Mark Durkan

(John) Mark DurkanMP (born 26 June 1960) is an Irish nationalist politician in Northern Ireland who was leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) from 2001 to 2010.

Durkan was born in Derry; his father, Brendan, was an Royal Ulster Constabulary District Inspector in Armagh. He was raised by his mother, Isobel, after his father was killed in a road accident in 1961. He was educated at St. Patrick's Primary School and at St. Columb's College. During his time at St. Columb's, he was Head Boy.

He studied politics at the Queen's University of Belfast and later did a part-time postgraduate course in Public Policy Management with the University of Ulster at Magee. While at QUB Durkan served as Deputy President of Queen's Students' Union from 1982 to 1983. He was also elected Deputy President of the Union of Students in Ireland from 1982 to 1984.

He became involved in politics in 1981 when he became a member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party. In 1984 he went to work for John Hume as his Westminster Assistant. He became a key figure in organising by-election campaigns for Seamus Mallon and Eddie McGrady in the 1980s.

Durkan, Mark Filmography

Famous quotes by Mark Durkan:

"For us that has to mean the Government has to return to the Good Friday Agreement as the baseline document in any negotiations we have."

"That means calling the bluff of all those parties standing in the way of progress and calling time on their delaying tactics. It means ending the destructive politics of side deals and concessions that is holding us back and taking us from the agreement that the people of Ireland voted for."

"We want to see a credible report telling us there is no current or ongoing illegal activity from the IRA."

"There should be no space or excuse for continued criminal behavior of any kind."

"What we had this morning was hope. By this afternoon hype, and now this evening it's a debacle."

"The Eaga Partnership has done a very, very good job because it doesn't just raise a very important problem, it actually brings forward practical solutions."

"on-off engagement with the IICD is no less discouraging than the UUP's on/off commitment to the political institutions."

"the most edifying exercise."

"Remember among the people trying hardest to prevent the election of first and deputy first ministers were people who couldn't contain themselves when they were taking ministerial office just a few days ago."