Sean Mackin has been very visible and proactive in the Irish peace process. As a boy and young man growing up in West Belfast he was consistently harassed, beaten and seriously injured by the RUC and British Army. He and his wife Philomena and their Irish-born daughter, Jennifer, moved to New York, where they lived for many years before they were placed in deportation proceedings by the U.S. government.

In a historic ruling, Philomena and Jennifer were granted political asylum in 1991 and Sean was granted a "suspension of deportation." The entire family have since become United States citizens. (The Mackins also have a younger child, Sean Og, who is a U.S. citizen by birth.)

Mackin has used his high profile in the Irish community to promote the strategy of Sinn Fein on its pathway to peace and is an active fundraiser and member of the Friends of Sinn Fein.

Return to Top 100