Kennedy’s Carrick link recalled during tribute

Mr Kennedy, who died suddenly on Monday, had visited Carrickfergus on a number of occasions.

Expressing his sadness, East Antrim MLA Stewart Dickson recalled that as chairman of the East Antrim Alliance Association he had welcomed Mr Kennedy to several constituency meetings.

Mr Dickson added: “I want to pay tribute to the erudite and extremely personable gentleman who was Charles Kennedy. Charles was always very supportive of our party, the East Antrim Alliance Association and my predecessor, Sean Neeson, when he was an MLA and leader of the party.

“Moreover, as the Liberal Democrats leader he was a regular attender at Alliance Party conferences where we valued his support through many dark days in Northern Ireland; he will be sadly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and young son Donald.”