Patrick McCarthy (politician)

Patrick McCarthy MBE is an Irish Nationalist former politician, in Northern Ireland, who was Lord Mayor of Belfast from 2006 to 2007. As a member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), he was a Belfast City Councillor for the Laganbank DEA from 2001 to 2014.

Background
Born and raised in the Markets area of Belfast, McCarthy was interned without trial in 1971 on suspicion of being a member of the Official IRA, before being released in 1972. He was first elected to Belfast City Council, at the 2001 local elections, as an SDLP representative for the Laganbank District.

Following re-election in 2005, he was chosen as Lord Mayor of Belfast in 2006. McCarthy, the city's fourth nationalist mayor, was endorsed by all parties except Sinn Féin.

He was re-elected to the Council in 2011, and did not seek re-election at the 2014 local elections.

Following nominations from church and community groups across the sectarian divide McCarthy was appointed MBE for Political and Community Cohesion in the 2016 New Year Honours.

In 2017, McCarthy stood for election to the National Executive of Fianna Fáil, and has been a longstanding advocate for Fianna Fáil in Northern Ireland.