Conor Murphy
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| Conor Murphy MP MLA | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office May 8, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Robinson |
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Member of Parliament
for Newry and Armagh |
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Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Newry and Armagh |
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| Born | July 10, 1963 Newry, County Armagh, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Sinn Féin |
| Alma mater | University of Ulster, Queen's University of Belfast |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Website | Conor Murphy MP MLA |
Conor Murphy (Irish: Conchúr Ó Murchú; born 10 July 1963, Newry) is since May 8, 2007, the Minister for Regional Development in the Northern Ireland Executive. In 1998, Murphy was first elected as a Sinn Féin candidate to the Northern Ireland Assembly and has been reelected in 2003 and March 2007. In 2005, Murpy was elected as Member of the (British) Parliament for the Newry and Armagh (UK Parliament constituency) in Northern Ireland. Murphy refuses to take his seat in the British House of Commons in line with the abstentionist policy of Sinn Féin.
Murphy lives in Camlough, County Armagh and was educated at St. Colman's College, Newry and at the Queen's University of Belfast (QUB), and the University of Ulster.
According to An Phoblacht, Murphy first became involved with the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the 1981 hunger strikes.[1] In 1982 he was sentenced to five years in prison for IRA membership and possession of explosives.[2]
Between 1989 and 1997, he was a Sinn Féin councillor on Newry and Mourne District Council for The Fews area, also in South Armagh, and served as his party's group leader at that level.[1]
In 1998, Murphy was elected as one of his party's two Northern Ireland Assembly members for Newry and Armagh and in 2001, he contested the Westminster seat, coming second to Seamus Mallon (Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP)). He was re-elected, with two party colleagues, to the Assembly in 2003.[3] When Mallon decided not to contest the seat again, Murphy became the clear favourite to win and was elected MP on 5 May 2005.[4][5]
While on a tour of UK party conferences in autumn 2005, he became the first Irish republican to address the Conservative Party conference and caused outrage by saying he had not regretted the Brighton hotel bombing, which killed five people.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Sinn Féin can take Newry/Armagh. An Phoblacht. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
- ^ Back to jail for politicians. BBC News (27 May 2002). Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
- ^ Newry and Armagh. ARK. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
- ^ Changes certain in race for poll. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
- ^ Sinn Féin win Newry and Armagh. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
- ^ MP 'no regrets' over Tory bombing. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
[edit] External links
- Sinn Féin official biography
- Official ministerial profile as head of the Department for Regional Development of the NI executive
- Guardian Politics - Ask Aristotle: Conor Murphy MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Conor Murphy MP
| Preceded by Séamus Mallon |
Member of Parliament for Newry and Armagh 2005- |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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