Arthur Morgan (Irish politician)
Encyclopedia
Arthur Morgan is a former Irish
Sinn Féin
politician. He was a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Louth constituency
from 2002 to 2011.
Arthur Morgan was born in Omeath
in County Louth
. Educated locally, he joined the small family fish processing company, where he became a director. He is a founding member of Cooley Environmental and Health Action Committee which campaigns against Sellafield
nuclear power station.
Morgan is a former Provisional Irish Republican Army
prisoner. He was sentenced to 14 years in jail after being arrested on a boat on Carlingford Lough
during an operation in 1977. He served seven and a half years at Long Kesh
prison, where he participated in the blanket protest
, before being released in 1984.
He was an unsuccessful Dáil candidate at the 1987
and 1989
general elections. At the 1999 European Parliament election
Morgan polled over 20,000 votes in the Leinster constituency
but failed to be elected. He was however elected to Louth County Council
on the same day for the Dundalk Carlingford area. At the 2002 general election
he was elected to Dáil Éireann
as a Sinn Féin
TD and retained his seat at the 2007 general election.
In a Dáil debate on the budget on 6 March 2008, Morgan launched a strong attack on the government's economic policy, saying that "There is more social conscience in a cat's arse than there is in the entire Fianna Fáil parliamentary party." Condemning a Government proposal to give tax breaks for the development of private hospices, he asked "Why would I expect any different from a Tánaiste and a Government over this partial Parliament in this little semi-statelet over which he is presiding?". Deputy Michael Finneran
responded by saying that "if it was not for him and his fellow travellers we would have had considerably more money to invest in many projects over the years instead of needing to spend it on security to protect the State."
On 9 November 2010, he announced that he would not be contesting the next general election.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
politician. He was a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for the Louth constituency
Louth (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Louth is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
from 2002 to 2011.
Arthur Morgan was born in Omeath
Omeath
Omeath is a village on the R173 regional road in County Louth, Ireland, close to the border with Northern Ireland. It is roughly mid way between Dublin and Belfast, very near the County Louth and County Armagh / County Down border. Omeath has a population of 439, and is approximately from...
in County Louth
County Louth
County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Educated locally, he joined the small family fish processing company, where he became a director. He is a founding member of Cooley Environmental and Health Action Committee which campaigns against Sellafield
Sellafield
Sellafield is a nuclear reprocessing site, close to the village of Seascale on the coast of the Irish Sea in Cumbria, England. The site is served by Sellafield railway station. Sellafield is an off-shoot from the original nuclear reactor site at Windscale which is currently undergoing...
nuclear power station.
Morgan is a former Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
prisoner. He was sentenced to 14 years in jail after being arrested on a boat on Carlingford Lough
Carlingford Lough
Carlingford Lough is a glacial fjord or sea inlet that forms part of the border between Northern Ireland to the north and the Republic of Ireland to the south. On its northern shore is County Down and on its southern shore is County Louth...
during an operation in 1977. He served seven and a half years at Long Kesh
Maze (HM Prison)
Her Majesty's Prison Maze was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from mid-1971 to mid-2000....
prison, where he participated in the blanket protest
Blanket protest
The blanket protest was part of a five year protest during the Troubles by Provisional Irish Republican Army and Irish National Liberation Army prisoners held in the Maze prison in Northern Ireland. The republican prisoners' status as political prisoners, known as Special Category Status, had...
, before being released in 1984.
He was an unsuccessful Dáil candidate at the 1987
Irish general election, 1987
The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly-elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took place in...
and 1989
Irish general election, 1989
The Irish general election of 1989 was held on Thursday, 15 June 1989, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 25 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 26th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 29 June...
general elections. At the 1999 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 1999 (Ireland)
The 1999 European Parliament election in Ireland was the Irish component of the 1999 European Parliament election. The election was conducted under the single transferable vote.-Results:-Voting details :-See also:...
Morgan polled over 20,000 votes in the Leinster constituency
Leinster (European Parliament constituency)
-1999 election:Alan Gillis lost his seat to his party running mate Avril Doyle.-1994 election:Alan Gillis replaced his party colleague Patrick Cooney who had stepped down...
but failed to be elected. He was however elected to Louth County Council
Louth County Council
Louth County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Louth in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach...
on the same day for the Dundalk Carlingford area. At the 2002 general election
Irish general election, 2002
The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern...
he was elected to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
as a Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
TD and retained his seat at the 2007 general election.
In a Dáil debate on the budget on 6 March 2008, Morgan launched a strong attack on the government's economic policy, saying that "There is more social conscience in a cat's arse than there is in the entire Fianna Fáil parliamentary party." Condemning a Government proposal to give tax breaks for the development of private hospices, he asked "Why would I expect any different from a Tánaiste and a Government over this partial Parliament in this little semi-statelet over which he is presiding?". Deputy Michael Finneran
Michael Finneran
Michael Finneran is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Roscommon–South Leitrim constituency from 2007 to 2011, and also served as a Minister of State....
responded by saying that "if it was not for him and his fellow travellers we would have had considerably more money to invest in many projects over the years instead of needing to spend it on security to protect the State."
On 9 November 2010, he announced that he would not be contesting the next general election.