Seamus Mallon

Seamus Mallon (1936 to 2020) was an Irish nationalist politician from Markethill in County Armagh, best known 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. He trained as a teacher at St Mary's University College in Belfast and became headmaster of St James's Primary School in Markethill. Alongside his teaching and political life he was involved in the Gaelic Athletic Association, playing Gaelic football for the Armagh county team and, over the years, for the clubs Middletown, Keady Dwyers, Queen's University and Crossmaglen Rangers. This sport entry records that playing involvement; his political career is the main subject of his public reputation and is not described here beyond that context.