Dáire Hughes (born 1990) is an Irish politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Newry and Armagh since 2024. He is the former and youngest ever Mayor of

Newry and Mourne District Council Newry and Mourne District Council () was a local council in Northern Ireland. It merged with Down District Council in May 2015 under local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland to become Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. It inclu ...

representing

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...

. In line with the party policy of abstentionism, he has not taken up his seat in the House.

Early life and education

Hughes is from the Meadow in

Newry Newry (; ) is a City status in Ireland, city in Northern Ireland, standing on the Newry River, Clanrye river in counties County Down, Down and County Armagh, Armagh. It is near Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border, the border with the ...

, Ireland. He was educated at St Patrick's Primary School and St Colman's College before attending

Queen's University Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...

in Belfast. Hughes has served as a

Union representative A union representative, union steward, or shop steward is an employee of an organization or company who represents and defends the interests of their fellow employees as a trades/labour union member and official. Rank-and-file members of the un ...

and has worked in the community voluntary sector in Newry and

Armagh Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...

Political Career

Dáire was coopted onto

for

, and chosen by the party as the youngest-ever mayor on the council. Dáire failed to secure a seat to the new Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. Dáire then served as a political advisor to the Sinn Féin team in the European Parliament, working on the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee and the Delegation for Relations with Palestine. Following the 2015 British General Election, Dáire focused on the work of the Constitutional Affairs Committee, charting the impending Brexit referendum. Dáire was appointed as Sinn Féin's political manager in the European Parliament, working with MEPs

Martina Anderson Martina Anderson (born 16 April 1962) is an Irish former politician from Northern Ireland who served as Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Foyle from 2020 to 2021, and previously from 2007 to 2012. A member of Sinn Féin, she served ...

, Matt Carthy,

Lynn Boylan Lynn Boylan (; born 29 November 1976) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the Dublin constituency since July 2024. She was previously an MEP for Dublin from 2014 to 2019. Fr ...

and

Liadh Ní Riada Liadh Ní Riada (; born 28 November 1966) is an Irish cultural activist and former Sinn Féin politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the South constituency from 2014 to 2019. She was the Sinn Féin candidate in th ...

. Following the end of the 2014-2019 mandate, Hughes took up a position within Sinn Féin majoring on the growing debate on Irish unity. In early 2020, Dáire was appointed Leas Ard Runaí (Deputy General Secretary) of Sinn Féin.

2024-present

In May 2024, Sinn Féin announced that Hughes would run in the

2024 United Kingdom general election The 2024 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday, 4 July 2024 to elect all 650 members of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons. The opposition Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, won a lan ...

, to succeed retiring Sinn Féin politician Mickey Brady as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Newry and Armagh. Hughes won the seat with 22,299 votes 15,493 more than the next highest performing candidate. Hughes received 2,012 more votes than Brady received in the previous election.

References

External links

Sinn Féin candidate profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Daire Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Sinn Féin MPs (post-1921) UK MPs 2024–present Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Newry and Armagh (since 1983) Trade unionists from Northern Ireland People educated at St Colman's College, Newry Alumni of Queen's University Belfast Sinn Féin councillors in Northern Ireland Members of Newry and Mourne District Council People from Newry Politicians from County Armagh