Francis MacManus facts for kids

Francis MacManus (born March 8, 1909 – died November 27, 1965) was a famous Irish writer and radio presenter.

Life and Books

Born in Kilkenny, Ireland, Francis MacManus went to school there. He later studied at St. Patrick's College, Dublin and University College Dublin. After teaching for eighteen years at the Synge Street CBS school in Dublin, MacManus joined Radio Éireann in 1948. This was the first version of RTÉ, which is Ireland's national radio and TV station today. He worked there as the Director of Features, meaning he was in charge of special radio shows.

MacManus started writing while he was still a teacher. His first three books were set during a tough time in Irish history known as the Penal times. During this period, laws made it difficult for some people, especially Catholics, to practice their religion or own land. These books were about the life of Donnchadh Ruadh Mac Conmara, an Irish poet who wrote in the Irish-language. The three novels were Stand and Give Challenge (1934), Candle for the Proud (1936), and Men Withering (1939).

He then wrote another three books about Ireland in his own time. These were This House Was Mine (1937), Flow On, Lovely River (1941), and Watergate (1942). These stories took place in a made-up town called "Dombridge," which was based on his hometown of Kilkenny. They explored common themes in Irish country life, like how important land was to families, and the difficulties of leaving Ireland to find work and then returning home.

Other important books by MacManus include the novel The Greatest of These (1943), which was about religious disagreements in Kilkenny in the 1800s. He also wrote biographies, which are life stories, about Boccaccio (1947) and Saint Columban (1963). In his last two novels, The Fire in the Dust (1950) and American Son (1959), MacManus explored deep ideas about faith and different ways of believing. These books showed how much his Roman Catholic faith influenced him.

Francis MacManus passed away in Dublin on November 27, 1965, at the age of 56. He died from a heart attack.

To remember him, RTÉ started the Francis MacManus Short Story Award in 1985.

The RTÉ Short Story Award in Honour of Francis MacManus

The RTÉ Short Story Competition was created in 1986 to honor Francis MacManus, who was both a writer and a broadcaster. This competition celebrates and rewards the best new short stories written by Irish authors for radio.

Since it began, this competition has been a very important way for new writers in Ireland to get noticed. It's free to enter, and thousands of people send in their stories every year. The total prize money is €13,750. The winner receives €5,000, the second-place writer gets €4,000, and the third-place writer receives €3,000. Seven other writers who make the final list each get €250.

A list of the top ten stories is announced in September. The main winners are then revealed later on a special RTÉ Arena radio show on RTÉ Radio 1. All ten of the shortlisted stories are published on the RTÉ Culture website. They are also broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 as part of a season of new writing.

Professional actors read and record each of the ten shortlisted stories. The judges listen to these recordings and read the stories. They consider how well the stories work for radio and as short stories before choosing the winners.

The competition has helped many new Irish writers become famous both in Ireland and around the world. Some well-known names who have been featured in the competition include Cónal Creedon, Claire Keegan, Molly McCloskey, Anthony Glavin, Mary O'Donnell, and Ivy Bannister. Since 1985, over 500 stories from the competition have been broadcast on the radio.

For the 2012 competition, the three judges were: Brendan Barrington, a Senior Editor at Penguin Ireland and editor of The Dublin Review; John MacKenna, an author who has won several awards like the Irish Times and Jacob's Award; and Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, a novelist and short-story writer. Past judges have included famous novelists like Joseph O'Connor and Anne Enright. The competition is organized by a long-time RTÉ producer, Seamus Hosey.

Past Winners of the RTÉ Radio 1 Francis MacManus Short Story Award

• 1993
  • Winner: "After the Ball" by Cónal Creedon

• 1999
  • Winner: "Love" by Ivy Bannister
  • 2nd: "Stay Close to the Water's Edge"

• 2000
  • Winner: "The Hanging Trees" by Ruth LeGoff

• 2001
  • Winner: "Dipping into the Darkness" by Maire McSweeney
  • 2nd: "I am the Song – Sing Me" by Elizabeth Carty
  • 3rd: "Jealousy" by Susan Knight

• 2002
  • Winner: "The Wind Across the Grass" by Nuala Ní Chonchúir
  • Joint 2nd: "Rebound" by Lorraine Francis
  • Joint 2nd: "Heaven" by Jim Mullarkey

• 2003
  • Winner: "Lemon Creams" by Vincent McDonnell
  • 2nd: "Would you like to see a photograph?" by Billy Thompson

• 2004
  • Winner: "The Mango War" by Martin Malone
  • 2nd: "Walking Toby" by Geraldine Mills
  • 3rd: "Glimpse" by James Moynihan

• 2005
  • Winner: "Dark Horses" by Claire Keegan
  • 2nd: "Pascal's Wager" by Michael J Farrell
  • 3rd: "The World of Tides" by Bill Murray

• 2006
  • Winner: "A Thing of Beauty" by Hester Casey
  • 2nd: "The Weight of Feathers" by Geraldine Mills
  • 3rd: "For Scrap" by Gavin Corbett

• 2007
  • Winner: "Valediction" by Joe O'Donnell
  • 2nd: "Loser" by Eileen Counihan
  • 3rd: "The Man With No Name" by Gerry Boland

• 2008
  • Winner: "Hay" by Ciarán Folan
  • 2nd: "Home Help" by Dolores Walsh
  • 3rd: "Romance" by Alastair Hadden

• 2010
  • Winner: "Fishing for Dreams" by Joyce Russell
  • 2nd: "Silverfish" by Eileen Lynch
  • 3rd: "Comfort" by Sheila Mannix

• 2011
  • Winner: "Orca" by Austin Duffy
  • 2nd: "Platform 17 – Grand Central Station" by Patrick Griffin
  • 3rd: "Seven Steps Home" by Andrew Fox