Joseph MacManus
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Joseph Edward "Joe" MacManus (often incorrectly spelt Joe McManus) (Irish Seosamh Mac Magnais), born May 23, 1970 – died February 5, 1992, was a member (volunteer) within the Sligo Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. He was killed in Mulleek near Belleek, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.[1]
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[edit] Background
MacManus was born in Harlesden, north-west London, which at the time had a large Irish community. His father Seán MacManus, a native of Gubaveeney, near Blacklion, County Cavan, had moved to London in the 1960s to find work, there he met and married Glenfarne, County Leitrim native, Helen McGovern. In 1976 the family moved to live in the working class Maugheraboy area of Sligo Town, County Sligo, Republic of Ireland so that the boys could be educated in Ireland.[2]
MacManus was educated to primary level at Scoil Ursula Primary School, Strandhill Road, Sligo and St. John's Marist Brothers National School, Temple Street, Sligo to secondary level at Summerhill College and at third level at Sligo RTC. MacManus enjoyed socialising and sporting activities especially football and played soccer for local junior teams Collegians and Corinthians and also Gaelic football for both Saint Mary's GFC of Maugheraboy and Coolera GFC of Strandhill. He was also a supporter of Arsenal.[3]
His father, Seán MacManus, was a leading republican in the Sligo area and was a member of the Sligo anti H-Block Committee in the 1980s.
[edit] Paramilitary Activity
In 1987, MacManus attended the funeral of Jim Lynagh, one of the Loughall Martyrs. After attended this funeral MacManus became determined to become an active within Irish Republicanism. In 1990, at the age of 19, MacManus joined the Sligo Brigade of the IRA.
In 1991, MacManus became joined a Ballyshannon based active service unit which has replaced the disbanded West Fermanagh Brigade. Initially, MacManus carried out minor operations including the moving munitions between arms dumps, passing intelligence between operatives and attending training camps in the region.[4]
On Sunday, 2 February 1992, MacManus and the rest of his unit, James Hughes, Conor O'Neill and Noel Magee, met at a safe house in Ballyshannon, County Donegal to make final arrangement for an operation which was to take place later in the following week.
[edit] Mulleek Ambush
On Monday, 3 February MacManus and his unit crossed the border and took over the house of farmer Pat Loughran. The hostage, Loughran, was ordered to the lure Eric Glass, a UDR soldier and part-time Fermanagh District Council dog warden, to his home on the pretence that his dog had attacked a family member.
Glass, a former member of the B-Specials unit of the Ulster Special Constabulary, arrived at the farmhouse in the morning of the Wednesday 5 February. When Glass arrived at the gate of the farmhouse he was ambushed by the unit and ordered to get out of his van. Glass reached for his handgun, which he always had ready and loaded and placed on the passenger seat of the van, and shots were exchanged. A gun battle ensued in which Glass was badly injured; his thigh bone was shattered and the bone partially penetrated his skin. Glass managed to fight off his attackers, killing MacManus in the process.
The trial which proceed the attack made legal Irish history as for the first time since the Criminal Law Jurisdiction Act 1976 became law, three judges of the Irish Republic's top security, non-jury Special Criminal Court, namely Mr. Justice Morris, Judge Michael Reilly and Judge Peter Smithwick, crossed the border into Northern Ireland on 25 October 1992 to hear evidence in the trial of Noel Magee who was charged with the attempted murder of Glass. Magee, a native of Leggs, County Fermanagh, was jailed for 11.5 years in Dublin following his conviction in 1992 [1]. Magee was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement which resulted from the Northern Irish peace process.
[edit] Republican Family
Joseph MacManus' father, Seán MacManus, who at the time was a leading republican later became Mayor of Sligo. This was the first Sinn Fein Mayor in the Republic of Ireland since the beginning of the The Troubles in 1969. His father was also involved in the negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement. Joe's younger brother, Chris, is a Sinn Féin Councillor for Sligo Borough Council, and is also a member of Sinn Féin's national executive, the Ard Comhairle.[5][6]
[edit] Monument Issue
In 2002, a dispute resulted after a monument to Joe MacManus and fellows Volunteers Antoine Mac Giolla Bhrighde and Kieran Fleming was sited close to the place where Protestant workmen William Hassard and Frederick Love were killed by the IRA in 1988.[7][8][9]
[edit] References
- ^ Rebel Hearts - Journey's within the IRA's soul, Kevin Toolis, 1995. PB) ISBN 0-312-15632-4 p.334
- ^ Unknown. “Sorrowful Homecoming for a Brave Young Irishman” The Irish People 1992-02-22. Retrieved on 2007-02-22.
- ^ Tírghrá, National Commemoration Centre, 2002. PB) ISBN 0-9542946-0-2 p.343
- ^ Rebel Hearts - Journey's within the IRA's soul, Kevin Toolis, 1995. PB) ISBN 0-312-15632-4 p.337
- ^ Alderman Sean MacManus
- ^ Liam Ferrie. “Northern News” Irish Emigrant 1992-02-10. Retrieved on 2007-02-22.
- ^ Northern News
- ^ The Impartial Reporter
- ^ Republicans make conciliatory move over IRA memorial
- Olivier Schmidt. INTELLIGENCE. NY Transfer News Collective. Retrieved on 20 July 2002.
- Unknown. Notices. An Phoblacht. Retrieved on 2 February 2006.
- "An Priombhothar". Bundoran Honours 1981 Hungerstrikers. Saorise 32. Retrieved on 2 April 2005.
- Unknown. Row erupts over IRA memorial. BBC News. Retrieved on 19 March 2002.
- Malcom Sutton. Index of Deaths from the Conflict of Ireland. CAIN Web Service.
- Rosie Cowan. Republicans make conciliatory move over IRA memorial. The Guardian. Retrieved on 20 July 2002.
- Martin Breen. Irish cops have spy in IRA. Newshound/News of the World. Retrieved on 29 May 2003.
- Michelle McDonagh. Roll Of Honour. Irelands Own. Retrieved on 14 November 2004.
- Jonathan Olley. Castles of Northern Ireland. Cold Type. Retrieved on 2 October 2006.
- Reporter. Heavy schedule for new NI Secretary. UTV. Retrieved on 29 January 2001.
[edit] Sources
- Kevin Toolis, Rebel Hearts, p.333-65
- Piaras F. MacLochlainn, Last Words, p.19-22
[edit] External links
- Joe MacManus - Song about Joe MacManus.
