Introduction of Mac Bride Honoree, Fr. Sean Mc Manus

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Introduction of Mac Bride Honoree, Fr. Sean Mc Manus

By Brendan Moore, Vice- President, AOH

New York City Hall. December 8, 2009

Father Sean McManus

-Esteemed member of the Redemptorist Order.
-Native of County Fermanagh.
-Founder of the Irish National Caucus.
-Seeker for justice and an end to discrimination in the north of Ireland.
-Crusader for passage of McBride legislation.

Father Sean has made the U.S. Congress his classroom—experiencing tremendous success educating and encouraging scores of Congress Members to demand reform in Northern Ireland.

On this 25th Anniversary of the Mac Bride Principles on Fair Employment we pause to honor the efforts large and small of an army of committed individuals of varied ethnic backgrounds, races, and religions. The Mac Bride Campaign evolved following the Hunger Strike, which both traumatized and mobilized theIrish American community. During the Thatcher era, when a haughty and heartless British prime minister was unfortunately somewhat successful in painting all members of the broad Irish Nationalist Family here in the United States as supporters of terrorists.

We knew intuitively that those who had crafted the Mac Bride Principles had truly been inspired. Mac Bride legislation used public pension fundinvestments as a tool for employment reform in the Six Counties, while providing the growing and strengthening Irish-American lobby opportunity to indict the British for their history of misrule in the north.

As an inspiring leader in the Mac Bride crusade, Father Sean consistently packed up his tent, traveling to testify forcefully and convincingly whenever and wherever he was needed. He became ubiquitous, taking the crusade from state house to state house, from city hall to city, never counting the cost in personal terms, and ever with his eye on the prize.

And so, twenty-five years later, we salute you with this award from the Irish Echo.

You have been tireless in your quest for justice.
Steadfast in your demand for equality.
Selfless in your commitment to all that is right.

Thank you and congratulations.


Fr. Sean Mc Manus
President
Irish National Caucus
Capitol Hill
PO BOX 15128
Washington, DC 20003-0849
Tel. 202-544-0568
Fax 202-488-7537
se...@irishnationalcaucus.org