Alderman Seán MacManus
Sligo / Leitrim
Alderman MacManus's election as Mayor of Sligo was the first time that Sinn Féin has held the position
of Mayor anywhere in the 26 Counties since 1967, when the late Cllr Norbert 'Nobby' Ferguson was elected
Mayor of Sligo.
This followed the election of Councillor Cathal Crumley as Mayor of Derry, the
first Sinn Féin Mayor in the Six Counties since partition.
Alderman MacManus, a member of Sinn
Féin's ruling Ard Chomhairle and a senior member of the party's peace process negotiating team, is a
member of Sligo Corporation and Sligo County Council. He received 20,457 votes in the1999 European elections
in the Connaught/Ulster constituency.
Seán won his seat in the 1999 local election, polling over
the quota on the first count in Sligo Strandhill with 1,206 1st preferences.
Seán, his son Chris,
and Arthur Gibbons also won seats on Sligo Corporation for Sinn Féin.
Seán MacManus has been selected
as the Sinn Féin general election candidate in Sligo/Leitrim, one of the key Dáil constituencies targeted
by the party.
Seán MacManus is a carpenter by trade. Like many young Irish peopleof his generation
he had to emigrate to England to look for work in 1967.While in London he married Helen McGovern, from
Leitrim, and their sons Joseph and Christopher were born there. They returned to Ireland in 1976 and
settled in Sligo.
Seán has been a member of Sinn Féin since 1976. He was elected to the Ard Chomhairle
in 1981 and served as National Chairperson of the party from 1984 to 1990. He played a central part
in developing the party's current peace strategy and was instrumental in developing its local government
policy.
He has been an important member of several delegations in meetings with British Cabinet
ministers, including with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street.
Seán also participated
in the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation which was organised by the Irish Government following the IRA
cessation of August 1994.
The direct consequences of Britain's continued occupation of part of
Ireland has had a direct effect on Seán's family. In February 1992, Seán's and Helen's older son, Joseph,
was killed on active service with the Irish Republican Army in County Fermanagh. He was 21.
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