Chris MacManus co- opted to Council
SINN Féin’s Chris MacManus has been co- opted to Sligo County Council, filling the vacancy caused by the retirement of his father and party colleague, former Councillor Sean MacManus in February.
Quoting Cllr Margaret Gormley and Nelson Mandela, Cllr MacManus took to the floor to address the Chair and the Chamber before the March County Council meeting began.
Thanking party supporters, friends and family, Cllr MacManus said he was honoured with “their trust and confidence, in my continuation in promoting the principles and politics of Irish Republicanism.”
He described his predecessor as not only a great father but a mentor, friend and comrade.
“We have walked many political roads together for nearly thirty years and I know the two of us are not yet finished. We indeed, have a few more journeys to go,” he said.
Cllr MacManus repeated Cllr Margaret Gormley’s quote of 18th century bard James Orr’s ‘ The Irishman’ - “A savage loves his native shore”. “This savage is returning to his political native shore, that of Sligo Local Government,” he told the Chamber. The Maugheraboy native said he would “work with all parties and none” to make the North West a sustainable place to live and work, “a place where the quality of life is matched by the quality of public services.”
“Citizens in this region are tired of feeling they are being treated as second class. Our voices need to be heard,” he said.
Cllr MacManus said the North West needed to prioritise jobs and the deliver of projects such as the N4 were critical.
He also called for a comprehensive scheme for the regeneration of our towns and an end to the cuts that threaten schools and post offices.
“As a Republican, the Proclamation is the lynch pin of what I stand for. My political beliefs are drive by equality for all our citizens on this island, allied with economic and social justice,” he said.