Declan Kearney

Declan Kearney (born 19 December 1964) is an Irish republican politician in Northern Ireland who is the current National Chairman of Sinn Féin.^[1] 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.^[2]

Declan Kearney MLA
Kearney in 2022
Junior Minister Assisting the Deputy First Minister
In office 11 January 2020 – 5 May 2022 Serving with Gordon Lyons, Gary Middleton
Deputy FM	Michelle O'Neill
Preceded by	Megan Fearon
Succeeded by	Pam Cameron (2024)
Member of the Legislative Assembly for South Antrim
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 May 2016
Preceded by	Mitchel McLaughlin
Personal details
Born	(1964-12-19) 19 December 1964 (age 59) Antrim, Northern Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Sinn Féin

Background

Originally from Antrim, he is the son of Oliver and Brigid (née Totten) Kearney.^[2] He lived in Derry at the time of his election.^[3][2]

Before 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".^[4] 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.^[5]

Kearney was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly as one of six MLAs for South Antrim at the 2016 Assembly election,^[6] retaining his seat at the 2017 and 2022 elections.^[7]

He was later appointed as a Junior Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive, following the restoration of the Assembly in January 2020;^[8] remaining in this position until May 2022.^[9]

References

1. "Declan Kearney MLA". Sinn Féin. Retrieved 22 April 2024. Currently he is the Sinn Féin National Chairperson and has been central to the Party's all-Ireland development, and its negotiations and reconciliation strategies.
2. "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.
3. "Four SF city SPADS include bomber". Londonderry Sentinel. 23 May 2012. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
4. "Sinn Féin chairman Declan Kearney 'sorry' for all Troubles victims". BBC News. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
5. "Anatomy of murder". Belfast Telegraph. 15 April 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
6. McKeown, Gareth (9 May 2016). "DUP candidates take three seats in South Antrim". The Irish News. Retrieved 22 April 2024. Elected: Paul Girvan (DUP), Pam Cameron (DUP), Declan Kearney (SF), David Ford (Alliance), Steve Aiken (UUP) and Trevor Clarke (DUP).
7. Kula, Adam (12 May 2022). "ELECTION 2022: South Antrim – Sinn Fein's all-Ireland chairman Declan Kearney trounces all to seize seat". The Newsletter. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
8. Manley, John (13 January 2020). "John O'Dowd misses out on executive seat". The Irish News. Retrieved 22 April 2024. SINN Féin national chairman Declan Kearney has been appointed as a Stormont junior minister alongside the DUP's assembly chief whip Gordon Lyons.
9. "MLA Details: Mr Declan Kearney". www.niassembly.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2024.

Northern Ireland Assembly
Preceded by Mitchel McLaughlin	MLA for South Antrim 2016–present	Incumbent