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The Stormont Assembly has paid tribute to former MP and MLA Mickey Brady who died 16 January. During business yesterday 19 January many representatives spoke. Mr Brady was an assembly member from 2007 to 2015 before becoming an MP. All those paying tribute passed their condolences on to the his family for their loss.
Sterling Service
First to speak was Speaker Edwin Poots MLA who passed on condolences on behalf of the Assembly. Mr Poots said "I knew Mickey over the years as well. He was, first of all, a community representative whom I know worked for many years in that background, on citizens' advice and all that. He gave many years of sterling service to helping people with their benefits and so forth, and, in politics, his heart really lay in helping people who were less well-off."
Boundless Energy
First Minister Michelle O'Neill MLA spoke of his five decades of dedication to politics and community. "He really was an exemplar for political activism grounded in his community, but he was also engaged in politics at national and international levels. He had a deep-seated passion for his community and its people, always fighting their corner with boundless energy, and he had a prolific knowledge of welfare advice. Then, as a Sinn Féin MLA and MP for the area, his door was always open to people right across the community. He gave of his time so generously to everyone who sought his help. He loved the people of Newry and Armagh, and they loved him in return."
The First Minister added "As an Irish republican from his involvement in the civil rights movement through to the peace process, Mickey witnessed and often spoke with great pride about the strides forward towards justice and equality and towards a new and united Ireland."
Helped Many People
Michelle McIlveen MLA spoke of serving alongside Mickey in the Assembly. "While our political positions and aspirations could not have been more different, we worked on a number of issues on the Committee that were motivated by the shared responsibility of public service. He was an active Assembly Member who represented his constituents in Newry and Armagh over many years, and I am conscious that, like all elected representatives, he will have helped many people on day-to-day issues, bread-and-butter issues and things that matter to families and communities. At moments such as this, it is right to acknowledge the loss felt by those closest to him and to recognise his role as a public representative. My condolences go to his family and to those who worked with him."
A Kind Man
MLA Kate Nicholl said: "He was a kind man, and you could feel that when you were in his presence. In 2015, back in the days when Alliance did not have that many party members, I was selected as a paper candidate to run in Newry and Armagh. I remember going to the count, and it was just my husband and I who were there. We did not have high hopes of my becoming the Alliance MP for Newry and Armagh at that time. I remember him and Megan Fearon being really excited for me because I received one vote in Crossmaglen. They came around and said, "You've got a vote in Crossmaglen"."
Ms Nicholl added: "Five decades of community work is impressive, and I am just so sorry that he did not get the time to enjoy his retirement, which he deserved after such dedication."
A Proud Newry man and Irishman
Justin McNulty MLA spoke of him as a proud Newry man and a proud Irishman: "He did his best to represent the people of Newry and Armagh as an MLA and as an MP. Mickey was one of the first paid welfare advice officers in the North, and the advice that he provided was very popular and vital for people. The relationships and the trust that he built stood him in good stead when he entered electoral politics."
He added "A family man first, Mickey Brady's hallmarks were his cordial and friendly nature; his history and storytelling; and the advice that he gave to people who needed help."
Exemplar
Mike Nesbitt MLA expressed sympathy on behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party. "With certain people, just seeing their name or picture conjures up word association: with Mickey Brady, those words were "benefits" and "state entitlements". I have often said that we have grossly overcomplicated how we deliver large parts of government, not least health. However, the thing that fried my head, when I was first elected in 2011, was constituents coming to me with problems with their state entitlements, because it is so deeply complex. There are three exemplars — to use the First Minister's word — of those who are or were expert in it: Andy Allen, who is particularly good today; the late Professor Eileen Evason; and Mickey Brady. It is a tribute to Mickey that he was so across the fine detail. As Mr McNulty said, constituents really loved and appreciated his advice, because it was really good advice."
Mr Nesbitt concluded "I do not want to cast Mickey in a two-dimensional sense; he was a three-dimensional person. I found him to be quite quiet in the corridors of this Building - friendly but quiet. If you took the time to speak to him and try to get to know him, you found a guy who was warm and could be very funny. As you said, Mr Speaker, he was fundamentally a community worker. This Building and Chamber were all the better and richer for him. I am sure that he will be sadly missed."
Time for Everyone
Fellow Newry and Armagh representative Liz Kimmins MLA gave a very personal tribute: "He was someone whom I am proud to have known and grown to love. He was a kind, gentle and warm person. The news of his passing on Friday evening has sent shock waves across our community and, I would go so far as to say, these islands.
"Mickey had time for everyone. He was first appointed as a welfare adviser, the first of its kind in the North, in 1981. A senior member of the Belfast Law Society stated that, in 1984-85, Mickey represented more social security tribunal cases than all the solicitors in the North of Ireland. That, in itself, encapsulates the dedication and the commitment of Mickey, as a person, to bettering people's lives. Mickey literally put food on the table for many families over the years. Through hard times, he ensured that they got what they were rightly entitled to. The legacy of the decades of work that Mickey gave to our community but also more broadly than Newry has been carried through. The outpouring of tributes over the past few days is a testament to the high esteem that he was held in by people from all backgrounds and communities."
Ms Kimmins added "The Mickey whom I knew was a warm, witty, fun person to be around. He had a brilliant memory and could take you back to the early 60s and what happened in his student days in Liverpool and his days in Frederick Street and Bridge Street in Newry through to the antics that he, Fra McCann and others got up to in Stormont."
"My children were practically reared in my constituency office. Mickey was always there if you needed someone to hold the baby, quite literally. My children have great memories of him."
She concluded "Our loss is huge. We cannot imagine life without Mickey Brady. He has been our constant. Right up until a few weeks ago, he was still doing appointments and filling in forms with people during what was meant to be his retirement. Mickey was the people's champion; there is no more fitting term for somebody like Mickey Brady. We will miss him dearly."
Wit and Humour
Also a Newry and Armagh MLA Cathal Boylan spoke of Sinn Féin losing a great friend, colleague and comrade. "Mickey Brady was a pure gentleman and a great advocate for the people of Newry and Armagh. He was an expert in welfare rights and helped everyone who crossed his doorstep or asked for advice. He was my great companion on many's a campaign trail, and he had a great wit and humour about him. He made a wonderful contribution to politics in this Building and locally and was well respected by comrades and community alike. He will be sadly missed."
Fought Relentlessly
Last to speak was the newest Newry and Armagh MLA Aoife Finnegan who spoke of how he understood the system inside out and the dignity he restored and hope he gave to those who had 'nowhere else to turn': "He always showed his love for people through his compassion, quiet confidence and quick wit. I was privileged to be mentored by him on the welfare system, when he passed on not only his deep knowledge but his belief that public service must always be rooted in dignity and fairness. He taught compassion and persistence. He taught us that behind every case was a human being who was often frightened, struggling and unheard."
Ms Finnegan said: "He fought relentlessly for those who were sick, struggling or worn down by a system that, too often, worked against them. He did so without ever seeking recognition. There truly was no one like him."
She added: "Mickey dedicated his life to helping people and political activism. In doing so, he understood a fundamental truth: building a better Ireland meant bringing everyone with us. He believed that justice, equality and dignity were values that transcended tradition and backgrounds. In his work, Mickey represented not only his fellow republicans but those from unionist and other backgrounds, treating every person who came through his door with the same respect, determination and humanity. For decades, Mickey stood as a shield between ordinary people and an often unforgiving system. He carried the weight of their worries as though they were his own, quietly and confidently, day after day. Families across Newry and Armagh may never fully know the extent of what he did for them, but their lives are better because he was there."
Funeral and wake arrangements are to be announced later.
