Ferdia Mac Anna was born in Dublin in 1955. His novels are The Last of the High Kings (London, Viking, 1991); The Ship Inspector (Viking, 1995); and Cartoon City (London, Headline, 2000). The film of The Last of the High Kings was released in 1996. He has edited The Penguin Book of Comic Irish Writing […]
Seamas Mac Annaidh born Dublin 1961, and grew up and was educated Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. His novels are Cuaifeach Mo Londubh Buí (Baila Átha Cliath, Coiscéim 1983); Mo Dhá Mhicí (Coiscéim 1986); Rubble Na Mickies (Coiscéim, 1990); An Deireadh (Coiscéim, 1996) and Diosco De (Coiscéim, 2006). His short story collections are Féirín, Scéalta agus Eile […]
Pádraig Mac Fhearghusa was born in Ballineen in West Cork. His collections are Faoi Léigear (Baile Átha Cliath, An Clóchomhar Tta.,1980); Mearcair (Baile Átha Cliath, Coiscéim), which won the Oireachtas na Gaeilge National Poetry Prize in 1996; and An Dara Bás (Coiscéim, 2002), which won the Oireachtas na Gaeilge National Poetry Prize in 2002. Among […]
Seosamh Mac Grianna was born in Rannafast, Co. Donegal in 1901. His brother Séamus Ó Grianna was also a notable writer. Like his brother who was also a teacher, he was interned during the Civil War as a Republican. At least in part due to his disillusion with the new Ireland, he spent the last […]
Liam Mac Uistin was born in Dublin in 1938. His published work includes the novels Esperanza and Dordd (Báile Átha Cliath, Clóchomhar, 1994), for which he won Oireachtas awards, and Mac an Easpaig (Clóchomhar, 1997). His published plays are Pocléim and Liombó (An Clóchamhar), and The Glory and the Dream (Delaware Press, USA). His other […]
Catherine Phil MacCarthy was born in 1954 in Crecora, Co. Limerick. Her collections are This Hour of the Tide (The Cliffs of Moher, Clare, Salmon Poetry,1994); The Blue Globe, (Belfast, The Blackstaff Press, 1998); Suntrap (The Blackstaff Press, 2007); and The Invisible Threshold (Dublin, The Dedalus Press, 2012). Her first novel is One Room an […]
Patrick MacGill was born into a farming family near Glenties in the parish of Inishkeel, Co Donegal in 1889. When he was twelve years of age he went to the Hiring Fair in Strabane Co.Tyrone and hired with a farmer. When he had worked two years as a farm labourer he absconded to Scotland with […]
Thomas MacGreevy was born in Tarbert, Co. Kerry, in 1893. His poetry collections include Poems (London, Heinemann, 1934 [ reprinted New York, The Viking Press, 1934]); Collected Poems edited by Thomas Dillon Redshaw (Dublin, New Writers Press, 1971, foreword by Samuel Beckett [reissued by the Belaqua Series, an imprint of Raven Arts Press, in association […]
Tom MacIntyre was born in Cavan in 1931. A dual-language writer, his poetry collections include Blood Relations: Versions of Gaelic Poems of the Seventeeth and Eighteenth Centuries (Dublin, New Writers’ Press, 1972); I Bailed Out at Ardee (Dublin, Dedalus Press, 1987); Fleur-du-Lit (Dublin, The Dedalus Press, 1994); A Glance Will Tell You and A Dream […]
Walter Macken was born on May 3rd, 1915, in Galway. Originally an actor, principally with the Tadhbhearc in Galway, and The Abbey Theatre, he played lead roles on Broadway in MJ Molloy‘s The King of Friday’s Men and his own play Home is the Hero. He also acted in films, notably in Brendan Behan’s The […]
John MacKenna was born in 1952 in Castledermot in Co Kildare. His short story collections include The Fallen and Other Stories (Belfast, The Blackstaff Press, 1992) which won The Irish Times First Fiction Award; A Year of Our Lives (London, Picador, 1995); and The River Field (Dublin, New Island Books, 2007). His novels are Clare […]
