Kieran McCarthy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Strangford | |
| In office 25 June 1998 – 30 March 2016 | |
| Preceded by | New Creation |
| Succeeded by | Kellie Armstrong |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 September 1942 Kircubbin, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Alliance |
| Spouse | Kathleen McCarthy |
Kieran McCarthy (born 9 September 1942) is a retired Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) politician. From 1998 to 2016 he was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Strangford. He served as Assembly chief whip for APNI in the Assembly.[1]
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),[2] 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 in particular, was against the supposedly aggressive style of governing from the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain.