Fergus McAteer

Fergus McAteer
Leader of the Irish Independence Party
In office
October 1977 – 1985
Preceded byOffice created
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Leader of the Nationalist Party
on Derry City Council
In office
1973 – October 1977
Preceded byOffice created
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Member of
Derry City Council
In office
15 May 1985 – 19 May 1989
Preceded byNew district
Succeeded byWilliam McCorriston
ConstituencyNorthland
In office
30 May 1973 – 15 May 1985
Preceded byNew council
Succeeded byDistrict abolished
ConstituencyLondonderry Area E
Personal details
BornDerry, Northern Ireland
Political partyIndependent Nationalist (1985 - 1989)
Irish Independence Party (1977 - 1985)
Other political
affiliations		Nationalist Party (until 1977)

Fergus McAteer is an Irish accountant and former nationalist politician in Northern Ireland.

Background

The son of Nationalist Party leader Eddie McAteer, Fergus was active in the civil rights movement of the late 1960s. He was arrested during the events of Bloody Sunday and charged with throwing stones, but the charges were later dropped. McAteer always strongly denied these claims.[1]

McAteer himself became prominent in the Nationalist Party. In 1973, he was elected to Derry City Council, and he was re-elected in 1977.[2] In October 1977 he merged the Nationalist Party with Unity to form the Irish Independence Party (IIP), becoming joint chair with former Unity leader Frank McManus.[3] He stood for the party in Londonderry at the 1979 general election, but could take only fourth place in the poll.[4] He held his seat on the City Council in 1981, with an increased vote.[2] McAteer narrowly held the seat in 1985[5] and the IIP overall saw their representation on local councils reduced from 21 members in 1981 to 4 members in 1985 and dissolved before the next local election, and McAteer did not restand in 1989.[6]

McAteer started an accountancy firm in 1973, and continued to run the firm as of 2007.[7]

References

  1. ^ "Bloody Sunday Enquiry Transcript - Day 168". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
  2. ^ a b "The Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Derry". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
  3. ^ "Abstracts on Organisations - 'I'". Archived from the original on 6 December 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
  4. ^ "Londonderry 1973-1982". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
  5. ^ 1985 council election results Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Local Government Elections 1985 -1989: Derry". Archived from the original on 6 June 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
  7. ^ Fergus McAteer & Co Archived 10 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine