North Belfast Republicans storm home
By Mick Naughton
Before last week officials and councillors at Belfast City Hall
were suggesting that sitting Lord Mayor Ian Adamson would be
succeeded as Mayor by Ulster Unionist John Carson who has been a
councillor for 27 years.
But something went wrong. It was called the North Belfast
election squad, and one Danny Lavery. Younger brother of sitting
Sinn Féin councillor Bobby, Danny was elected in the Castle ward
in North Belfast. Against the odds he forced out the long time
unionist Carson. SDLP chairman Jonathan Stephenson, another
sitting councillor, was swamped in the surge of Lavery's
election.
Even one-time SDLP councillor Brian Feeney wondered in Monday's
Irish News how it happened: ``Seems incredible? Who would have
thought Sinn Fein would get a seat in the Castle area of North
Belfast?'', a staunchly middle class ward.
In victory Dan Lavery gave a nod to what North Belfast calls `the
Kelly factor'. ``I mightn't be as handsome as Gerry, but with his
success in the Forum and Westminster elections we were going
places and given the fantastic response we got on the doorsteps I
knew this could be our year,'' he said.
The victory was particularly sweet after the wife of SDLP
councillor Alban McGuinness had told Sinn Féin canvassers to get
back ``down the road'', that there were no votes here.
In the Oldpark ward, Sinn Féin's Mick Conlon and Bobby Lavery
comfortably topped the poll with 2317 and 2230 respectively and
Paddy McManus slid on to home base on their transfers. Sinn Féin
transfers also saw the SDLP's Martin Morgan home. Progressive
Unionist Billy Hutchinson and Ulster Unionist Fred Proctor took
the remaining two seats in the six seater ward.
When Billy turned round on hearing a deep voice shout, ``Well done
Billy'', he was shocked to discover it was that man Adams standing
behind him.
As the three Shinners left the counting room a unionist summed up
the mood ``the bastards have a brilliant election machine.''
All four North Belfast councillors come from the Seamus McCusker
cumann, an historic first and a fitting tribute to Seamus who
shot dead on constituency business by Workers Party gunmen in
1975.
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