Ex-Social Democrats co-heads Róisín Shortall and Catherine Murphy have declared that they plan to retire at the upcoming general election. They shared their decision on a Tuesday morning, explaining that it was an opportune moment for fresh faces to come forth.
Catherine Murphy expressed her deep-rooted enthusiasm for her career, tackling pressing issues related to the societal, environmental, economic, and governmental fields. She considered it an honour to voice the concerns of the North Kildare community and thanked them for their unwavering trust over the years.
She assured that she’d remain active in political matters, offering her support to Holly Cairns and the incoming generation of politicians both in Kildare and beyond, to advocate for a future grounded on social democratic principles.
Róisín Shortall shared her sentiments, having served as a TD for Dublin North West for more than three decades, she expressed pride in her public service role. She emphasised the representation of her constituents and active participation in national debates as central to her role as a TD. For Shortall, the ability of politics to improve life quality and drive fair, progressive change forms the basis of her career-long endeavour.
The beginning of Catherine Murphy’s full-time political journey goes back to the year 1991 when she affiliated herself with the Worker’s Party as a member on Kildare County Council. Her political involvement started in 1983 when she took part in local campaigning. Over her career, she has been associated with Democratic Left and the Labour Party before embracing an Independent political identity.
Her election journey was not smooth-sailing, as she faced opposition from sitting TD Emmet Stagg when she had planned to stand for Labour in 2002, which led to her withdrawal. After a similar clash, she parted ways with the Labour Party in June 2003.
Her inaugural appointment to the Dáil occurred via a by-election in March of 2005, succeeding Charlie McCreevy of Fianna Fáil who was departing for the EU commissioner. She, unfortunately, forfeited the seat in 2007, only to re-acquire it in 2011. A native of Dublin, she resides in Leixlip alongside her spouse, Derek Murphy, and their two offspring – one boy and one girl.
Come July 2015, she co-founded the Social Democrats in association with Ms. Shortall and Stephen Donnelly, the latter currently serving as Health Minister and a TD for Fianna Fáil. After Donnelly’s departure, she managed the party with Ms Shortall up until February 2023, deciding then that it was appropriate to “pass the baton” to a fresh leader. Shortly after their decision, Holly Cairns was selected as the party leader.
There had been requests for a leadership election from several members and councillors of the Social Democrats in 2021. Nevertheless, they obtained unanimous support from the party’s TDs at the time, and a preparatory letter that was making rounds among the activists was never dispatched to the party’s main office.
Through her involvement with the Public Accounts Committee, Ms Murphy enjoys a high media profile nationally. Her revelations in the Dáil regarding the interactions between the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, the former Anglo Irish Bank, and Siteserv, a company acquired by business mogul Denis O’Brien, has further amplified her national prominence.
Ms Shortall, aged 70, is one of the Labour TDs who got swept into the Dáil on the “Spring tide” wave in 1992, maintaining her high profile ever since. Her initial political victory transpired in 1991 through her election to the Dublin Corporation.
The commencement of her 2011 Dáil term witnessed her as a Labour minister of state for health, marking the first instance where the party secured two seats in the constituency. However, her tenure ended five years later, with her being estranged from Labour and in the opposition ranks. She then became a founding member of the Social Democrats, co-leading with Ms. Murphy until February 2023, at which time they transferred leadership to Ms. Cairns.
A former primary school teacher, Ms. Shortall is married and has three daughters. Raised in Drumcondra, she attended the Dominican College, Eccles Street, followed by UCD, where she obtained a BA in economics and politics.
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