New Yorker determined to become the first Irish-born woman in Congress

Kerry native makes run for Congress

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MOLLY MULDOON,

Irish Voice Reporter

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Lawyer and possible future politician Brianne Murphy

Photo by Brianne Murphy

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No one could ever say Brianne Murphy fell into a career in politics. Against all odds, the Syracuse, New York attorney has overcome adversity by establishing her own law practice. It is this same determination which has inspired her bid to become the first Irish-born woman in Congress.

Born in Tralee, Co. Kerry, Murphy, 31, is running for a seat in the House of Representatives for New York’s 25th Congressional District. A registered Democrat, she will go head-to-head against Tea Party incumbent Ann Marie Burkle next November.

“Washington is broken and people are hurting,” Murphy recently told the Irish Voice. 

“People are tired of the extreme and partisan politics of Washington, which are out of touch with our values in Central New York.”

As I witness her charm the crowd at a recent event in New York City, it’s apparent that her strong ties to Ireland are something she treasures. I immediately get the sense she is not the kind of person to let an opportunity pass.

Within the first five minutes of meeting Murphy, she has outlined her goal to end up on Capitol Hill, a dream that started when she was just a young girl.

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“I was four and a half when we moved from Kerry to Syracuse,” Murphy told the Irish Voice.  “My mother instilled in me an interest in politics at a very young age.”

When her late mother Lynn, an Irish American, went on vacation to Kerry, a romance blossomed with a local farmer from Abbeyfeale. After a long-distance relationship, Lynn relocated to Kerry where the couple married and had four children, Brianne being the second eldest.

However, the marriage soon ended and Lynn decided to move back to the New York and settle in Syracuse. A single mother in a strong Irish American community, she instilled strong values in her children.

“After moving from Ireland, we settled back in Tipperary Hill, the neighborhood my mother had grown up in,” Murphy recalls.

“Being Irish American in Tipperary Hill is a point of pride, tradition and community. The resilience of the Irish is evident in the generations of hard-working Irish Americans living and owning small businesses today in Tipp Hill.

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