Órfhlaith Begley

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Órfhlaith Begley
MP
Begley in 2019
Member of Parliament
for West Tyrone
Assumed office
3 May 2018
Preceded byBarry McElduff
Majority15,917 (36.5%)
Personal details
Born
Órfhlaith Acife Begley

(1991-12-19) 19 December 1991 (age 32)
Carrickmore, Northern Ireland
Political partySinn Féin
Spouse
Conor Carson
​
(m. 2022)​
Alma materQueen's University Belfast

Órfhlaith Acife Begley (/ˈɔːrlə/; born 19 December 1991) is a Sinn Féin politician from Northern Ireland. She is Member of Parliament (MP) for West Tyrone, having first won the seat in a by-election on 3 May 2018. Prior to her political career, Begley was a solicitor.

Early life and career

Órfhlaith Acife Begley[1] was born on 19 December 1991 in Carrickmore, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.[2] She is the daughter of former Sinn Féin Omagh District Council chairman Seán Begley.[3] Begley grew up in Carrickmore, and played Gaelic football at the local club.[4] She studied Law and Politics at the Queen's University Belfast.[5] She then studied at the Institute of Professional and Legal Studies, graduating as a solicitor. Begley then worked as a solicitor in Portadown, County Armagh with her brother.[4]

Political career

Begley was selected as the Sinn Féin candidate for West Tyrone in the 2018 West Tyrone by-election on 26 February. The by-election had been called following the resignation of the previous Sinn Féin MP Barry McElduff on 15 January.[3] She was elected with a majority of 7,956.[6] Begley was the first female MP to represent the constituency since it was created in 1997.[5] She held the seat in the 2019 general election with a majority of 7,478.[7] She does not sit in the House of Commons, given her party's long-standing policy of abstentionism.[5]

Personal life

Begley became engaged to engineer Conor Carson in February 2021, and they married on 29 December 2022 in Carrickmore.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ "No. 8218". The Belfast Gazette. 23 December 2019. p. 1002.
  2. ^ Dale, Iain (2019). The Honourable Ladies : Volume II: Profiles of Women MPs 1997–2019. La Vergne: Biteback Publishing. ISBN 9781785904479.
  3. ^ a b Bell, Jonathan (26 February 2018). "Sinn Fein picks solicitor Orfhlaith Begley (26) to fight candidate West Tyrone by-election". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  4. ^ a b Breen, Suzanne (5 May 2018). "Party's latest female face ticks right boxes but has to up game". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "Órfhlaith Begley profile: Who is the new West Tyrone MP?". BBC News. 4 May 2018. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  6. ^ "SF's Begley wins West Tyrone by-election". BBC News. 4 May 2018. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  7. ^ Keena, Colm (13 December 2019). "West Tyrone: Órfhlaith Begley wins comfortably for Sinn Féin". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  8. ^ Leebody, Christopher (30 December 2022). "Newly-married Sinn Fein MP's wedding snap sees her inundated with well wishes". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk – via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
  9. ^ Breen, Nadia (13 January 2023). "Inside My Wedding: Co Tyrone couple's beautiful day at Manor House Hotel". Belfast Live. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Órfhlaith Begley.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for West Tyrone
2018–present 		Incumbent
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