Conor Murphy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Conor Murphy
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Murphy in 2022
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| Minister for the Economy | |
| Assumed office 3 February 2024 |
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| First Minister | Michelle O'Neill |
| Preceded by | Gordon Lyons (2022) |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 11 January 2020 – 27 October 2022 |
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| First Minister | Arlene Foster Paul Givan Vacant |
| Preceded by | Máirtín Ó Muilleoir |
| Succeeded by | Caoimhe Archibald (2024) |
| Minister for Regional Development | |
| In office 8 May 2007 – 16 May 2011 |
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| First Minister | Ian Paisley Peter Robinson |
| Preceded by | Peter Robinson |
| Succeeded by | Danny Kennedy |
| Member of Parliament for Newry and Armagh |
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| In office 5 May 2005 – 30 March 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Seamus Mallon |
| Succeeded by | Mickey Brady |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly for Newry and Armagh |
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| Assumed office 8 June 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Mickey Brady |
| In office 25 June 1998 – 2 July 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency created |
| Succeeded by | Megan Fearon |
| Member of Newry and Mourne District Council |
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| In office 17 May 1989 – 21 May 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Brendan Lewis |
| Succeeded by | Brendan Lewis |
| Constituency | The Fews |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 July 1963 Camlough, County Armagh, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | Sinn Féin |
| Spouse | Catherine |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Ulster Queen's University of Belfast |
| Website | Conor Murphy MLA |
Conor Terence Murphy (born 10 July 1963) is an Irish republican Sinn Féin politician, who has served as Minister for the Economy of Northern Ireland since 2024. He has been a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Newry and Armagh since 2015, having previously served as the Member of Parliament for Newry and Armagh from 2005 to 2015, observing the Sinn Fein policy of abstentionism.
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Early life
Murphy was born in Camlough, South Armagh and joined the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the 1981 hunger strikes. In 1982 he was sentenced to five years in prison for IRA membership and possession of explosives.
Political career
Between 1989 and 1997, he was a Sinn Féin councillor on Newry and Mourne District Council for The Fews area, in South Armagh and South Down, and served as his party's group leader at that level.
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.
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.
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.
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." 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". Murphy disputed the finding which he said branded him "sectarian". Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland Martin McGuinness defended him, claiming Murphy doesn't have "a sectarian bone in his body".
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.
Personal life
Murphy lives in Camlough with his wife, Catherine, and two children.
Murphy attended St Colman's College in Newry, County Down.
