FR. MC MANUS AT AOH-LAOH CONVENTION 38 YEARS LATER

Fr. Sean Mc Manus, Fr. John Ahern and Barbara Flaherty

 “ Fr. Sean Mc Manus electrified the National Conventiyn.”

 That was former AOH National President, the late Jack Keane, speaking about the 1974 AOH-LAOH National convention in Anaheim, California.
Thirty eight years later Fr. Mc Manus was back at the 2012 National Convention in Verona , NY to promote his Memoirs that cover those years,  and longer.

“ I was delighted to attend, courtesy of the Convention Chairman, Liam Mc Nabb,” explained the Fermanagh-born priest who is president of the Capitol Hill-based Irish National Caucus.
“ There is great AOH-LAOH interest in my book,” he continued. “ I am deeply touched by their support and very grateful for the graciousness and friendship with which I was received. I am especially grateful for all the kindness and support of Fr. John Ahern, National Chaplain .

The American Edition of the book, “ My American Struggle for Justice in Northern Ireland,” was published in June 2012.  It is fifty pages longer and has 22 more photos than the first edition published in Ireland 2011.

“ I am amazed by how much people like it,” Fr. Mc Manus confessed. “ It has somehow touched a deep cord. For better or worse, it is the only Memoirs that covers the past forty years of trying to get the U.S. Congress to stand up for Irish justice. And, for better or worse, no one else – and certainly no Catholic priest – has devoted forty years of his life working on Capitol Hill for justice, which the Catholic Church teaches is “ a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel.”

Barbara Flaherty, prime promoter of the book, and also a LAOH delegate from Division 9, Washington, DC said : “ I was proud to be part of my Division’s delegation. And I am most grateful for their enthusiastic support of the book. They have found it to be an invaluable resource.”