Catherine Murphy (politician)
Encyclopedia
Catherine Murphy is an Irish
Independent
politician from Leixlip
in County Kildare
. She was re-elected to Dáil Éireann
in February 2011 having served as a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Kildare North constituency from 2005–2007.
in Dublin but moved to Leixlip in 1978. She is married to Derek Murphy and have two children.
in 1983. She first held political office in 1988 when she was elected to Leixlip Town Commission, representing the Workers' Party. She stood unsuccessfully as a Workers' Party
candidate for the Leinster constituency
at the 1989 European Parliament election
and for the Kildare constituency
at the 1989 general election
.
In 1991 she was elected to Kildare County Council
as a Workers' Party councillor for Celbridge
. When the Workers' Party split in 1992, she followed Proinsias De Rossa
into the new Democratic Left
, and stood unsuccessfully as a Democratic Left candidate in Kildare at the 1992
and 1997
general elections.
After the Democratic Left's merger with the Labour Party
in 1999, she was re-elected to the County Council for Leixlip, and also won a seat on Leixlip Town Council.
Charlie McCreevy
, the Fianna Fáil
TD for Kildare North, resigned from the Dáil in November 2004 when he was appointed as a European Commissioner
. Murphy contested the resulting by-election in March 2005
as an independent candidate, and won the seat. On a low turnout, she polled slightly fewer first-preference votes than Fianna Fáil's Áine Brady
, but was elected on the fifth count. Her by-election campaign had the backing of several other prominent independent TDs such as Tony Gregory
and Marian Harkin
. Murphy's campaign was based on such issues as transport, local government, affordable housing and education, and after her victory she promised to be a "thorn in the side" of the government.
At the 2007 general election, she lost her seat to her by-election opponent, Áine Brady. Brady was elected on the first and Murphy held on until the last count when Fine Gael
's Bernard Durkan
reached the quota through by transfers from his eliminated running mate.
In July 2008, she regained the council seat she had formerly held before her election as a TD (due to the dual mandate
) when the councillor that replaced her, Gerry McDonagh, resigned his seat.
She was re-elected to the council at the 2009 local elections
, topping the poll with over 2,000 more votes than the quota. She was also re-elected to Leixlip Town Council topping the poll.
Murphy officiated as the group leader for the other independent councillors, Paddy Kennedy, Seamie Moore and Pádraig McEvoy on Kildare County Council.
Murphy regained her Dáil seat on 26 February 2011 together with Bernard Durkan and Anthony Lawlor (Fine Gael) and Emmet Stagg (Labour). Áine Brady was eliminated at the fourth count. She sits in the Technical Group
where she is the chief whip.
On 20 September, Murphy confirmed she had signed papers nominating David Norris for an appearance on the ballot paper at the Irish presidential election, 2011 to, she said, "ensure that [Senator David Norris] can be judged not by fellow politicians but by the people of Ireland."
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
politician from Leixlip
Leixlip
-Politics:Since 1988 Leixlip has had a nine member Town Council , headed by a Cathaoirleach , which has control over many local matters, although it is limited in that it is not also a planning authority...
in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
. She was re-elected to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
in February 2011 having served as a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for the Kildare North constituency from 2005–2007.
Early and personal life
Murphy was raised in PalmerstownPalmerstown
Palmerstown , occasionally referred to as Palmerston, is a suburb of Dublin,Ireland. It is located about 8km west of the city centre, in the administrative county of South Dublin. The area is bordered to the north by the River Liffey, to the west by Lucan, to the south by Ballyfermot and to theeast...
in Dublin but moved to Leixlip in 1978. She is married to Derek Murphy and have two children.
Workers' Party of Ireland and Democratic Left
Originally she became involved in campaigns against high local service charges in Leixlip, she joined the Workers' Party of IrelandWorkers' Party of Ireland
The Workers' Party is a left-wing republican political party in Ireland. Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970 after a split within the party, adopting its current name in 1982....
in 1983. She first held political office in 1988 when she was elected to Leixlip Town Commission, representing the Workers' Party. She stood unsuccessfully as a Workers' Party
Workers' Party of Ireland
The Workers' Party is a left-wing republican political party in Ireland. Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970 after a split within the party, adopting its current name in 1982....
candidate for the Leinster constituency
Leinster (European Parliament constituency)
-1999 election:Alan Gillis lost his seat to his party running mate Avril Doyle.-1994 election:Alan Gillis replaced his party colleague Patrick Cooney who had stepped down...
at the 1989 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 1989 (Ireland)
The 1989 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 1989 European Parliament election. The election was conducted under the single transferable vote.-Results:-Voting details:-See also:...
and for the Kildare constituency
Kildare (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Kildare was a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas from 1923 to 1937 and from 1948 to 1997...
at the 1989 general election
Irish general election, 1989
The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Thursday, 15 June 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 25 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 26th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 29 June...
.
