In 1972 he was elected to Belfast City Council in a by-election, representing the predominantly Catholic Lower Falls,[REF] although this victory was only achieved because all the Irish nationalist and republican parties refused to nominate candidates, in protest at the introduction of internment [REF].
Due to his eccentricities and the fact that he wasn't tied to any major party, Mason received wide coverage in the local press whilst a member of the council [REF].