Mary was the widow of Alliance founder and former deputy leader Basil Glass, and also stood for the party in the 1994 European Election, polling an impressive 23,000 first preference votes. Mr Ford said she had played a pivotal role in that campaign.

“I was saddened to hear of the death of Mary Clark-Glass. Mary's late husband Basil was one of the founders of Alliance and she also played a significant role in the life of the party,” he said.

“Mary took on any task with enthusiasm, from backroom work to canvassing for various candidates in a number of elections. As a result of her activities and her ability to relate to people from many different backgrounds, she was selected as Alliance candidate for the European Election in 1994, as the first female Alliance candidate at that level.

“Mary played a pivotal role in the election. During the campaign, she did not confine her activities to Northern Ireland, working hard to strengthen the links between Alliance and the wider liberal family in Europe, and supporting the two successful Liberal Democrat candidates in GB. She gave countless interviews, including at least one in Welsh, which showed a further element of her abilities.

“While she did not win one of the three seats, Mary finished the count as runner-up. In the years leading to the Good Friday Agreement, this was a positive sign for the party. We can look back with gratitude to the contribution of both Basil and Mary, which has helped lead to the current successes of Alliance."

Mary’s funeral will take place at Seymour Street Methodist Church in Lisburn at 2pm on Monday, July 8.