Francis MacManus

Francis MacManus (8 March 1909 – 27 November 1965) was an Irish novelist and broadcaster.

Life and writings 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 CBS 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 and first published a trilogy set in Penal times and concerning the life of Donnchadh Ruadh Mac Conmara, an author of Irish poetry in the Irish-language. The trilogy comprises 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). The panel of three judges for the 2012 competition is: Brendan Barrington, a Senior Editor at Penguin Ireland and editor of The Dublin Review; John MacKenna, author, and winner of the Irish Times, Hennessy and Cecil Day-Lewis awards as well as a Jacob's Award for his radio documentaries on Leonard Cohen; and Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, novelist and short-story writer. Past judges include novelists, Joseph O'Connor and Anne Enright. The competition is organised by veteran 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