Background
CUSHNAHAN, John Wall was born on July 23, 1948.
Member of the European Parliament
CUSHNAHAN, John Wall was born on July 23, 1948.
Queen’s University, Belfast. Spoken languages: English.
In 1982 he was elected to the Prior Assembly for North Down and two years later he became the new leader of Alliance, succeeding Oliver Napier. The Anglo Irish Agreement was signed during this period and Cushnahan faced the difficult position of giving Alliance support to it and facing the united opposition of the Unionist parties. However, when the Assembly was dissolved in 1986, Cushnahan found it financially difficult to remain in politics and so stood down as leader in 1987 to be succeeded by John Alderdice.
He was an Member of the European Parliament for fifteen years before retiring at the 2004 elections.
Cushnahan was educated at Street Mary"s Christian Brothers Grammar School and Queen"s University, Belfast and worked as a teacher before going into politics. During his tenure as leader he sought to strengthen the party"s links with the British Liberal Party. Two years later Cushnahan made a surprise political comeback when he moved to the Republic of Ireland and stood as a Fine Gael candidate in the 1989 election to the European Parliament, winning a seat in the Munster constituency.
1st Northern Ireland Assembly (1982)]
He worked as General Secretary of the Alliance Party from 1974 until 1982 and was a member of Belfast City Council between 1977 and 1985. Cushnahan now serves as a board member of the peace and reconciliation charity Company-operation Ireland.