High Sheriff of Belfast
The High Sheriff of Belfast is a title and position which was created in 1900 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 , with Sir James Henderson the first holder. Like other high sheriff positions, it is largely a ceremonial post today. The current high sheriff is Councillor Sammy Douglas, who took office in 2024.
The high sheriff is theoretically the judicial representative of the King in the city, while the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast is the Sovereign's personal representative. Today, the office is now largely symbolic with few formal duties other than deputising for the Lord Mayor of Belfast at official events. Irish Nationalists and Republican council members generally do not allow their names to go forward for the nomination as the post is seen as a reflection of the city's imperialist past.
Appointments are made on an annual basis by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland , who asks the outgoing high sheriff and Belfast City Council to suggest the names of three people who are deemed suitable to hold the position. In recent years the council has suggested only one candidate, who is normally a member of the council.[ 2] [ 3]
Prior to 1900, sheriffs were elected by the city council.
List of high sheriffs
20th century
21st century
See also
References
^ "High Sheriff" . Belfast City Council . Retrieved 8 August 2022 .^ a b "Minutes of Monday, 1st November, 2010" . Belfast City Council. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011 .^ "High Sheriff" . Belfast City Council. Archived from the original on 30 May 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011 .^ JewishEncyclopedia.com – IRELAND ^ "Mount Vernon Community" . Retrieved 14 August 2012 .^ "City and County Borough of Belfast" . Lennon Wylie. Retrieved 14 August 2012 .^ "City High Sheriffs", Weekly Irish Times , 7 February 1903
^ "City High Sheriffs", Weekly Irish Times , 13 February 1904
^ "New High Sheriff of Belfast", Irish Times , 3 February 1905
^ Anthony C. Hepburn, A Past Apart
^ "City High Sheriffs", Irish Times , 29 January 1908
^ "City High Sheriffs", Irish Times , 30 January 1909
^ "Judges leave Belfast", Irish Times , 28 March 1910
^ a b c d e f g h i j Biographies of Members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons ^ "The High Sheriff List", Irish Times , 27 January 1912
^ "City High Sheriffs", Weekly Irish Times , 8 February 1913
^ "City High Sheriffs", Irish Times , 31 January 1914
^ "City High Sheriffs in Ireland", Weekly Irish Times , 6 February 1915
^ "City High Sheriffs in Ireland", Weekly Irish Times , 5 February 1916
^ "Irish City High Sheriffs", Irish Times , 31 January 1917
^ "Viceroy in Belfast", Irish Times , 7 August 1918
^ "Irish City High Sheriffs", Irish Times , 1 February 1919
^ Who was who ^ "High Sheriff's luncheon", Irish Times , 21 July 1921
^ "Mr. Alexander McKeag, Belfast", Irish Times , 8 July 1924
^ "The Lord Lieutenant" . Belfast Gazette ^ "His Grace the Governor" . Belfast Gazette ^ "Civic day in Belfast", Irish Times , 23 July 1924
^ "Ministry of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland" . Belfast Gazette ^ "Lord Mayor's Luncheon (Royal Visit)" . Northern Whig. 23 July 1924. Retrieved 8 January 2022 .^ "Shrievalty of Belfast", Weekly Irish Times , 31 January 1925
^ "Ministry of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland" . Belfast Gazette ^ "Four times Lord Mayor", Irish Times , 25 January 1926
^ "Ministry of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland" . Belfast Gazette ^ "Northern Ireland", Irish Times , 24 February 1927
^ "Civic affairs in Belfast", Irish Times , 21 January 1930
^ "Naval officers' visit to Belfast", Irish Times , 19 June 1931
^ "Belfast Lord Mayoralty", Irish Times , 23 January 1932
