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Kieran McCarthy

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Kieran McCarthy
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Strangford
In office
25 June 1998 – 30 March 2016
Preceded byNew Creation
Succeeded byKellie Armstrong
Member of
Ards Borough Council
In office
15 May 1985 – 22 May 2014
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byCouncil abolished
ConstituencyArds Peninsula
Northern Ireland Forum Member
for Strangford
In office
30 May 1996 – 25 April 1998
Preceded byForum created
Succeeded byForum dissolved
Personal details
Born (1942-09-09) 9 September 1942 (age 82)
Newtownards, Northern Ireland
Political partyAlliance
SpouseKathleen McCarthy

Kieran McCarthy (born 9 September 1942) is a retired Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) politician. From 1998 to 2016 he was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Strangford. He served as Assembly chief whip for APNI in the Assembly.[1]

Background

[edit]

McCarthy was born in Newtownards and worked as a draper. In 1985 he was first elected to Ards Borough Council. In 1990 he became a Justice of the Peace. He was then elected to the Northern Ireland Peace Forum in 1996 from Strangford and has subsequently won a Northern Ireland Assembly seat there in all three elections to that body. In the 2007 elections his seat was targeted by the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP),[2] but he won easily with a significantly increased vote.

He has stated his appreciation for the Good Friday Agreement on a number of occasions but believes a more party-aligned/devolved agreement would work more effectively.

McCarthy has stated his strong dislike for Direct Rule, causing a major democratic deficit, and in particular, was against the supposedly aggressive style of governing from the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Minister's remarks about gays 'are still deeply offensive'". The News Letter. 6 September 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Tribune Identifies Key Targets for SDLP". Social Democratic and Labour Party. 5 February 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
Northern Ireland Forum
New forum Member for Strangford
1996–1998
Forum dissolved
Northern Ireland Assembly
New assembly MLA for Strangford
1998–2016
Succeeded by