Joe Coggle

Joseph Addis Coggle (November 1930 – August 2012) was a Northern Irish Ulster Loyalist politician who was High Sheriff of Belfast from 1991 to 1992, and 1995 to 1996.^[2] He served on Belfast City Council from 1981 until 1997, latterly for the Court DEA.

Joe Coggle
High Sheriff of Belfast
In office January 1995 – January 1996
Preceded by	John Parkes
Succeeded by	Steve McBride
In office January 1991 – January 1992
Preceded by	Jim Kirkpatrick
Succeeded by	Thomas Patton
Member of Belfast City Council
In office 15 May 1985 – 21 May 1997
Preceded by	New district
Succeeded by	Frank McCoubrey
Constituency	Court
In office 20 May 1981 – 15 May 1985
Preceded by	Herbert Ditty
Succeeded by	District abolished
Constituency	Belfast Area G
Personal details
Born	November 1930[1] Shankhill, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died	August 2012
Political party	Independent Unionist (from 1985)
Other political affiliations	DUP (before 1985)

Background

As a member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Coggle was elected to Belfast City Council in 1981 for the Belfast Area G district.^[3]

By 1985, he had resigned from the DUP, and was instead re-elected as an independent unionist for the new Court district.^[4]

In 1986, Coggle was seen attending the funeral of murdered Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) commander John Bingham.^[5] He described Bingham as "the best" in a Belfast Telegraph obituary.^[6]

At the 1996 Northern Ireland Forum elections, Coggle ran as part of an independent group of candidates, headed by North Down councillor Alan Chambers. He was the group's lead candidate in the North Belfast constituency, finishing last, and taking only 21 votes (0.05%).^[7] For the 'top-up list', Coggle was the second-placed candidate, though neither he nor the group were successful in winning any seats.^[8]

Coggle was defeated by the Ulster Democratic Party's Frank McCoubrey at the 1997 local elections.^[9]