^ Belfast Gazette , 10 February 1933^ Belfast Gazette , 2 February 1934, p.1^ Belfast Gazette , 7 June 1935^ Belfast Gazette , 10 June 1938^ Belfast Gazette , 9 June 1939^ Belfast Gazette , 6 June 1941^ Belfast Gazette , 4 June 1943^ Belfast Gazette , 2 June 1944, p.118^ "Tributes paid to ex-Lord Mayor; Obituary", Belfast News Letter
^ Belfast Gazette , 31 May 1946^ Belfast Gazette , 13 June 1947^ Belfast Gazette , 11 June 1948^ Belfast Gazette , 16 June 1950^ Belfast Gazette , 15 June 1951, p.1^ Belfast Gazette , 13 June 1952^ Belfast Gazette , 19 June 1953^ Water and Water Engineering , Vol.64, p.84^ Belfast Gazette , 15 June 1956^ Belfast Gazette , 14 June 1957^ Belfast Gazette , 27 June 1958^ Belfast Gazette , 12 June 1959^ Belfast Gazette , 17 June 1960^ Belfast Gazette , 16 June 1961^ Belfast Gazette , 15 June 1962^ Belfast Gazette , 14 June 1963^ "Bethany Congregation" (PDF) . Retrieved 14 August 2012 .^ Belfast Gazette , 18 June 1965^ Belfast Gazette , 17 June 1966^ Belfast Gazette , 16 June 1967^ "Appointments". Belfast Gazette ^ "Former Lord Mayor Sir Myles dies at 72 ", Belfast Telegraph
^ "Appointments". Belfast Gazette ^ "Appointments" . Belfast Gazette ^ "Queen petitioned to keep governor", Irish Times , 23 June 1973
^ "Appointments" . Belfast Gazette ^ "Ministry of Home Affairs" . Belfast Gazette ^ Fionnuala O'Connor, "Man at the door without much hope", Irish Times , 20 November 1975
^ Belfast Gazette , 9 January 1976^ Irish Times , 22 February 1977, p.4^ "South-east SF group in Shankill tour", Irish Times , 12 October 1978
^ "Belfast woman elected mayor", Irish Times
^ "Come shopping, appeals Belfast", Irish Times , 2 December 1980
^ "Northern Ireland Office". Belfast Gazette ^ "Woman installed as High Sheriff of Belfast", Irish Times , 7 February 1981
^ a b "Catholic voted sheriff", Irish Times , 2 November 1982
^ "New Belfast High Sheriff", Irish Times , 4 February 1984
^ "Northern Ireland Office" . Belfast Gazette ^ Belfast Gazette , 28 December 1984^ Belfast Gazette , 26 July 1985^ "Paisley reaffirms council boycott", Irish Times , 26 November 1986
^ "Belfast council set to end ban", Irish Times , 23 February 1991
^ a b c New High Sheriff of Belfast to be sworn in , Belfast City Council ^ a b c "My Belfast Summer 2007" (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2007. Retrieved 1 December 2008 .^ "Death of former Mayor of Belfast", Irish Times , 21 October 1993
^ Belfast Gazette , 8 January 1993^ Belfast Gazette , 7 January 1994^ "New High Sheriff for Belfast", Irish Times , 27 February 1996
^ Nelson McCausland , Democratic Unionist Party ^ Gary Grattan, "High Sheriff of Belfast sworn in", Belfast Telegraph
^ Belfast Harbour Commissioners' Board Appointments , Department for Regional Development^ Tom Campbell Archived 17 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine , Alliance Party of Northern Ireland ^ Appointments of Members to Health and Social Services Councils , Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety^ "City Matters Summer 2005" . Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 1 December 2008 .^ "City Matters Spring/Summer 2003" (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 1 December 2008 .^ New Lord Mayor of Belfast elected , Belfast City Council ^ Deputy Lord Mayor David Browne Archived 28 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine , Belfast City Council ^ New High Sheriff of Belfast sworn in , Belfast City Council ^ High Sheriff Frank McCoubrey Archived 28 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine ^ "Youngest High Sheriff is sworn in at Belfast City Hall - Local & Nati…" . Archived from the original on 3 September 2012.^ High Sheriff [permanent dead link ] Belfast City Council ^ New High Sheriff sworn in , Belfast City Council , 12 January 2012^ New High Sheriff sworn in , Belfast City Council , 21 January 2013^ a b c d e f g "High Sheriff" .^ "No. 8222" . The Belfast Gazette ^ "Appointment of Sheriffs" . Belfast Gazette ^ "No. 8542" . The Belfast Gazette ^ "Councillor Sammy Douglas appointed High Sheriff of Belfast" .
England
Ireland
Northern Ireland
Wales
