part of Sinn Fein's strategy of building up their vote in one of their weaker constituencies.

In 2002 Alex Maskey became the first ever republican to serve as Lord Mayor of Belfast.

Alex Maskey garnered general praise when as part of his duties as Lord Mayor in July 2002 he laid a wreath in memorial of British soldiers who died in the First World War.

Alex Maskey contested the same-named House of Commons seat in the 2005 general election with the vote share down on the Assembly elections, losing to the Social Democratic and Labour Party candidate, Alasdair McDonnell.

In March 2006, Alex Maskey participated in the negotiations resulting in the Basque nationalist organisation ETA truce announced on 22 March.

Alex Maskey resigned from Belfast City Council in October 2010, as part of Sinn Fein's policy of abolishing double jobbing.

Alex Maskey continued to serve as speaker despite not being an MLA following the 2022 election because the DUP refused to participate in the election of a new speaker.

On 25 December 2005, Alex Maskey suffered a heart attack while with his family.