Joe Gaston

Joe Gaston (1926 or 1927 – 15 March 2018^[1]) was a Northern Irish unionist politician.

Joe Gaston
Member of Ballymoney Borough Council
In office 15 May 1985 – 5 May 2005
Preceded by	District created
Succeeded by	Daithí McKay
Constituency	Bann Valley
In office 30 May 1973 – 15 May 1985
Preceded by	District created
Succeeded by	District abolished
Constituency	Ballymoney Area B
Member of the Northern Ireland Forum for North Antrim
In office 30 May 1996 – 25 April 1998
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for North Antrim
In office 1982–1986
Personal details
Born	1926/ 1927
Died	15 March 2018
Political party	Ulster Unionist Party (from 1977)
Other political affiliations	Independent Unionist (1973 - 1977)

Background

Gaston worked as a farmer and served part-time in the Ulster Defence Regiment.^[2] In 1973, he was elected to Ballymoney Borough Council as a non-party candidate. He was re-elected in 1977, for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP).^[3]

In December 1977, Gaston's right leg was removed by a bomb planted in his tractor by the Provisional Irish Republican Army.^[2][4]

Gaston was elected at the 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election in North Antrim.^[5] In 1985, he served as deputy mayor of Ballymoney, then as mayor from 1986 to 1987 and from 1990 to 1993.

At the 1992 general election, Gaston contested Ian Paisley's North Antrim seat, taking second place with 18.1% of the votes cast.^[6] In 1996, he was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum, again in North Antrim,^[7] and served his final term as Mayor of Ballymoney.

Gaston lost his council seat to Sinn Féin's Daithi McKay in 2005.^[8]