People Before Profit/Solidarity
People Before Profit/Solidarity ( ga, Pobal Roimh Bhrabús/Dlúthphairtíocht, PBPS, PBP/S, or S-PBP) is a left-wing electoral alliance in the Republic of Ireland. It was formed by members of two socialist political parties in the Republic of I ...
politician who has been a
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála ( , ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). It is the equivalent of terms such as ''Member of Parli ...
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament.
When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...
(MEP) for the
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
constituency from 2011 to 2014.
He was previously a member of the
Socialist Party
Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...
and
Solidarity
''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio ...
, but left in September 2019 to form a new party,
RISE
Rise or RISE may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world
* Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3''
* Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...
. In February 2021, RISE joined
People Before Profit
People Before Profit ( ga, Pobal Roimh Bhrabús, PBP) is a left-wing to far-left Trotskyist political party formed in October 2005. It is active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
History
PBP was established in 2005 as t ...
as a network, and Murphy became a TD for the party.
Early life
Murphy grew up in
Goatstown
Goatstown () is a small Southside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. To the west is Dundrum, to the east is Blackrock, to the south is Sandyford, and to the north Ranelagh. It is mainly a residential area, with a primary school called Our Lady’s Gro ...
, a suburb of
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. He attended
St Kilian's German School
St Kilian's German School (Deutsche Schule Dublin - DSD) is an independent German international school in Dublin, Ireland.
Programme
St Kilian's is legally a single organisation, with a primary school, offering kindergarten (junior infants) an ...
in
Clonskeagh
Clonskeagh or Clonskea (, meaning "meadow of the Crataegus monogyna, Whitethorn"; pronounced ), is a small southern suburb of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The district straddles the River Dodder.
Location and access
Clonskeagh is a t ...
and later the
Institute Of Education
IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society (IOE) is the education school of University College London (UCL). It specialises in postgraduate study and research in the field of education and is one of UCL's 11 constituent faculties. Prior to m ...
on
Leeson Street
__NOTOC__
Leeson Street (; ) is a thoroughfare near central Dublin, Ireland.
Location
The street is divided into two parts by the Grand Canal: Lower Leeson Street, in Dublin 2 is to the north of the canal, linking to St Stephen's Green, with ...
. His father Kieran Murphy was a senior manager at the Irish division of
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
. His uncle
Michael Murphy Michael, Mick, or Mike Murphy may refer to:
Artists and entertainers
* Michael Murphy (actor) (born 1938), American actor
* Mike Murphy (musician) (1946–2006), American drummer for the Bee Gees and Chicago
* Michael Bryan Murphy, lead singer ...
was a journalist and broadcaster at
RTÉ
(RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...
. His family is originally from
Castlebar
Castlebar () is the county town of County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Developing around a 13th century castle of the de Barry family, de Barry family, from which the town got its name, the town now acts as a social and economic focal poi ...
,
County Mayo
County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...
. He studied for the Leaving Certificate at the
Institute of Education
IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society (IOE) is the education school of University College London (UCL). It specialises in postgraduate study and research in the field of education and is one of UCL's 11 constituent faculties. Prior to m ...
, before going on to graduate from
University College Dublin
University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...
with a degree in law in 2004. He joined the
Socialist Party
Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of th ...
in 2001. In 2004, he ran unsuccessfully, for President of the
UCD Students' Union
University College Dublin Students' Union (UCDSU; ga, Aontas na Mac Léinn COBÁC) is the students' union of University College Dublin. It is the largest students' union in Ireland.
The Union was founded in 1975 as the successor of the Student Re ...
. Murphy also worked in the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
as a political advisor to the MEPJoe Higgins.
A 2008 short film described him as a full-time
activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
for the Socialist Party. It followed his involvement in protests against cutbacks at Tallaght Hospital, during the
Irish financial crisis
The post-2008 Irish economic downturn in the Republic of Ireland, coincided with a series of banking scandals, followed the 1990s and 2000s Celtic Tiger period of rapid real economic growth fuelled by foreign direct investment, a subsequent pr ...
