Patrick McCarthy (politician)

Patrick McCarthy MBE is a Northern Irish Social Democratic and Labour Party politician and member of Belfast City Council.

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 the following year.

First elected to the council in 2001 for Laganbank 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 not re-elected in 2014.

McCarthy accepted an MBE in the 2016 New Year Honours.

In 2017 he announced he was nominated to run for the Fianna Fail Ard Comhairle.