Kieran McCarthy

Infobox Politician


name=Kieran McCarthy MLA
width=144px
term_start=1998
term_end=
predecessor=
successor=
birth_date=birth date and age|1942|9|9
birth_place=Kircubbin, Northern Ireland
constituency=Strangford
party=Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
office=MLA
spouse=
website= [http://www.allianceparty.org/pages/people-MCCARTHY-Kieran.html Alliance profile]

Kieran McCarthy (born 9 September, 1942) is a Northern Ireland politician, member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Strangford and Assembly chief whip for the Alliance Party.

McCarthy was born in Newtownards and worked as a draper. In 1985 he was first elected to Ards Borough Council. In 1990 he became a Justice of the Peace. He was then elected to the Northern Ireland Peace Forum in 1996 from Strangford and has subsequently won a Northern Ireland Assembly seat there in all three elections to that body. In the 2007 elections his seat was targeted by the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) [http://votesdlp.blogspot.com/2007/02/tribune-identifies-key-targets-for-sdlp.html] , but he won easily with a significantly increased vote.

He has stated his appreciation for the Good Friday Agreement on a number of occasions, but believes a more party-aligned/devolved agreement would work more effectively.

McCarthy has stated his strong dislike for Direct Rule, causing a major democratic deficit, and is against the supposedly aggressive governing from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain.