West Belfast Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Breige Brownlee Coopted to Belfast City Council

Published: 22 April, 2009

Saint James's Sinn Fein activist Breige Brownlee was today co-opted to Belfast City Council to replace Republican stalwart Marie Moore, who died on 21st March.

Ms Brownlee was proposed by Councillor Maire Cush and seconded by Councillor Janice Austin at a special meeting of Belfast City Council held on Wednesday afternoon, April 22.

Ms Brownlee now joins her Sinn Fein colleagues Fra McCann, Tom Hartley, Maire Cush and Janice Austin as a councillor for the Lower Falls District Electoral Area.

Breige was born in the Saint James's area in 1959 and still lives there to this day.

She is married to ex-POW Paul Norney and the couple have three children.

Breige's involvement in the Republican movement began in 1972 when she was 13.

In 1977 she received an eight-year sentence for possession of an incendiary device and ended up in Armagh Prison.

She joined the political status protest and then the no-wash protest in the jail.

Breige was released from prison in 1984 and became involved in campaigning against the strip searches of female POW's in Armagh Gaol.

She was also the Mid-Falls coordinator for Sinn Fein for a time and worked in the Women's Centre on the Falls Road.

While involved in the Women's Centre she was active in campaigns around domestic violence, the misuse of certain contraceptive drugs and a campaign to increase the uptake of cervical smears due to the high level of cervical cancer in Belfast.

Breige is currently chairwoman of the Paddy Brady/Francis Liggett Saint James's Sinn Fein Cumann and is also a member of the Saint James's Residents Association and the Saint James's commemoration committee.

Speaking after her cooption to the council, Ms Brownlee said:

'I am honoured to have been chosen to take the seat formerly held by our late friend and comrade Marie Moore.

'Marie was a lifelong servant of the people and a relentless campaigner for a United Ireland.

'I will try to serve people as best I can and will represent Irish Republican politics in Belfast City Hall along with my fellow councillors.

'The achievement of equality for Belfast nationalists and Republicans in this, the second city of Ireland, is a prime objective for the Sinn Fein team in Belfast council.'