Dáire Hughes is the Sinn Féin MP for Newry and Armagh, having first been elected to parliament at the 2024 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Hughes received 22,299 votes (48.5%). The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) candidate, Pete Byrne, received 6,806 votes (14.8%), while the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) candidate, Gareth Wilson, secured 5,900 votes (12.8%). Hughes was elected with a majority of 15,493 votes.

The Newry and Armagh constituency is located in Northern Ireland. The seat, created in 1983, has been held by Sinn Féin since 2005. Prior to that, it was held by the SDLP (1986-2005) and the Ulster Unionist Party (1983-1986).

Hughes’s immediate predecessor as the MP for Newry and Armagh was Mickey Brady of Sinn Féin. Brady held the seat from 2015 to 2024.

Political Career

In line with Sinn Féin’s longstanding policy of abstentionism, Hughes does not take her seat in the House of Commons. Sinn Féin MPs focus on constituency work and activity within Ireland.

In the foreword to Sinn Féin’s manifesto for the 2024 general election, the party’s leader, Mary Lou McDonald, said Sinn Féin MPs would work “hard as part of a strong all-Ireland Sinn Féin team to deliver for all our people and communities.”

The manifesto added: “We want a stronger and fairer economy that delivers good jobs that pay well, offers workers secure conditions, and supports local business.”

In his 2024 victory speech, Hughes pledged to work for a united Ireland to “reach our economic, cultural and social potential”.

He added: “This election was about endorsing strong leadership and positive change and the people of Newry and Armagh have done just that.”

Hughes serves as deputy general secretary of Sinn Féin (since 2020).

Before his election as an MP, Hughes was co-opted onto Newry and Mourne District Council for Sinn Féin in January 2014. He served as the final mayor of Newry and Mourne from 2014 until the council was abolished and replaced in 2015. He subsequently lost his seat in the election for the successor Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

Hughes later worked in Brussels as political manager for Sinn Féin in the European Parliament.

Political Views

Hughes represents Sinn Féin, an Irish republican and democratic socialist party. The party’s core policies include advocating for a united Ireland and promoting left-wing economic and social policies.

Sinn Féin’s abstentionist policy is derived from its belief that the parliament at Westminster is illegitimate, and that its authority over Ireland rests on British sovereignty which the party does not recognise. Consequently, Sinn Féin MPs refuse to take their seats in the House of Commons, as doing so would require swearing an oath of allegiance to the British monarch, which the party regards as incompatible with its republican principles.

Before Politics

Born in 1990 in Newry, Northern Ireland, Hughes grew up in the Meadow area of the city. He attended St Patrick’s Primary School and St Colman’s College, both in Newry. He later attended Queen’s University Belfast.

Personal Life

Hughes lives in his Newry and Armagh constituency.

Trivia

Hughes was the youngest ever mayor of the Newry and Mourne District Council.