Bernard MacLaverty was born in Belfast in 1942. His novels include Lamb (London, Jonathan Cape 1980); Cal (London, Jonathan Cape, 1983); Grace Notes (London, Jonathan Cape, 1997), which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize; and The Anatomy School (Jonathan Cape, 2001). Both Lamb and Cal were produced as films of the same name, and for […]
Bryan MacMahon was born in Listowel, Co Kerry in 1909. His plays include The Bugle in the Blood (Dublin, The Abbey Theatre, 1949); The Song of the Anvil (The Abbey Theatre, 1960); The Honey Spike (The Abbey Theatre, 1961); The Master; Jack Furey; The Death of Biddy Early; The Time of the Whitethorn and The […]
(Frederick) Louis MacNeice was born in Belfast in 1907, brought up in Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim and educated in England. He studied Classics and Philosophy at Oxford and both of these subjects informed his poetry. He was known as a translator, literary critic, playwright, autobiographer, BBC producer and feature writer as well as poet. His poetry […]
Marie MacSweeney was born in Dublin of Kerry parents. Her poetry chapbooks are Mother Cecily’s Music Room (Belfast, Lapwing, 2005); and Flying During the Hours of Darkness (Lapwing, 2009), which includes her translation of Caoineadh Airt Úi Laoghaire. Her short stories are collected as Our Ordinary World and Other Stories (Victoria, Canada, Trafford Publishing, 2004). […]
Aodhan Madden was born in Dublin. His plays for the stage include The Midnight Door (Dublin, The Abbey Theatre, Peacock Stage, 1983); The Dosshouse Waltz (Dublin Theatre Festival, Gemini Theatre Company, 1985); Sensations (Peacock, 1986); Private Death of a Queen (Dublin Theatre Festival, Gemini, 1986), Sea Urchins (Hawkswell, Sligo/Dublin, Project Theatre, Acorn Theatre Company, 1988); […]
Deirdre Madden was born in 1960 in County Antrim. Her novels include Hidden Symptoms (London, Faber & Faber, 1988; USA, Atlantic Monthly Press, 1987); The Birds of the Innocent Wood (Faber & Faber, 1988); Remembering Light and Stone (Faber & Faber 1992); Nothing is Black (Faber & Faber, 1994); One by One in the Darkness […]
Ed Madden was born in Newport, Arkansas, in 1963. He now teaches at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. His first book of poetry, Signals (Columbia, SC, USC Press, 2008), won the 2007 South Carolina Poetry Book Prize. His work has been included in the Notre Dame Book of Irish American Poetry: From […]
Heno Magee was born in Dublin in 1939. His plays include I’m Getting Out of This Kip (Dublin, The Peacock, Abbey Theatre, 1972); Hatchet (The Peacock, The Abbey Theatre, 1972); and Red Biddy (The Peacock, The Abbey Theatre, 1974). His books include Hatchet (Dublin, The Gallery Press/Newark, Proscenium, 1978) Both Hatchet and I’m Getting Out […]
Aisling Maguire was born in Dublin in 1958. Her short fiction has appeared in several anthologies, including Raven Introductions 4 (Dublin, Raven Arts Press, 1986); The Dolmen Book of Short Stories (Mountrath, 1986); Volumes One and Two of The Blackstaff Book of Short Stories (Belfast, 1988 and 1991); and Figures in a Landscape: Writing from […]
John Maher was born in Dublin in 1954. His stories are collected as The Coast of Malabar (Dublin, O’Brien Press, 1998). His novels as John Maher are The Luckpenny (Dingle, Brandon / Mount Eagle Publications, 2007); and Rondo: The memoirs of Dr Josef Divonne, Late of 2me Lyon, Lower Europe (Roscrea, The Pilgrim Press, 2011). […]
