Conor Murphy

Conor Terence Murphy[1] (born 10 July 1963) is an Irish republican Sinn Féin politician who is the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Northern Ireland for Newry and Armagh. He served as the Member of Parliament for Newry and Armagh from 2005 till 2015.[2][3]

This article is about the Sinn Féin politician. For the American ice hockey player, see Connor Murphy.

Conor Murphy
Murphy in November 2011, while visiting St Patrick's High School, Keady
Minister of Finance
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 January 2020
Preceded by	Mairtin O Muilleoir
Minister for Regional Development
In office 8 May 2007 – 16 May 2011
Preceded by	Peter Robinson
Succeeded by	Danny Kennedy
Member of Parliament for Newry and Armagh
In office 5 May 2005 – 30 March 2015
Preceded by	Seamus Mallon
Succeeded by	Mickey Brady
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Newry and Armagh
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 June 2015
Preceded by	Mickey Brady
In office 25 June 1998 – 2 July 2012
Preceded by	Constituency created
Succeeded by	Megan Fearon
Personal details
Born	(1963-07-10) 10 July 1963 Camlough, County Armagh, Northern Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Sinn Féin
Spouse(s)	Catherine
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Ulster Queen's University of Belfast
Website	Conor Murphy MLA

Early life

Murphy was born in Camlough, South Armagh and joined the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the 1981 hunger strikes.[4] In 1982 he was sentenced to five years in prison for IRA membership and possession of explosives.[5]

Political career

Between 1989 and 1997, he was a Sinn Féin councillor on Newry and Mourne District Council for The Fews area,[6] in South Armagh and South Down, and served as his party's group leader at that level.[4]

Assembly elections

In 1998, Murphy was elected as one of his party's two Northern Ireland Assembly members for Newry and Armagh. He was re-elected, with two party colleagues, to the Assembly in 2003.[7] He lives in Camlough, County Armagh with his wife Catherine, his daughter Áine and his son Oisín. He attended St Colman's College, Newry, Queen's University of Belfast (QUB), and the University of Ulster.

In 2001, he contested the Newry and Armagh Westminster seat, coming second to incumbent Séamus Mallon of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). When Mallon decided not to contest the seat again, Murphy became the clear favourite to win and was elected on 5 May 2005.[8][9]

Abstentionism and tour of UK party conferences

He refused to take his seat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in line with the abstentionist policy of Sinn Féin. In the Northern Ireland Assembly, he served as the Minister for Regional Development in the Northern Ireland Executive from 8 May 2007 until 16 May 2011. 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 controversy by refusing to express regret over the Brighton hotel bombing.[10]

Tribunal over appointment of head of Northern Ireland Water

In 2011, while Minister for Regional Development, Murphy appointed Seán Hogan, a Catholic, as head of Northern Ireland Water, turning down the applications of four Protestants on the shortlist. A tribunal subsequently awarded £150,000 damages for discrimination to one of these applicants, Alan Lennon, judging that Hogan was appointed because "he was not from a Protestant background and because he was known to the minister and his (then Sinn Fein) ministerial colleagues Michelle Gildernew and Caitríona Ruane, who were consulted about the appointment."[11] The tribunal found Murphy's evidence was "implausible and lack[ing] credibility", and that, during Murphy's tenure at the Department for Regional Development, there was a "material bias against the appointment of candidates from a Protestant background".[12] Murphy disputed the finding which he said branded him "sectarian".[13] Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness defended him, claiming Murphy doesn't have "a sectarian bone in his body".[14]

Witness in Declan Gormley case

In December 2012, Murphy appeared as a witness at Belfast High Court in the case of Declan Gormley, whom Murphy had sacked in 2010 from his post as a non-executive director of NI Water. Gormley sued Sinn Féin over two press releases which he argued were defamatory. Gormley was subsequently offered £80,000 in damages.[15][16]

Controversy over comments about Paul Quinn

In 2007, shortly after the murder of Paul Quinn, Conor Murphy said in an interview with Spotlight that "Paul Quinn was involved with smuggling and criminality and I think that everyone accepts that."[17][16][18]

During the 2020 Irish general election Conor Murphys' comments were an issue.[19] Breege Quinn said that her son was definitely not involved in criminality and called on Conor Murphy to withdraw his remarks and make a public apology to the Quinn family.[20] On 6 February 2020 Conor Murphy spoke to RTÉ and said that he had withdrawn the remarks he had made in 2007 and apologised to the Quinn family.[18] Breege Quinn repeated her call for him to resign as Minister for Finance at Stormont.[18] She said he "should finish off and get justice" for the Quinn family.[18] She said he should "go and tell the PSNI and the Gardaí exactly who he was speaking to" in the IRA after the murder.[18] She said she would not meet Conor Murphy until he "comes out publicly saying that he is going to the PSNI to give the names of the IRA that he spoke to in Cullyhanna".[18]

References

1. Profile, ukwhoswho.com; accessed 29 November 2015.
2. Northern Ireland Assembly: Conor Murphy
3. Conor Murphy biography Archived 9 July 2012 at Archive.today
4. "Sinn Féin can take Newry/Armagh". An Phoblacht. Retrieved 12 February 2007.
5. "Back to jail for politicians". BBC News. 27 May 2002. Retrieved 20 February 2007.
6. Newry and Mourne election results ARK, accessed 1 April 2011
7. "Newry and Armagh". ARK. Retrieved 12 February 2007.
8. "Changes certain in race for poll". BBC News. 5 April 2005. Retrieved 12 February 2007.
9. "Sinn Féin win Newry and Armagh". BBC News. 6 May 2005. Retrieved 12 February 2007.
10. "MP 'no regrets' over Tory bombing". BBC News. 4 October 2005. Retrieved 12 February 2007.
11. "Department for Regional Development discriminated against candidate". BBC News. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
12. "Employment tribunal criticises ex-Sinn Fein minister Murphy". Irish News. 21 June 2012. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
13. "Alan Lennon case: Protestant job applicant to receive £150,000". BBC News. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
14. "Conor Murphy 'hasn't a sectarian bone', says McGuinness". BBC News. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
15. "Sinn Fein order to pay £80,000 to ex NI water director in libel action". Belfast Daily. 14 December 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
16. McGrath, Dominic (5 February 2020). "The 2007 killing of Paul Quinn: A timeline of the investigation and the political fallout". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
17. "Paul Quinn: Conor Murphy's comments about murdered man". BBC News. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
18. Libreri, Samantha; O'Brien, Fergal; Press Association (6 February 2020). "Murphy apologises to Paul Quinn's family for 'criminality' remarks". RTÉ News. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
19. "Who was Paul Quinn and why has his murder become an election issue?". The Irish Times.
20. Libreri, Samantha (3 February 2020). "McDonald to ask Murphy to speak to Paul Quinn's family over criminality remarks". RTÉ News. Retrieved 2 March 2020.

External links

• Sinn Féin official biography

Northern Ireland Assembly
New assembly	MLA for Newry and Armagh 1998–2012	Succeeded by Megan Fearon
Preceded by Mickey Brady	MLA for Newry and Armagh 2015–present	Incumbent
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Séamus Mallon	Member of Parliament for Newry and Armagh 2005–2015	Succeeded by Mickey Brady
Political offices
Vacant Office suspended Title last held by Peter Robinson	Minister for Regional Development 2007–2011	Succeeded by Danny Kennedy