Conor Murphy | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Murphy in 2025 | |
| Leader of Sinn Féin in the Seanad | |
| Assumed office 12 February 2025 | |
| Leader | Mary Lou McDonald |
| Preceded by | Niall Ó Donnghaile |
| Senator | |
| Assumed office 30 January 2025 | |
| Constituency | Industrial and Commercial Panel |
| Minister for the Economy | |
| In office 3 February 2024[a] – 30 January 2025 | |
| First Minister | Michelle O'Neill |
| Preceded by | Gordon Lyons (2022) |
| Succeeded by | Caoimhe Archibald |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 11 January 2020 – 27 October 2022 | |
| First Minister |
|
| Preceded by | Máirtín Ó Muilleoir |
| Succeeded by | Caoimhe Archibald (2024) |
| Minister for Regional Development | |
| In office 8 May 2007 – 16 May 2011 | |
| First Minister | |
| Preceded by | Peter Robinson |
| Succeeded by | Danny Kennedy |
| Member of Parliament forNewry and Armagh | |
| In office 5 May 2005 – 30 March 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Seamus Mallon |
| Succeeded by | Mickey Brady |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly forNewry and Armagh | |
| In office 8 June 2015 – 30 January 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Mickey Brady |
| Succeeded by | Aoife Finnegan |
| In office 25 June 1998 – 2 July 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency created |
| Succeeded by | Megan Fearon |
| Member of Newry and Mourne District Council | |
| In office 17 May 1989 – 21 May 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Brendan Lewis |
| Succeeded by | Brendan Lewis |
| Constituency | The Fews |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1963-07-10)10 July 1963 (age 62) Camlough,County Armagh, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Sinn Féin |
| Spouse | Catherine Murphy |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | |
| Website | Conor Murphy |
Conor Terence Murphy[1] (born 10 July 1963) is an IrishSinn Féin politician, who has served as asenator for theIndustrial and Commercial Panel since January 2025. He previously served asMinister for the Economy ofNorthern Ireland from 2024 to 2025.[a] He served as aMember of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) forNewry and Armagh from 2015 until 2025, having previously served as theMember of Parliament forNewry and Armagh from 2005 to 2015, observing the Sinn Fein policy ofabstentionism.[2][3]
Murphy was born inCamlough,South Armagh and joined theProvisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the1981 hunger strikes.[4] He attendedSt Colman's College in Newry, County Down, during which time he was beaten and sexually groomed by headmaster Malachy Finnegan.[5] In 1982 he was sentenced to five years in prison for IRA membership and possession of explosives.[6]
Between 1989 and 1997, he was a Sinn Féin councillor onNewry and Mourne District Council for The Fews area,[7] in South Armagh and South Down, and served as his party's group leader at that level.[4]
In 1998, Murphy was elected as one of his party's twoNorthern Ireland Assembly members forNewry and Armagh. He was re-elected, with two party colleagues, to the Assembly in 2003.[8]
In 2001, he contested the Newry and Armagh Westminster seat, coming second to incumbentSeamus Mallon of theSocial 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.[9][10]
He refused to take his seat in theHouse of Commons of the United Kingdom in line with theabstentionist policy of Sinn Féin. In the Northern Ireland Assembly, he served as theMinister for Regional Development in theNorthern 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 theConservative Party conference and caused controversy by refusing to express regret over theBrighton hotel bombing.[11]
In 2011, whileMinister for Regional Development, Murphy appointed Seán Hogan, a Catholic, as head ofNorthern 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 colleaguesMichelle Gildernew andCaitríona Ruane, who were consulted about the appointment."[12] The tribunal found Murphy's evidence was "implausible and lack[ing] credibility", and that, during Murphy's tenure at theDepartment for Regional Development, there was a "material bias against the appointment of candidates from a Protestant background".[13] Murphy disputed the finding which he said branded him "sectarian".[14] DeputyFirst Minister of Northern IrelandMartin McGuinness defended him, claiming Murphy doesn't have "a sectarian bone in his body".[15]
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.[16][17]
In 2007, shortly after themurder of Paul Quinn, Conor Murphy said in an interview withSpotlight that "Paul Quinn was involved with smuggling and criminality and I think that everyone accepts that."[18][17][19]
During the2020 Irish general election Conor Murphys' comments were a point of discussion.[20] 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.[21] 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.[19] Breege Quinn repeated her call for him to resign as Minister for Finance at Stormont.[19] She said he "should finish off and get justice" for the Quinn family.[19] She said he should "go and tell the PSNI and theGardaí exactly who he was speaking to" in the IRA after the murder.[19] 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 inCullyhanna".[19]
Murphy contested the2025 Seanad election for theIndustrial and Commercial Panel. He confirmed that if elected he would resign from the Northern Ireland Assembly. Murphy dismissed claims that his candidacy was part of an attempt by the party to bolster its political team in the Republic saying that it was "very much about the constitutional debate [aboutreunification]".[22] He was elected on the final count.[23][24] He was replaced as minister byCaoimhe Archibald.[25] On 12 February 2025, Murphy was appointed as Leader of Sinn Féin in the Seanad.[26]
Murphy lives inCamlough with his wife, Catherine, and two children.[27] His brother Declan is a district councillor inNewry, Mourne and Down.[28]
| Northern Ireland Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| New assembly | MLA forNewry and Armagh 1998–2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | MLA forNewry and Armagh 2015–present | Incumbent |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forNewry and Armagh 2005–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Minister of Finance 2020–2022 | Succeeded by Caoimhe Archibald (2024) |
| Vacant Office suspended Title last held by Peter Robinson | Minister for Regional Development 2007–2011 | Succeeded by |