Derek Mahon was born in Belfast in 1941. His poetry collections are Night-Crossing (UK, Oxford University Press, 1968); Lives (OUP,1972); The Snow Party (OUP, 1975); Poems 1962-1978 (OUP, 1979); Courtyards in Delft (OUP, 1981); The Hunt By Night (OUP, 1982); Antarctica (Oldcastle, Co Meath, Gallery Books, 1985); Selected Poems (Oldcastle, Co Meath, The Gallery Press, […]
Martin Malone was born in Dublin. His novels are US (Dublin, Poolebeg, 2000); After Kafra (Poolebeg, 2001); The Broken Cedar (London, Scribner, 2003); and Moore’s Bridge (Dublin, New Island Books, 2008). His short stories are collected as The Mango War and Other Stories (New Island Books, 2009). His short stories have been published and broadcast […]
Mary Malone was born in Cork. Her novels are Love Match (Dublin, Dodder Books, 2006); All You Need Is Love (Dodder Books, 2007); Never Tear Us Apart (Dublin, Poolebeg Press, 2009); and Love is the Reason (Poolebeg Press, 2010). She lives in Cork. Mary Malone’s Website Mary Malone at The National Library of Ireland
James Clarence Mangan was born in Dublin on May 1st, 1803. He was the son of a former hedge-school teacher who later became a grocer. Mangan was educated at a Jesuit school where he learned the rudiments of Latin, Spanish, French, and Italian, but when his father became bankrupt he was obliged to leave school […]
Mary Manning (also known as Mary Manning Howe) was born in Dublin in 1905 and went to drama school in London when she was sixteen. After returning to Ireland she attended the Abbey Theatre drama school under Sarah Allgood, and acted in the Abbey and the Gate in the early 1930s. Her plays are Youth’s […]
Aoife Mannix was born in Stockholm of Irish parents, and grew up in Dublin, Ottawa and New York. A former editor for the BBC’s Holby City, she has written drama documentaries for Radio 4. Her poetry collections are The Trick of Foreign Words (London, Tall Lighthouse, 2002); The Elephant in the Corner (Tall Lighthouse, 2005); […]
David Marcus was born in Cork in 1924. With Terence Smith and SJ White, he edited Irish Writing from 1946-54. He also edited Poetry Ireland, from 1948-54. He moved to London in 1954. On his return to Ireland he edited the seminal New Irish Writing from 1968-1998 in the Irish Press, Dublin, publishing and/or encouraging […]
Emer Martin was born in Dublin in 1968. Her novels are Breakfast In Babylon (Dublin, Wolfhound, 1995/New York, Houghton Mifflin, 1997); More Bread Or I’ll Appear (New York, Houghton Mifflin, 1999/London, Alison & Busby, 2000) ; and Baby Zero (Dingle, Brandon, 2007). Breakfast In Babylon won The Kerry Ingredients Book of the Year 1996 at […]
Aidan Mathews (var. Aidan Carl Mathews) was born in 1956 in Dublin. His poetry collections include Windfalls (Dublin, The Dolmen Press, 1977); Minding Ruth (Loughcrew, The Gallery Press, 1983); and According to the Small Hours (London, Jonathan Cape, 1998). His plays are The Diamond Body (Project Theatre, Dubin); Entrance, Exit (The Peacock Theatre, Dublin); and […]
Tom Mathews was born in Dublin in 1952. His poetry collections are The Owl and the Pussycat (Dublin, Dedalus Press, 2009); and No Return Game (Dedalus Press, 2013). His novel is Levon (Dublin, Ward River Press, 1984). After working in advertising he studied Fine Art at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. […]
Caitlín Maude was born in Casla in the Connemara Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area) in 1942. Her poetry collections include Caitlín Maude, Dánta, ed. Ciarán Ó Coigligh (Baile Átha Cliath, Coiscéim, 1984); Caitlín Maude (Coiscéim, 1988); and Caitlín Maude: file (Bari, Italy, edizioni dal sud, and Coiscéim, 1985). Her poetry and sean nós singing, for which she […]
