MacManus was born in Harlesden, north-west London, which at the time had a large Irish community.[citation needed] His father, Seán MacManus, a native of Gubaveeney, near Blacklion, County Cavan, had moved to London in the 1960s to find work. There he met and married Helen McGovern, a native of Glenfarne, County Leitrim. In 1976, the family returned to Ireland to live in the working-class Maugheraboy area of Sligo town so that the boys could be educated in Ireland.\n', '

He was educated to primary level at Scoil Ursula Primary School, Strandhill Road, Sligo and St. John\'s Marist Brothers National School, Temple Street, Sligo to secondary level at Summerhill College and at third level at Sligo RTC. MacManus played football for local junior teams Collegians and Corinthians, and Gaelic football for both Saint Mary\'s GFC of Maugheraboy and Coolera GFC of Strandhill.\n', '

His father Seán, who at the time was a leading republican, later became Mayor of Sligo. He was the secretary of the County Sligo anti H-Block Committee in the 1980s. He was the first Sinn Féin Mayor in the Republic of Ireland since the beginning of The Troubles in 1969. His father was also involved in the negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement. Joe\'s younger brother, Chris, was a Sinn Féin Councillor for Sligo Borough Council for fifteen years, is currently a member of Sligo County Council and is also a member of Sinn Féin\'s national executive, the Ard Comhairle.\n', '

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