Dáire Hughes

Dáire Hughes (born 1990) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Newry and Armagh since 2024. He is the former and youngest ever Mayor of Newry and Mourne District Council representing Sinn Féin. In line with the party policy of abstentionism, he has not taken up his seat in the House.

Dáire Hughes MP
Hughes in 2024
Member of Parliament for Newry and Armagh
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 July 2024
Preceded by	Mickey Brady
Majority	15,493 (33.7%)
Mayor of Newry and Mourne
In office 25 May 2014 – 2015
Deputy	Brian Quinn
Preceded by	Michael Ruane
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Member of Newry and Mourne District Council for The Fews
In office January 2014 – 22 May 2014
Succeeded by	Council abolished
Personal details
Born	1989 or 1990 (age 35–36)[1] Newry, Northern Ireland
Political party	Sinn Féin
Alma mater	Queen's University Belfast

Early life and education

Hughes is from the Meadow in Newry, Ireland. He was educated at St Patrick's Primary School and St Colman's College before attending Queen's University Belfast in Belfast.^[2]

Hughes has served as a Union representative and has worked in the community voluntary sector in Newry and Armagh.^[2]

Political career

Dáire was coopted onto Newry and Mourne District Council for Sinn Féin, and chosen by the party as the youngest-ever mayor on the council.^[2] Dáire failed to secure a seat to the new Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

Dáire then served as a political advisor to the Sinn Féin team in the European Parliament, working on the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee and the Delegation for Relations with Palestine. Following the 2015 British General Election, Dáire focused on the work of the Constitutional Affairs Committee, charting the impending Brexit referendum.

Dáire was appointed as Sinn Féin's political manager in the European Parliament, working with MEPs Martina Anderson, Matt Carthy, Lynn Boylan and Liadh Ní Riada.

Following the end of the 2014-2019 mandate, Hughes took up a position within Sinn Féin majoring on the growing debate on Irish unity.

In early 2020, Dáire was appointed Leas Ard Runaí (Deputy General Secretary) of Sinn Féin.

2024-present

In May 2024, Sinn Féin announced that Hughes would run in the 2024 United Kingdom general election, to succeed retiring Sinn Féin politician Mickey Brady as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Newry and Armagh.^[3]

Hughes won the seat with 22,299 votes 15,493 more than the next highest performing candidate.^[4] Hughes received 2,012 more votes than Brady received in the previous election.^[5]