Declan Kearney
MLA
Kearney in 2022
Junior Minister at the Executive Office
In office
11 January 2020 – 5 May 2022
Preceded byMegan Fearon
Member of the Legislative Assembly
for South Antrim
Assumed office
5 May 2016
Preceded byMitchel McLaughlin
Personal details
Born (1964-12-19) 19 December 1964 (age 59)
Antrim, Northern Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partySinn Féin

Declan Kearney (born 19 December 1964) is an Irish republican politician in Northern Ireland who is the current National Chairman of Sinn Féin. Kearney was a Junior Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive from 2020 to 2022, and a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for South Antrim since 2016.[1]

Background

Originally from Antrim, he is the son of Oliver and Brigid (née Totten) Kearney.[1] He lived in Derry at the time of his election.[2][1]

Prior to his election as an MLA, Kearney served as National Chairman of Sinn Féin, in which capacity he apologised "for all the lives lost during the Troubles".[3] His brother, Ciarán Kearney, husband of Jane (née Donaldson), is the son-in-law of the late Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer and Sinn Féin politician Denis Donaldson, who was assassinated near Glenties in County Donegal after having been exposed as a British agent.[4]

Kearney was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly as one of six MLAs for South Antrim at the 2016 Assembly election, successfully retaining his seat at the 2017 and 2022 elections.

He was later appointed as a Junior Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive, following the restoration of the Assembly in January 2020; remaining in this position until May 2022.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Assembly Election 2016: Kearney 'delighted' to be elected in South Antrim". Newtownabbey Times. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Four SF city SPADS include bomber". Londonderry Sentinel. 23 May 2012. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Sinn Féin chairman Declan Kearney 'sorry' for all Troubles victims". BBC News. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Anatomy of murder". Belfast Telegraph. 15 April 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
Northern Ireland Assembly Preceded byMitchel McLaughlin MLA for South Antrim 2016–present Incumbent
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