Mark Durkan

For his nephew, see Mark H. Durkan.

Mark Durkan MP
Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
In office 6 November 2001 – 14 October 2002
First Minister	David Trimble
Preceded by	Seamus Mallon
Succeeded by	Martin McGuinness
Leader of SDLP
In office 2001–2010
Preceded by	John Hume
Succeeded by	Margaret Ritchie[1]
Member of Parliament for Foyle
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 May 2005
Preceded by	John Hume
Majority	4,824 (12.7%)
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Foyle
In office 25 June 1998 – 9 November 2010
Preceded by	new assembly
Succeeded by	Pól Callaghan
Personal details
Born	26 June 1960 (1960-06-26) (age 51) Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Political party	Social Democratic and Labour Party
Spouse(s)	Jackie Durkan
Children	1
Alma mater	Queen's University Belfast, University of Ulster
Religion	Roman Catholic
Website	Mark Durkan

(John) Mark Durkan^[2][3] (born 26 June 1960) is an Irish nationalist politician in Northern Ireland who was leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) from 2001 to 2010.

Early life

Durkan was born in Derry; his father, Brendan, was an Royal Ulster Constabulary District Inspector in Armagh.^[4] He was raised by his mother, Isobel, after his father was killed in a road accident in 1961. He was educated at St. Patrick's Primary School and at St. Columb's College. During his time at St. Columb's, he was Head Boy.

He studied politics at the Queen's University of Belfast and later did a part-time postgraduate course in Public Policy Management with the University of Ulster at Magee.^[5] While at QUB Durkan served as Deputy President of Queen's Students' Union from 1982 to 1983. He was also elected Deputy President of the Union of Students in Ireland from 1982 to 1984.

Political career

He became involved in politics in 1981 when he became a member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party. In 1984 he went to work for John Hume as his Westminster Assistant. He became a key figure in organising by-election campaigns for Seamus Mallon and Eddie McGrady in the 1980s.

In 1990 Durkan became chairperson of the SDLP, a position he served in until 1995. He was a key member of the party's negotiating team in the run up to the Good Friday Agreement.

Following the Agreement Durkan was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998, and became a member of the Northern Ireland Executive as Minister for Finance and Personnel.

He served in that position until 2001 when he replaced Seamus Mallon as deputy First Minister. He was also elected Leader of the SDLP in that year. Durkan was reelected to the Assembly in the election of November 2003. However, the Assembly and the Executive remain suspended.

In the 2005 general election he retained the Foyle seat at Westminster for the SDLP. While down on Hume's vote, Durkan won with a comfortable majority, despite a strong effort by Sinn Féin to take the seat. Durkan won 21,119 votes which was 46.3% of the total.

Durkan announced his intention to stand down as leader of the SDLP in September 2009^[6] as he did not want to continue to lead the party past his 50th birthday and so he could concentrate on his parliamentary career.^[6] He was replaced as leader by Margaret Ritchie in February 2010.^[7]

He is a Fellow of the British-American Project.^{[citation needed]}

Family

He and his wife, Jackie, to whom he had been introduced by John Hume, celebrated the birth of a daughter, Dearbhail, who was born in January 2005.

References

1. ^ "Ritchie elected as new SDLP leader". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 7 February 2010. http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0207/sdlp.html. Retrieved 7 February 2010. 
2. ^ http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U14413/
3. ^ http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/d/21233/
4. ^ House of Commons Hansard Debates for 20 Apr 2006 (pt 32)
5. ^ Biography - Mark Durkan Northern Ireland Assembly
6. ^ ^{a b} Durkan announces intention to step down RTÉ News, 20 September 2009
7. ^ Cowen congratulates new SDLP leader RTÉ News, 7 February 2010

External links

• thederryvoice.com - Mark Durkan Election 2010 Website
• markdurkan.ie - Mark Durkan MP for Foyle Website
• Mark Durkan's profile at the official SDLP website
• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Mark Durkan MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Mark Durkan MP
• Mark Durkan's Biography at the Northern Ireland Assembly
• Maiden Speech : House of Commons - 30 June 2005

Northern Ireland Assembly
Preceded by New creation	MLA for Foyle 1998 - 2010	Succeeded by Pol Callaghan
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by John Hume	Member of Parliament for Foyle 2005 – present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by New office	Minister of Finance and Personnel 1999 - 2000	Succeeded by Office suspended
Preceded by Office suspended	Minister of Finance and Personnel 2000 - 2001	Succeeded by Sean Farren
Preceded by Seamus Mallon	Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland 2001 - 2002	Succeeded by Office suspended
Party political offices
Preceded by Alban Maginness	Chairperson of the Social Democratic and Labour Party 1990–1995	Succeeded by Jonathan Stephenson
Preceded by John Hume	Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party 2001 – 2010	Succeeded by Margaret Ritchie

Persondata
Name	Durkan, Mark
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	26 June 1960
Place of birth	Derry, Northern Ireland
Date of death
Place of death