Hugh Maxton (pseudonym of W.J. McCormack) was born near Aughrim in Co Wicklow in 1947. He lived intermittently in Hungary over a period of ten years, and has published translations into English of poems by Agnes Nemes Nagy, Sándor Wéöres, and Endre Ady. His poetry as Hugh Maxton includes Stones (Dublin, Allen Figgis, 1970); The […]
J. Ardle McArdle was born in Dublin in 1934 and grew up in Monaghan. He published two novels, Closing Time (Dublin, Co-Op Books, 1982); and Sin Embargo (Dublin, Odell & Adair, 1987). Also a barrister, he has written How the Law Works, an Introduction to Law for West African Readers (London, Allen & Unwin, 1963). […]
James J. McAuley was born in Dublin in 1936. His first collection was Observations, published in 1960. Since then his collections have included A New Address (Dublin,The Dolmen Press,1965); Draft Balance Sheet (The Dolmen Press,1978): After The Blizzard (University of Missouri Press, 1975); Recital (Dolmen Press, 1975); Hone And Away; The Exile’s Recurring Nightmare; The […]
John McAuliffe was born in 1973 and grew up in Listowel, County Kerry. His collections are A Better Life (Loughcrew, Co Meath, The Gallery Press, 2002), shortlisted for a Forward Prize; Next Door (The Gallery Press, 2007); and Of All Places (The Gallery Press, 2011), a Poetry Book Society recommendation. In 2000 he won the […]
Joan McBreen was born in Sligo. Her poetry collections are The Wind Beyond The Wall (Oregon, USA, Story Line Press, 1990); A Walled Garden in Moylough (Story Line Press, 1995 /The Cliffs of Moher, Co Clare, Salmon Publishing, 1995); Winter in the Eye, New & Selected Poems (Salmon Publishing, 2003); The Long Light on the […]
Eimear McBride was born in Liverpool but moved to Ireland when she was three. She grew up in Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo and Castlebar, Co. Mayo, before moving to London aged 17 to study at The Drama Centre. Her debut novel is A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing (Norwich, Galley Beggar Press, 2013). She currently lives […]
Eugene McCabe was born in Glasgow in July 1930 of Irish parents. His published plays for stage include King of the Castle (Dublin, The Gallery Press/Newark, Proscenium, 1978); and his one-act plays Pull Down a Horseman/Gale Day (Dublin, Gallery, 1979). His plays for TV include Roma (Dublin, Turoe & RTÉ, 1979); and his trilogy Victims, […]
James McCabe was born in Dublin in 1966. His poems are collected as The White Battlefield of Silence (Dublin, The Dedalus Press, 1999). He has also published the schools anthology Inklings (Dublin, CJ Fallon, 1999). He was short-listed for the Hennessy Prize, and won the Scottish International Poetry Prize along with two Hawthornden Awards. He […]
Patrick McCabe was born in Clones, Co Monaghan in 1955. He has published a children’s story, The Adventures of Shay Mouse (Dublin, Raven Arts Press, 1985), and the adult novels Music On Clinton Street (Raven, 1986); Carna (London, Aidan Ellis, 1989); The Butcher Boy (London, Picador, 1992), which was the winner of The Irish Times/Aer […]
Colum McCann was born in Dublin in 1965. His stories include Fishing the Sloe Black River (London, Pheonix House, 1994/ New York, Metropolitan Books/Henry Holt and Company, 1996). His novels are Song Dogs, (Pheonix House, 1995; New York, Henry Holt, 1995); This Side of Brightness (London, Orion, 1998/ New York, Metropolitan Books, 1998); Everything In […]
Thomas McCarthy was born in Cappoquin, Co Waterford in 1954. His poetry collections nclude The First Convention ( Dublin, The Dolmen Press, 1978); The Sorrow-Garden (London, Anvil Press Poetry, 1981); The Non-Aligned Storyteller (Anvil Press Poetry, 1984); Seven Winters in Paris (Anvil Press Poetry and Dublin, Dedalus, 1989); The Lost Province (Anvil Press Poetry 1996); […]
