Megan Fearon
Megan Fearon (born 29 July 1991) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for the Newry and Armagh constituency since June 2012.[1]
Megan Fearon | |
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Member of the Legislative Assembly for Newry and Armagh | |
In office 2 July 2012 – 6 January 2020 | |
Preceded by | Conor Murphy |
Succeeded by | Liz Kimmins |
Junior Minister at the Executive Office | |
In office 25 May 2016 – 26 January 2017 | |
Preceded by | Jennifer McCann |
Succeeded by | Declan Kearney |
Personal details | |
Born | Drumintee, Northern Ireland | 29 July 1991
Nationality | Irish |
Political party | Sinn Féin |
Alma mater | Queen's University Belfast |
She is the party's spokesperson for women, children and young people,[2] and has been named as a government minister in the next Northern Ireland Executive.[3]
Career
Fearon was selected by her party to succeed her party colleague Conor Murphy, an abstentionist MP in the parliament of the United Kingdom, who had resigned from the Assembly as part of Sinn Féin's policy of abolishing double jobbing.
Coming from a well-known republican family in Drumintee in South Armagh,[4] at the time of her selection, Fearon had just completed her last year at Queen's University Belfast, where she took a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.[1] Before her selection, Fearon had campaigned for Sinn Féin and had worked to raise mental health and drug awareness.[1] She replaced party colleague Chris Hazzard as the youngest MLA.
Fearon was re-elected in the 2016 election.[5] It was subsequently announced that she is among four Sinn Féin MLAs who will be joining the next Northern Ireland Executive as ministers.[3]
In December 2019, Fearon announced that she was stepping down as a Sinn Fein representative and that while she would remain a political activist, her time in elected politics was over.
References
- Sinn Fein to appoint Megan Fearon as Stormont's youngest MLA, BBC News, 26 June 2012
- "Sinn Féin unveils new Assembly ministerial team". An Phoblacht. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- "Martin McGuinness names Sinn Fein Stormont Executive ministers". Belfast Telegraph. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- Breen, Suzanne (25 May 2016). "SF unveils ministers without any IRA past". Belfast Telegraph. p. 9.
- "DUP's William Irwin tops poll in Newry and Armagh". Portadown Times. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
External links
Northern Ireland Assembly | ||
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Preceded by Conor Murphy |
MLA for Newry and Armagh 2012–2020 |
Incumbent |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by Jennifer McCann |
Junior Minister 2016–2017 |
Vacant Office suspended |