In 1991 she was elected to Kildare County Council
Kildare County Council
Kildare County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Kildare in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The council is governed by the Local Government...
as a Workers' Party councillor for Celbridge
Celbridge
Celbridge is a town and townland on the River Liffey in County Kildare, Ireland. It is west of Dublin. As a town within the Dublin Metropolitan Area and the Greater Dublin Area, it is located at the intersection of the R403 and R405 regional roads....
. When the Workers' Party split in 1992, she followed Proinsias De Rossa
Proinsias De Rossa
Proinsias De Rossa is an Irish Labour Party politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Dublin constituency. He a former President of the Workers' Party and subsequently leader of Democratic Left, and later, a senior member of the Labour Party. He was Minister for Social Welfare from...
into the new Democratic Left
Democratic Left (Ireland)
Democratic Left was a democratic socialist political party active in Ireland between 1992 and 1999. It came into being after a split in the Workers' Party and, after just seven years in existence, it merged into the Irish Labour Party.-Origins:...
, and stood unsuccessfully as a Democratic Left candidate in Kildare at the 1992
Irish general election, 1992
The Irish general election of 1992 was held on Wednesday, 25 November 1992, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 5 November. However, after difficulties in forming a government the newly elected 166 members of the 27th Dáil did not assemble at Leinster House until 4 January 1993...
and 1997
Irish general election, 1997
The Irish general election of 1997 was held on Friday, 6 June 1997. The 166 newly elected members of the 28th Dáil assembled on 26 June 1997 when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
general elections.
After the Democratic Left's merger with the Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
in 1999, she was re-elected to the County Council for Leixlip, and also won a seat on Leixlip Town Council.
Independent
She left the Labour Party and stood as an independent candidate at the 2004 local elections and was re-elected to both council seats.Charlie McCreevy
Charlie McCreevy
Charles "Charlie" McCreevy is a former Irish politician. He was the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services from 2004–2010. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil TD in 1977 and held the seat in Kildare until 2004 when he became Ireland's European Commissioner...
, the Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
TD for Kildare North, resigned from the Dáil in November 2004 when he was appointed as a European Commissioner
European Commissioner
A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each Member within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission...
. Murphy contested the resulting by-election in March 2005
Kildare North by-election, 2005
-See also:* List of Irish by-elections* Parliamentary constituencies in the Republic of Ireland...
as an independent candidate, and won the seat. On a low turnout, she polled slightly fewer first-preference votes than Fianna Fáil's Áine Brady
Áine Brady
Áine Brady is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She was a Teachta Dála for the Kildare North constituency from 2007 to 2011, and also served as a Minister of State....
, but was elected on the fifth count. Her by-election campaign had the backing of several other prominent independent TDs such as Tony Gregory
Tony Gregory
Tony Gregory was an Irish Independent politician and a Teachta Dála for the Dublin Central constituency from 1982 to 2009.-Early life:...
and Marian Harkin
Marian Harkin
Marian Harkin is an Irish politician and is currently a Member of the European Parliament for the North-West constituency....
. Murphy's campaign was based on such issues as transport, local government, affordable housing and education, and after her victory she promised to be a "thorn in the side" of the government.
At the 2007 general election, she lost her seat to her by-election opponent, Áine Brady. Brady was elected on the first and Murphy held on until the last count when Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
's Bernard Durkan
Bernard Durkan
Bernard J. Durkan is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Kildare North constituency.He was born in Killasser, County Mayo, and educated at St...
reached the quota through by transfers from his eliminated running mate.
In July 2008, she regained the council seat she had formerly held before her election as a TD (due to the dual mandate
Dual mandate
A dual mandate is the practice in which elected officials served in more than one elected or other public position simultaneously. This practice is known as double jobbing in Britain and distinguished from double dipping in the United States For example, suppose a...
) when the councillor that replaced her, Gerry McDonagh, resigned his seat.
She was re-elected to the council at the 2009 local elections
Irish local elections, 2009
The 2009 Irish local elections were held in all the counties, cities and towns of Ireland on Friday, 5 June 2009, on the same day as the European Parliament election and two by-elections .-Overview:...
, topping the poll with over 2,000 more votes than the quota. She was also re-elected to Leixlip Town Council topping the poll.
Murphy officiated as the group leader for the other independent councillors, Paddy Kennedy, Seamie Moore and Pádraig McEvoy on Kildare County Council.
Murphy regained her Dáil seat on 26 February 2011 together with Bernard Durkan and Anthony Lawlor (Fine Gael) and Emmet Stagg (Labour). Áine Brady was eliminated at the fourth count. She sits in the Technical Group
Technical Group
In Irish politics, a technical group is a parliamentary group of Teachtaí Dála who associate to increase their speaking rights in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas.-Origin and policy:...
where she is the chief whip.
On 20 September, Murphy confirmed she had signed papers nominating David Norris for an appearance on the ballot paper at the Irish presidential election, 2011 to, she said, "ensure that [Senator David Norris] can be judged not by fellow politicians but by the people of Ireland."