25 Facts About Seamus Mallon

Seamus Frederick Mallon was an Irish politician who served as deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2001 and Deputy Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party from 1979 to 2001.

Seamus Mallon sat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1986 to 2005.

Seamus Mallon came from a family of Republicans, and his father was a former IRA man who had fought in the Irish Civil War.

Seamus Mallon trained to be a teacher at St Mary's University College, Belfast.

Seamus Mallon first played club football for Middletown during the 1950s then with Keady Dwyers, Queen's University and Crossmaglen Rangers.

Seamus Mallon was involved in amateur drama and wrote a play which won an All-Ireland amateur drama play award.

In 1979, when John Hume went from being deputy leader of the SDLP to leader, Seamus Mallon became deputy leader.

Seamus Mallon was elected to the first power-sharing Assembly in 1973, and to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention in 1975 representing Armagh.

Seamus Mallon was a strong advocate of non-violent nationalism, and opposed political violence.

In 1982, Seamus Mallon was elected to the new Northern Ireland Assembly, set up as part of then-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Prior's rolling devolution.

Seamus Mallon won the seat in a by-election to replace Jim Nicholson, who had resigned his seat in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement, along with all the other Northern Irish unionist MPs.

Seamus Mallon was elected to the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation in 1994.

Seamus Mallon was a member of the SDLP team at the all-party negotiations that opened in Belfast in June 1996.

Seamus Mallon has frequently been quoted as saying that the Good Friday Agreement, which resulted from the talks in 1998, was "Sunningdale for slow learners".

Seamus Mallon was elected as member for Newry and Armagh, and in December 1999 became Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, serving alongside Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble.

Seamus Mallon remained a strong opponent of IRA violence, and was in favour of police reform in Northern Ireland.

Seamus Mallon retired in 2001, along with John Hume, from the leadership of the SDLP.

Seamus Mallon did not contest his seat in the Stormont Assembly in the 2003 elections, and stood down at the 2005 Westminster election.

Dominic Bradley was nominated to contest the seat Seamus Mallon vacated, but failed to re-capture the seat as Conor Murphy of Sinn Fein won.

Seamus Mallon was conferred with the Freedom of Drogheda in 2018.

In retirement, Seamus Mallon spent much of his time in County Donegal, his mother's native county.

Seamus Mallon was a lifelong smoker and drinker who suffered from heart problems throughout his life, having his first heart attack in 1980.

Seamus Mallon had retired to his second home in County Donegal for a while, but when his wife's health began to fail he moved back to Markethill to care for her, and continued to live in Markethill after her death.

Seamus Mallon died at his home in Markethill on 24 January 2020, aged 83.

Seamus Mallon had been treated for cancer before his death.