Chris MacManus

Chris MacManus (born 13 March 1973) is an Irish politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Ireland for the Midlands–North-West constituency from March 2020 to July 2024.^[1] He is a member of Sinn Féin, part of The Left in the European Parliament.

Chris MacManus
MacManus in 2023
Member of the European Parliament
In office 6 March 2020 – 17 July 2024
Constituency	Midlands–North-West
Sligo County Councillor
In office March 2017 – February 2020
Personal details
Born	(1973-03-13) 13 March 1973 (age 52) London, England
Political party	Ireland: Sinn Féin EU: GUE/NGL
Parent	Seán MacManus (father)
Relatives	Joseph MacManus (brother)

Personal life

His father is Seán MacManus, a retired Sinn Féin politician. His older brother, Joseph MacManus, was an IRA volunteer who was killed in Belleek, County Fermanagh, in February 1992.^[2][3] He was born in London, but in late 1976 the family returned to Ireland to live in Sligo town.^[4]

He was cast in Ken Loach's Cannes nominated film Jimmy's Hall in 2014, which was filmed extensively in Counties Sligo and Leitrim.^[5]

Political career

He was a member of Sligo Borough Council (formerly Sligo Corporation) from 1999 to 2014, having been elected on three occasions, and was a member of Sligo County Council from 2017 to 2020. He was co-opted in March 2017 to replace his father Seán MacManus, and retained the seat at the 2019 Sligo County Council election.

He contested the 2016 Irish general election in the Sligo–Leitrim and was the last candidate to be eliminated.

MEP Matt Carthy was elected as a TD for the Cavan–Monaghan constituency at the 2020 general election. MacManus was nominated to replace him in the European Parliament.^[6]

MacManus sat on the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee as well as the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. He was a member of the EU Delegations for relations with South Africa and with Palestine.

He lost his seat at the 2024 European Parliament election following a poor campaign and lack of media visibility since replacing Matt Carthy, calling his competence and work ethic into question. The result for Sinn Féin was a very poor showing for MacManus costing Sinn Féin their seat in Midlands-North-West as he failed to transfer well to running mate Michelle Gildernew who was within earshot of retaining Sinn Féin's seat.^[7]

MacManus was also an unsuccessful candidate in Sligo-Leitrim at the 2024 Irish general election and failed to be nominated by Sinn Féin to be amongst its Seanad candidates.

He currently serves in an unelected, part-time and voluntary capacity as chairperson of Sligo Sinn Féin.^[8]