Caoimhe Archibald

{{short description|Minister for Finance of Northern Ireland since 2024}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Caoimhe Archibald

| honorific-suffix = MLA

| image = Caoimhe Archibald 2022 (cropped).jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Archibald in 2022

| office = Minister for the Economy

| firstminister = Michelle O'Neill

| term_start = 3 February 2025

| term_end =

| predecessor = Conor Murphy

| successor =

| assembly1 = Northern Ireland

| majority1 =

| term_start1 =

| term_end1 = 3 February 2025

| predecessor1 = Conor Murphy

| successor1 =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1981|02|20}}{{cite web|url=http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/details.aspx?&aff=13384&per=5800&sel=1&ind=0&prv=0 |title=MLA Details: Dr Caoimhe Archibald |publisher=Northern Ireland Assembly |access-date=6 May 2021}}

| birth_place = Coleraine, Northern Ireland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| restingplace =

| birthname =

| nationality = Irish

| party = Sinn Féin

| alma_mater = Queen's University of Belfast

| website = [http://www.sinnfein.ie/caoimhe-archibald Official webpage]

| office1 = Minister of Finance

| office2 = Member of the Legislative Assembly
for East Londonderry

| termstart1 = 3 February 2024

| termstart2 = 7 May 2016

| predecessor2 = Cathal Ó hOisín

| succeeded1 = John O'Dowd

| firstminister1 = Michelle O'Neill

}}

Caoimhe Archibald (born 20 February 1981) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician, who has served as the Minister for the Economy in Northern Ireland since February 2025. She previously served as Minister for Finance, and has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for East Londonderry since May 2016.

Biography

Archibald is a native of Coleraine where she attended Loreto College. She proceeded to Queen's University, Belfast where she obtained a BSc and PhD in molecular mycology.{{cite book |last1=Fleming-Archibald |first1=Caoimhe |title=Investigation of sugar transporter genes in Agaricus bisporus and comparative analysis of the gene family in diverse fungi. |date=2010 |publisher=Queen's University |location=Belfast |url=https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?did=1&uin=uk.bl.ethos.517010 |access-date=3 June 2022}} She then worked for an agri-food company in Dublin.[http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/east-derry-mushroom-researcher-wins-seat-for-sinn-f%C3%A9in-1.2636402 East Derry: Mushroom Researcher Wins Seat for Sinn Féin]. The Irish Times. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.

Political career

She unsuccessfully stood for election in the East Londonderry Westminster constituency at the 2015 UK general election, polling 6,859 votes, equating to 19.8% of the total vote.[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/ael.htm East Londonderry Results]. ark.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2016.

She was elected as an MLA at the 2016 Northern Ireland Assembly election, to represent the East Londonderry constituency. She won the seat from her party running mate Cathal Ó hOisín.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/northern-ireland-constituencies/N06000006 NI Assembly Results 2016], BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2016. She was re-elected in 2017 and 2022.{{Cite web |last=Name |first=Name Last |title=ELECTION 2017 BREAKING: Sinn Fein's Caoimhe Archibald elected as MLA for East Derry |url=https://www.derrynow.com/news/local-news/450843/election-2017-breaking-sinn-fein-s-caoimhe-archibald-elected-as-mla-for-east-derry.html |access-date=2024-02-04 |website=www.derrynow.com |language=en}}{{Cite news |title=East Londonderry result - Northern Ireland Assembly Elections 2022 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2022/northern-ireland/constituencies/N06000006 |access-date=2024-02-04 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}

In February 2024, she was appointed as Minister for Finance in the newly formed Northern Ireland Executive.{{Cite news |title=Stormont: Michelle O'Neill makes history as first nationalist first minister |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-northern-ireland-politics-68181545?post=asset:374caba1-bf33-49f2-9f37-7a6272e89245#post |access-date=2025-02-04 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}

In February 2025, as part of a Sinn Féin ministerial reshuffle, she replaced Conor Murphy as Minister for the Economy, after he was elected to the Seanad Éireann.{{Cite news |date=2025-02-03 |title=Caoimhe Archibald appointment as Economy Minister welcomed by business |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/northern-ireland/caoimhe-archibald-appointment-as-economy-minister-welcomed-by-business/a363998165.html |access-date=2025-02-04 |work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}

Archibald is a founding member of the Sinn Féin Manchester United Supporters Club.