Francis MacManus
Encyclopedia
Francis MacManus was an Irish
novelist and broadcaster.
Born in Kilkenny
, MacManus was educated in the local Christian Brothers School and later at St. Patrick's College, Dublin and University College Dublin
. After teaching for eighteen years at the Synge Street Christian Brothers School in Dublin, MacManus joined the staff of Radio Éireann (precursor to RTÉ
, the Irish national broadcasting entity) in 1948 as Director of Features.
MacManus began writing while still teaching, first publishing a trilogy set in Penal
times and concerning the life of the Gaelic
poet Donncha Rua Mac Conmara comprising the novels Stand and Give Challenge (1934), Candle for the Proud (1936) and Men Withering (1939). A second trilogy followed which turned its attention to contemporary Ireland: This House Was Mine (1937), Flow On, Lovely River (1941), and Watergate (1942). The location was the fictional "Dombridge", based on Kilkenny, and deal with established themes of Irish rural life: obsessions with land, sexual frustration, and the trials of emigration and return. Other major works include the novel The Greatest of These (1943), concerning religious conflict in nineteenth-century Kilkenny, and the biographies Boccaccio (1947) and Saint Columban (1963). In his last two novels, MacManus descended into the depths of theological debate: The Fire in the Dust (1950) was followed by American Son (1959), a remarkable dialogue between conflicting modes of belief which reveals the strong influence of Roman Catholicism on the author.
MacManus died in Dublin 27 November 1965 at the age of 56, from a heart attack.
The RTÉ
Francis MacManus Short Story prize was established in his memory in 1985. The competition is open to people born in or residents of Ireland. The 2010 competition attracted the overall entry of 860 stories, of which 25 stories were shortlisted. Deadline for entries is typically 31 December, with the shortlist being announced in the spring. The top three stories are awarded prizes of €3,000, €2,000 and €1,000, respectively. All shortlisted stories are read on RTÉ Radio 1. According to the entry form, "Over the past 25 years the competition has proved to be a launching pad for several new and emerging Irish writers and continues to offer a platform for the best of contemporary Irish fiction." Since 1985 over 500 stories from the competition have been broadcast. Among the names who have featured and who have gone on to win acclaim in Ireland and internationally are Claire Keegan
, Molly McCloskey, Anthony Glavin
, Mary O’Donnell and Ivy Bannister.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
novelist and broadcaster.
Born in Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, MacManus was educated in the local Christian Brothers School and later at St. Patrick's College, Dublin and University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
. After teaching for eighteen years at the Synge Street Christian Brothers School in Dublin, MacManus joined the staff of Radio Éireann (precursor to RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
, the Irish national broadcasting entity) in 1948 as Director of Features.
MacManus began writing while still teaching, first publishing a trilogy set in Penal
Penal Laws (Ireland)
The term Penal Laws in Ireland were a series of laws imposed under English and later British rule that sought to discriminate against Roman Catholics and Protestant dissenters in favour of members of the established Church of Ireland....
times and concerning the life of the Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
poet Donncha Rua Mac Conmara comprising the novels Stand and Give Challenge (1934), Candle for the Proud (1936) and Men Withering (1939). A second trilogy followed which turned its attention to contemporary Ireland: This House Was Mine (1937), Flow On, Lovely River (1941), and Watergate (1942). The location was the fictional "Dombridge", based on Kilkenny, and deal with established themes of Irish rural life: obsessions with land, sexual frustration, and the trials of emigration and return. Other major works include the novel The Greatest of These (1943), concerning religious conflict in nineteenth-century Kilkenny, and the biographies Boccaccio (1947) and Saint Columban (1963). In his last two novels, MacManus descended into the depths of theological debate: The Fire in the Dust (1950) was followed by American Son (1959), a remarkable dialogue between conflicting modes of belief which reveals the strong influence of Roman Catholicism on the author.
MacManus died in Dublin 27 November 1965 at the age of 56, from a heart attack.
The RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
Francis MacManus Short Story prize was established in his memory in 1985. The competition is open to people born in or residents of Ireland. The 2010 competition attracted the overall entry of 860 stories, of which 25 stories were shortlisted. Deadline for entries is typically 31 December, with the shortlist being announced in the spring. The top three stories are awarded prizes of €3,000, €2,000 and €1,000, respectively. All shortlisted stories are read on RTÉ Radio 1. According to the entry form, "Over the past 25 years the competition has proved to be a launching pad for several new and emerging Irish writers and continues to offer a platform for the best of contemporary Irish fiction." Since 1985 over 500 stories from the competition have been broadcast. Among the names who have featured and who have gone on to win acclaim in Ireland and internationally are Claire Keegan
Claire Keegan
Claire Keegan is an Irish short story writer. She was born in County Wicklow in 1968, the youngest of a large Roman Catholic family. She travelled to New Orleans, Louisiana when she was seventeen and studied English and Political Science at Loyola University...
, Molly McCloskey, Anthony Glavin
Anthony Glavin
Anthony Glavin was an Irish poet and Professor of Music at the Royal Irish Academy.-Biography:Anthony Glavin was born in Dublin to Kathleen and James J. Glavin. His father fought in the War of Independence and later went on to work for the Irish Sugar Company until he retired in 1971...
, Mary O’Donnell and Ivy Bannister.
Novels
- Stand and Give Challenge (Dublin: Talbot 1934; rep. Mercier 1964)
- Candle for the Proud (Dublin: Talbot 1936)
- This House was Mine (Dublin: Talbot 1937)
- Men Withering (Dublin: Talbot 1939; rep. Mercier 1972)
- The Wild Garden (Dublin: Talbot 1940)
- Flow on, Lovely River (Dublin: Talbot 1941)
- Watergate (Dublin: Talbot 1942; rep. Poolbeg 1979)
- The Greatest of These (Dublin: Talbot 1943)
- Statue for a Square (Dublin: Talbot 1945)
- The Fire in the Dust (London: Cape 1950)
- American Son (London: Cape 1959)
Non-Fiction
- Boccaccio (London: Sheed & Ward 1947), biography.
- Seal Ag Ródaíocht/On the Road for a Time (Dublin: Sairseal agus Dill 1955), travel essays.
- St Columban (Dublin: Clonmore & Reynolds 1963), biography.