CBS Kilkenny Francis MacManus Short Story Awards
2019 Senior Winning Story: Hugh Murphy
2019 Junior Winning Story: Rohan Vargas
2018 Senior Winning Story: Brian O'Hanrahan
2018 Junior Winning Story: Ryan MacDonald
2017 Senior Winning Story: Conor Ryan
2017 Junior Winning Story: H Murphy
2016 Senior Winning Story: J Shannon
2016 Junior Winning Story: Hugh Murphy
2015 Senior Winning Story: J Eustace
2015 Junior Winning Story: D Buckley
2014 Senior Winning Story: J Eustace
2014 Junior Winning Story: S Coughlan
2013 Senior Winning Story: J White
2013 Junior Winning Story: C Boyle
Whoo! TY Winner 2013: T Ryan
Room 13B 2013: C Boyle
Whoo! TY Winner 2012: C Brennan
Whoo! TY Winner 2012: R Kelly
Whoo! TY Winner 2012: L Maher
Whoo! TY Winner 2012: J Hanrick
Whoo! TY Winner 2012: B Buckley
Francis MacManus
Francis MacManus (8 March 1909 – 27 November 1965) 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 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 dealt 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 Award was established in his memory in 1985, and the CBS Kilkenny award was inaugurated in 2005.
2019 Junior Winning Story: Rohan Vargas
2018 Senior Winning Story: Brian O'Hanrahan
2018 Junior Winning Story: Ryan MacDonald
2017 Senior Winning Story: Conor Ryan
2017 Junior Winning Story: H Murphy
2016 Senior Winning Story: J Shannon
2016 Junior Winning Story: Hugh Murphy
2015 Senior Winning Story: J Eustace
2015 Junior Winning Story: D Buckley
2014 Senior Winning Story: J Eustace
2014 Junior Winning Story: S Coughlan
2013 Senior Winning Story: J White
2013 Junior Winning Story: C Boyle
Whoo! TY Winner 2013: T Ryan
Room 13B 2013: C Boyle
Whoo! TY Winner 2012: C Brennan
Whoo! TY Winner 2012: R Kelly
Whoo! TY Winner 2012: L Maher
Whoo! TY Winner 2012: J Hanrick
Whoo! TY Winner 2012: B Buckley
Francis MacManus
Francis MacManus (8 March 1909 – 27 November 1965) 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 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 dealt 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 Award was established in his memory in 1985, and the CBS Kilkenny award was inaugurated in 2005.
Francis MacManus Trophies
Prizes
Senior: €200
Junior: €100
Senior: €200
Junior: €100
Conditions of entry
1500 words Junior competition.
- All entries must take the form of a short-story.
- Entries should be submitted by email to p.boyle@cbskilkenny.ie. They must be in Times New Roman font, size 12 and double spaced.
- All emails should clearly state "McManus Competition" in the subject bar.
- Stories should not be written in the body of the email but attached as a file.
- All entries must be the sole work of the entrant.
- Entries can be written to any length up to a maximum of:
1500 words Junior competition.
- The junior competition is open to all students of CBS Kilkenny from 1st to 3rd year.
- The senior competition is open to all students of CBS Kilkenny from 4th to 6th year.
- The winners of both awards will be announced in school, and the awards will be presented on Awards Night.
- The closing date for submissions is Friday 12th April.
