A LOCAL priest extended a warm Fermanagh welcome to politicians attending the annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Washington last week.
Fr Sean McManus, who originally hails from Kinawley and is the brother of former MP Frank McManus, is the president and founder of the powerful Washington-based political lobby group the Irish National Caucus.
A regular at the annual NI Bureau St Patrick’s Day Breakfast in the US capital, once again this year he helped host a contingent of politicians and dignitaries from the North, including Secretary of State Hilary Benn, Speaker Edwin Poots, and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.
“As a Fermanagh man, I’ve always had a friendly, respectful, relationship with the Bureau,” said Fr Sean.
“I’ve been impressed by their work. I refer to their Director, as ‘ambassador,’ on the grounds that if they represent Fermanagh to the USA, then they should be ambassadors.”
Fr Sean continued, “I was pleased to meet again the Honourable Ian Paisley Jr, former DUP MP from North Antrim, and, of course, son of the late Rev Dr Ian Paisley.
“I also spoke with Mike Nesbitt, MLA and leader of the Unionist Party. I have known Mike for many years, and as a former TV broadcaster, he had interviewed me a few times.
“I shook the hand of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, telling him I always was a great admirer of his late father, to which he graciously and smilingly replied, ‘Well that makes a total of two of us.’”
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