Bridie McManus, the last surviving member of the second generation of the McManus family of Teemore, died in Belfast recently. Bridie was the widow of Bellew McManus, the youngest son of 'Master Mac' one of the co founders of the Teemore Shamrocks team along with James Curry.
Bridie was a religious person, a good genuine kind human being and a proud Irish republican who never forgot her roots in west Belfast to which she returned in her final days.
In her early days she was a very successful camog along with her sister Deirdre. And, her brother Harry played for Antrim and Ulster.
She herself was selected to play at full forward on the Antrim team that won All Ireland Camogie Championships in 1945, 1946 and 1947.
Bridie met her husband in Dublin where he was the manager of Gaffney's of Fairview, at the time one of the bars closest to Croke Park.
After just six months they were married and were very happy together. They moved to New York and opened the 'Liffey Tavern' in Jackson Heights. It became the first bar in New York to sell Guinness on draught, in fact the first ever outside of Ireland, no mean honour for a brand now synonymous with Ireland on a global stage.
Sadly, Bellew passed away in 1969 after a hard battle with cancer, and it is testament to the man that his funeral in Dublin was one of the largest ever seen in Ireland. Bridie went back to the States where she continued her work in helping people in need. She developed her travel agency 'Liffey Travel' and, as a result, she built up a network of contracts in the Immigration Department, the NYPD (New York Police Department) and the GAA.
She always came back to Dublin for the All-Ireland hurling and football finals, always staying in the 'Skylon'.
Public recognition came her way in the awards she received in 1971 from Irish Northern Aid, in 1979 from the Irish Northern Aid, in 1979 from the Irish National Cancus for her stance in fighting for justice for the Irish people, and in 1982 the Grand Council of the United Emerald Societies voted her 'Irish Woman of the Year' for her sterling work in promoting Irish travel and as proprietor of the 'Liffey Tavern.'
Bridie's Requiem Mass was at St John's church, Falls Road, Belfast and the burial afterwards was in Glasnevin Cemetery Dublin.

Fermanagh Herald, 28th August 2013 Tweet

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