. He was also active in Free Education for Everyone, a group that campaigned against the reintroduction of fees for third-level education in Ireland. In 2009, he worked on a PhD thesis titled ''Does socialist law exist?''.
He was a member of the Socialist Party National Committee from 2001 and the National Executive Committee until 2010.
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
after Higgins was elected to
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland read ...
Petitions
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication.
In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to some offici ...
committees. He was also a full member of the South Asia delegation and a substitute on the Central Asia delegation.
In 2011, Murphy participated in
Freedom Flotilla II
"Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human" was a flotilla that planned to break the Blockade of the Gaza Strip (2007-present), maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel by sailing to Gaza on 5 July 2011. Ultimately, the sailing did not take pl ...
, which attempted to breach
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
's
blockade of the Gaza Strip
The blockade of the Gaza Strip is the ongoing land, air, and sea blockade of the Gaza Strip imposed by Israel and Egypt temporarily in 2005–2006 and permanently from 2007 onwards, following the Israeli disengagement from Gaza.
The block ...
. In August 2011, he visited the "No TAV" Italian campaign against the
Turin–Lyon high-speed railway
The Turin–Lyon high-speed railway is an international rail line under construction between the cities of Turin and Lyon. It is intended to link the Italian and French high-speed rail networks and will be long.
The core of the project is it ...
. A supporter of the
Shell to Sea
Shell to Sea ( ga, Shell chun Sáile) is an Irish organisation based in the parish of Kilcommon in Erris, County Mayo.
It opposes the proposed construction of a natural gas Gas pipeline, pipeline through the parish, as well as the ongoing const ...
campaign, in August 2011, he and others were forcibly removed from a protest by Gardaí. A complaint was submitted to the Garda Ombudsman alleging unreasonable use of force. In early November 2011, Murphy was reported to be part of another Gaza flotilla described as a
humanitarian
Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...
mission. Israeli forces boarded the ship on 4 November and imprisoned Murphy and all the other activists on board, with one of them saying this was carried out in a "violent and dangerous" manner. Israel deported Murphy on 11 November.
In 2012, Murphy set up the website ScamBridge.org for people wishing to share their experiences of the government's
JobBridge
JobBridge was a national internship scheme formulated in 2011 by the government of Ireland.
Format
JobBridge's stated aim was to "assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers were unable to get a job without experience." €50 was added to the t ...
scheme. In June 2013, he travelled to
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
, Turkey, to speak with activists participating in the
Gezi Park protests
A wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Turkey began on 28 May 2013, initially to contest the urban development plan for Istanbul's Taksim Gezi Park. The protests were sparked by outrage at the violent eviction of a sit-in at the park prote ...
. In 2013 while discussing the Israel-Palestine conflict, Murphy argued that "Palestinians have a right to defend themselves against that aggression and that may involve armed defence against soldiers"
Murphy stood for re-election at the
2014 European Parliament election
The 2014 European Parliament election was held in the European Union, from 22 to 25 May 2014.
It was the 8th parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979, and the first in which the European political parties fielded candid ...
, at which he lost his seat. During the campaign he put his election posters on display before the official campaign start date, a move which risked fines of up to €150,000. He said "people wouldn't be bothered" and defended the move as a response to
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christian- ...
candidate
Mary Fitzpatrick
Mary Fitzpatrick (born 20 February 1969) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as a Senator since June 2020, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.
Early life
Fitzpatrick is from the Navan Road in Dublin and was educated at Our ...
, who had also put up her posters early.
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Dhún Laoghaire–Ráth an Dúin) is the authority responsible for local government in the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that s ...
and
South Dublin County Council
South Dublin County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Átha Cliath Theas) is the authority responsible for local government in the county of South Dublin, Ireland. It is one of three local authorities created by the Local Government (Dublin) Act ...
forced him to remove them. During the campaign, the
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) ( ga, Údarás Craolacháin na hÉireann) was established on 1 October 2009 effectively replacing the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) ( ga, Coimisiún Craolacháin na hÉireann).
