Tributes to Mickey Brady after death of former Sinn Féin MP

Sinn Féin has paid warm tributes following the death of its former MP Mickey Brady, saying the party and the people of Newry have "lost a giant of the community".

The former welfare rights adviser served as MP for Newry and Armagh for almost a decade and was also a former member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said he always put "the needs of ordinary people first" and had given a "lifetime of service" to his community.

Deputy leader Michelle O'Neill said Brady "gave his time generously to everyone who sought his help".

Confirming his death in a party statement, McDonald described him as a "friend and comrade", saying she had learned of his passing with "deep sadness".

She said he was a committed Irish republican who had "dedicated his entire life to the people of Newry and Armagh".

"Long before he ever held elected office, Mickey was already known across the community as someone who stood with and by the people," McDonald said.

"His work in welfare rights and housing advice changed thousands of lives, quietly and without fanfare, year after year."

She added that he brought the same values with him when he entered politics.

"He believed completely in the peace process, in reconciliation, and in a united Ireland built on equality and respect for all," McDonald added.

"He was also a gentle soul – warm, witty, and unfailingly generous with his time. He treated everyone with respect."

Brady was a civil rights activist from the Ballybot area of Newry city.

Before he became a politician, he had spent more than 25 years helping vulnerable people who struggled to access housing and benefits in his native Newry.

"All too often the only thing that stood between a family and destitution was an intervention by Mickey Brady," said his party colleague, Dáire Hughes.

Brady was working for the Confederation of Community Groups just before his first election to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2007.

As an assembly member (MLA), he served on Stormont's health committee and as deputy chair of the Department for Social Development committee.

In 2015, he left his Stormont role for Westminster to represent the Newry and Armagh constituency, something he said made him "immensely proud".

However, under Sinn Féin's long-standing policy of abstentionism he never took his seat in the House of Commons.

During that election campaign he received three death threats within 24 hours, including a warning that a bomb had been left at his family home.

No device was found and Brady vowed he would not be intimidated, but he added it was a "terrifying experience" for his neighbours in Newry.

Brady retired from elected politics in 2024 after announcing he would not be standing for re-election to Westminster.

At the time, he told the Irish News it was "time to give younger people a chance" but added he hoped to continue working voluntarily in the sector.

Brady is survived by his wife, children, step-children and grandchildren.

In her tribute, O'Neill said Brady had dedicated "more than five decades of his life to community and political activism".

"His door was always open to people right across the community, and he gave his time generously to everyone who sought his help," she said.

The first minister and Sinn Féin deputy leader added she would remember her "dear friend" for his "sharp wit and endless stories".

"He had a rare ability to lift spirits and bring smiles wherever he went," she added.

After his retirement, Brady was replaced by Dáire Hughes, who successfully defended the Newry and Armagh seat in the 2024 Westminister election.

Following Brady's death, the current MP said he was "utterly devastated" and would "miss his friendship, advice and guidance".

He said much of Sinn Féin's support in the area was "due in huge part to Mickey Brady" and added the late MP would be "forever remembered".

"He's a Newry institution, a proud Ballybot man, the people's champion," Hughes told BBC News NI.

"The outpouring of grief and loss is a reflection of the esteem in which he's held."

Hughes said Brady was "still doing case work" in the office up until the week before Christmas.

"He was still helping people," he said.

Colum Eastwood, former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) said he was "very sorry" to hear of Brady's death.

"We served together on Stormont committees and I can tell you no one knew more about the benefits system and improving it for those most in need," he said.