Joe Gaston

Who is Joe Gaston?

Joe Gaston is a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.

Gaston worked as a farmer and served part-time in the Ulster Defence Regiment. 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.

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

Gaston was elected at the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1982 in North Antrim. In 1985, he served as Deputy Mayor of Ballymoney, then as Mayor from 1986–87 and 1990 - 93.

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

Gaston lost his council seat in 2005.