The BAI is ...
(BAI) upheld a complaint against the Irish state broadcaster RTÉ which excluded Murphy from a report on the findings of a ''Sunday Business Post''/Red C opinion poll on a news programme which they aired on 3 May 2014.
Dáil Éireann: 2014–present
Murphy was elected to Dáil Éireann for the
Anti-Austerity Alliance
Solidarity ( ga, Neart le Chéile), formerly known as the Anti-Austerity Alliance (AAA), is a socialist political party in Ireland, launched in 2014. It had been registered as a political party to contest local elections, and ran at least forty c ...
, at the 2014 Dublin South-West by-election.
As a TD for the Anti-Austerity Alliance and member of the Socialist Party, Murphy took a leading role in the We Won't Pay campaign, an anti-water charges organisation advocating non-payment. He spoke at many rallies and protests against both the charges and the
Fine Gael
Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil ...
- Labour Party coalition government. His role during a protest against
Tánaiste
The Tánaiste ( , ) is the deputy head of the government of Ireland and thus holder of its second-most senior office. The Tánaiste is appointed by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach. The current office holder is former Taoi ...
Joan Burton
Joan Burton (born 1 February 1949) is a former Irish Labour Party politician who served as Tánaiste and Leader of the Labour Party from 2014 to 2016, Minister for Social Protection from 2011 to 2016, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 2 ...
, in
Jobstown
Jobstown (; ) is a suburb of Tallaght, and so an outer suburb of Dublin, in the administrative county of South Dublin, Ireland.
History
Jobstown takes its name from Henry Jope, who held land here in the 1250s.
Jobstown was historically a small ...
, Dublin on 15 November 2014, brought criticism from some quarters after Burton's car was blocked, and she was unable to leave it for over two hours. Afterward, Murphy distanced himself from the actions of some protesters but defended the right to peaceful protest.
On 9 February 2015, he was arrested by Gardaí at his home, in relation to the Jobstown protest, and taken into custody along with three other anti-austerity activists. He was released without charge that afternoon.
On 12 August 2015, Paul Reynolds reported on RTÉ's ''Nine O'Clock News'' bulletin that Murphy and others would be charged and that trials would occur in the Circuit Court, where penalties are harsher, instead of the District Court. On 15 September 2015, Murphy was served a summons by the Gardaí on charges of false imprisonment of Joan Burton and her assistant. On 29 June 2017, Murphy and five other defendants, including Solidarity
Council
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
lors Kieran Mahon and Mick Murphy, were found not guilty of all charges.
Murphy was re-elected to the Dáil for the Dublin South-West constituency at the 2016 general election, as a member of the AAA–PBP grouping. He left the Socialist Party in September 2019, but did not leave the parliamentary group (known since 2017 as
Solidarity–People Before Profit
People Before Profit/Solidarity ( ga, Pobal Roimh Bhrabús/Dlúthphairtíocht, PBPS, PBP/S, or S-PBP) is a left-wing electoral alliance in the Republic of Ireland. It was formed by members of two socialist political parties in the Republic of I ...
).
On 30 September 2019, Murphy announced a new political group called RISE (Radical Internationalist Socialist Environmentalist). He was re-elected at the 2020 general election as a RISE candidate.
In February 2021, Murphy became a member of People Before Profit after RISE's entry into the party.
Murphy has advocated in favour of Ireland's neutrality. In April 2022, he defended the decision of People Before Profit TDs not applauding
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, ; russian: Владимир Александрович Зеленский, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelenskyy, (born 25 January 1978; also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy) is a Ukrainian politicia ...
's address to the Dáil.
In September 2022, Murphy was assaulted by protesters outside
Leinster House
Leinster House ( ga, Teach Laighean) is the seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Ireland. Originally, it was the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, ...
