Dr Ian Adamson OBE

Distinguished historian Dr Ion Adamson OBE - whose death ot the age of 74 occurred on 9 January 2019 - was of pupil of Bangor Grammar School from 1956/63. During this time he read assiduously and developed on early interest in history and culture, as well as in science.

Conlig-born Dr Adamson was on Ulster Unionist member of Belfast City Council from 1989, becoming the Porty's first Honorary
Historian, until his retirement from active politics in 2011 He served as Deputy Lord Mayor in 1994/95 and then Lord Mayor in 1996/97
and was awarded the OBE in 1998 for services to local government.

He was on MLA for Belfast East from 1998 until 2003. He was the personal physician and odvisor on history and culture to Ion Paisley (First Minister of Northern Ireland, 2007/08) from 2004 until the latter's death in 2014.

Outside politics, on 18 July 1978 Dr Adamson was accepted as a Member of the International Medical Association of Lourdes for services to the disabled children and young people of the Falls Parish in Belfast He had a special interest in the long-term unemployed and become the founder secretory of Forset Youth and Community Development in 1981.

In 1989 he become founder chairman of the Somme Association in Belfast, under the auspices of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and established the Somme Heritage Centre (now Museum) at Conlig in 1994.

Dr Adamson founded the Ullons Academy, of which he was president at the time of his death, followed by the Ulster-Scots Language Society in 1992 and become the first rector and founder chairman of the Ulster Scots Academy in 1994. He was o founder member of the Cultural Traditions Group, the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council and the Ultoch Trust, and served as o member of the Ulster-Scots Agency, 2003/12. He also served as president of the Belfast Civic Trust.

Dr Adamson was a Specialist in Community Child Health (Community Paediatrics), being o member of the Faculty of Community Health and was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Institute of Public Health for his services to the health of young people in 1998. He was awarded o special commendation by the Prince of Wales. He was o member of the boards of many other local public sector and voluntary civic organisations.

During the funeral service at Conlig Presbyterian Church on 14 January, Dr Adamson's good friend Von Morrison song 'Into the Mystic' to the hushed congregation President of Ireland Michael D Higgins was also present, while among the pallbearers was exFormula One racing star Eddie Irvine (Dr Adamson hod financed Eddie's first race).

Dr Adamson is survived by his widow Kerry and the wider family circle. A copy of the Eulogy, delivered by close friend Wesley Hutchinson, Professor Emeritus (Irish Studies) at Sorbonne Nouvelle, hos been lodged in the Bangor Grammar School Archives, along with a tribute published in the British Medical Journal on 15 June 2019.