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'''Joseph Edward MacManus''' (] ] – ] ]), was a member of the Sligo Brigade of ] (IRA). He was killed on active service in Mulleek near ], ], ] in 1992. '''Joseph Edward MacManus''' (] ] – ] ]), was a ] within the Sligo Brigade of ] (IRA). He was killed on active service in Mulleek near ], ], ] in 1992.


==Background== ==Background==

Revision as of 13:09, 24 November 2006

Joseph Edward MacManus (May 23 1970 – February 5 1992), was a Volunteer within the Sligo Brigade of Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). He was killed on active service in Mulleek near Belleek, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland in 1992.

Background

MacManus grew up in the working class Maugheraboy area of Sligo Town, County Sligo, Ireland. He was born in Harlesden, an Irish area of north-west London in England. His father Sean MacManus from Blacklion, County Cavan moved to London in the 1960's to find work, there he met and married Glenfarne, County Leitrim native, Helen McGovern. In 1976 the family, including younger brother Christopher, moved back to Sligo so that the young boys could be educated in Ireland.

His father, Sean, was a leading republican in the Sligo area and was a member of the Sligo H-Block Committee in the 1980's. As a youth MacManus grew up assisting his fathers work by making placards, putting up election posters and selling the Sinn Fein party newspaper An Phoblacht.

MacManus who was educated at Summerhill College and at third level at Sligo RTC was a popular character and enjoyed socialising and sporting activities especially football and played football for local junior teams and Gaelic football club Saint Mary's he was also a supporter of Sligo Rovers, Arsenal and the Irish national team.

Military Action

MacManus was determined to become an active Irish Republican after attending the funeral of Jim Lynagh, one of the Loughall Martyrs, in 1987 and so in 1990, at the age of 19, MacManus joined the Sligo Brigade of the IRA.

In 1991, MacManus became a member of a Ballyshannon based unit that replaced the disbanded West Fermanagh Brigade. To begin with MacManus carried out minor operations including the moving munitions between arms dumps, passing intelligence between operatives and attending training camps in the woodlands surrounding Sligo Town.

On Sunday, February 2 1992, MacManus and the rest of his unit, James Hughes, Conor O'Neil 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.

Mulleek Ambush

On Monday, February 3 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 part-time dog warden, to his home on the pretence that his dog had attacked a family member.

Glass, a part-time UDR soldier and former member of the B-Specials unit of the Ulster Special Constabulary, arrived at the farmhouse in the morning of the Wednesday February 5. When Glass arrived at the gate of the farmhouse he was ambushed by the unit and order to get out of his van. Glass reach for his handgun, which as place on the passenger seat, and shot were exchanged. A gun battle ensued in which Glass was badly injured; his thigh bone was shattered and penetrated his skin. Glass managed to fight off his attackers, killing MacManus in the process.

This attack lead to legal 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 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 after being convicted in 1992 . He was released in 1998 as part of the peace process.

Republican Family

Joseph MacManus' father Sean MacManus who at the time was a leading republican went on to become Mayor of Sligo, the first Sinn Fein Mayor in the Republic of Ireland since the beginning of the conflict in 1969. He was also involved in the negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement. Joe's younger brother Chris is a Local Councillor within Sligo Borough Council, and a member of Sinn Fein's national executive, the Ard Comhairle.

References


Sources

  • Kevin Toolis, "Rebel Hearts" p.333 - p.365
  • Piaras F. MacLochlainn, "Last Words" p.19 - p.22


External links


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