Crossmaglen councillor Aoife Finnegan has been selected by Sinn Féin to become a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The newly-selected MLA replaces party colleague, Conor Murphy, following his election to to the Seanad last week.
At a convention on Saturday, Sinn Féin members unanimously endorsed Ms Finnegan for the Newry and Armagh seat, aving served as a councillor on Newry, Mourne and Down council since 2020.
Speaking after her selection, Ms Finnegan said: “I am honoured to have been selected by Sinn Féin to represent Newry and Armagh in the Assembly.
“I will work tirelessly in the Assembly to support workers and families, ensure border communities have access to the best possible facilities and opportunities, and to strengthen public services.
“I look forward to working alongside the growing and dynamic all-island Sinn Féin team at this exciting time for politics on our island, with momentum for constitutional change continuing to grow.
“I want to take also this opportunity to pay tribute to our outgoing MLA and new Seanadóir, Conor Murphy.
“Conor has been a titan in Irish politics for over three decades, and he will now bring his wealth of experience and energy to Leinster House, placing Irish unity at the top of the agenda in the Senate.”
