Seán MacManus (often incorrectly spelt Sean McManus) (born Blacklion, County Cavan, Republic of Ireland) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician^[1].

[edit] Background

MacManus, originally from Gubaveeney, near Blacklion, County Cavan,was born in 1950 and moved to London in the 1960s to find work. There he met and married Helen McGovern, a native of Glenfarne, County Leitrim. In 1976, he returned to Ireland and settled in the Maugheraboy area of Sligo town, County Sligo so that their family of two boys could be educated in Ireland.^[2]

Still based in Maugheraboy, MacManus has been involved in Irish Republican politics since the early 1970's and was secretary of the County Sligo Anti-H-Block Committee which campaigned in support of the republican prisoners hunger strikes of 1980/81. He became a member of the Sinn Féin Ard Comhairle (National Executive) in 1982 and remained there for over twenty years. MacManus was elected as the first Sinn Féin National Chairperson from 1984 until 1990. After the IRA ceasefire in 1994 MacManus was part of the first Sinn Féin delegation to meet with the British government in over seventy years. He was also involved in the protracted negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement.^{[citation needed]}

First elected to Sligo Corporation (now Sligo Borough Council) in 1994 he has remained there to date. He was also elected to Sligo County Council in 1999 were he still serves.

In 2000, MacManus became Mayor of Sligo, the first Sinn Féin Mayor in the Republic of Ireland since the beginning of the The Troubles in 1969. He was also elected Mayor in 2003.^[3].

[edit] Republican family

MacManus' son, Chris MacManus, is also an elected member of Sligo Borough Council. His eldest son, Joseph MacManus, was killed while attempting to ambush an UDR soldier on behalf of the Provisional Irish Republican Army in Belleek, County Fermanagh in February 1992.^[4][1][5].

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Brian Feeney, Sinn Féin: A Hundred Turbulent Years (2003) HB: ISBN 0299186709 PB ISBN 0299186741

[edit] External links

• List of Mayors of Sligo
• Seán MacManus' electoral history (ElectionsIreland.org)]
• Sligo Sinn Fein Official Website

This page incorporates information from the Oireachtas Members Database

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