Molly McCloskey was born in 1964 in Philadelphia, and moved to Ireland in 1989. She has published the collection of short stories, Solomon’s Seal (London, Phoenix House, 1997); The Beautiful Changes, a novella and four short stories (Dublin, The Lilliput Press, 2002); and a novel, Protection (Dublin, Penguin, 2005). Her memoir is Circles around the […]
Mike McCormack was born in London in 1965, but grew up in Sligo. His stories are collected as Getting it in the Head (London, Jonathan Cape, 1965), for which he won the Rooney Prize; and Forensic Songs (Dublin, Lilliput, 2012). His novels are Crowe’s Requiem (Jonathan Cape, 1998); and Notes from a Coma (Jonathan Cape, […]
Kathleen McCracken was born in Dundalk, Ontario, in 1960. Her collections include Blue Light, Bay and College (Newcastle, Ontario, Penumbra Press, 1991), which was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award for Poetry in 1992; A Geography of Souls (Saskatoon, Thistledown Press, 2002); Mooncalves (Toronto, Exile Editions, 2007); and Tattoo Land (Exile Editions, 2009). She has […]
Martin McDonagh was born in London in 1971 to expatriate Irish parents. His plays include The Beauty Queen of Leenane (The Abbey, Peacock Stage, Dublin, 1996 / London, Royal Court Theatre, 1997). The play is the first in his Connemara Trilogy, which also includes A Skull in Connemara (1997) and The Lonesome West (1997). His […]
Terry McDonagh was born in Cill Aodáin, Kiltimagh, Co Mayo in 1946. His plays include The Dark Side of a Dream; Anything for a Fiver; I wanted to bring you flowers (translated as Ich kann das alles erklären); Eternity Under Lucifer the First; and Children of the Whip. His poetry collections are The Road Out […]
Peter McDonald was born in Belfast in 1962. His collections are Biting the Wax (Newcastle upon Tyne [now Tarset, Northumberland]Bloodaxe Books, 1989); Adam’s Dream (Bloodaxe, 1996); Pastorals (Manchester, Carcanet, 2004); The House of Clay (Carcanet, 2007); and Collected Poems (Carcanet, 2013). His academic works include Louis MacNeice: The Poet in his Contexts (Oxford, Clarendon Press, […]
Hugh McFadden was born in Derry. His collections are City of Mirrors (Dublin, Beaver Row Press, 1985); Pieces of Time (Belfast, Lapwing Press, 2004); Selected Poems: Elegies and Epiphanies (Belfast, Lagan Press, 2005); and Empire of Shadows (Cliffs of Moher, Salmon Poetry, 2012). He is literary executor of the estate of John Jordan, and has […]
Roy McFadden was born in Belfast in 1921 and was educated at Queen’s University Belfast. He thereafter worked in the legal profession. His first poetry pamplet was Russian Summer (Dublin, Gayfied, 1941). His first major publication, Three New Poets (Essex, Grey Walls Press, 1942), was shared with Alex Comfort and Ian Serraillier. His subsequent collections […]
John McGahern was born in Dublin in 1934, but moved to Leitrim as a child. His novels are The Barracks (London, Faber & Faber, 1963); The Dark (Faber & Faber, 1965); The Leavetaking (Faber & Faber, 1975) The Pornographer (Faber & Faber, 1980), Amongst Women (Faber & Faber, 1990); and That They May Face The […]
Patrick McGinley was born in Glencolmcille, Co. Donegal in 1937. His novels include Bogmail (London, Martin Brian & O’Keeffe, 1978); Goosefoot (London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982); Fox Prints (London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1983); Foggage (New York, St. Martin’s Press, 1983/London, Jonathan Cape 1984); The Trick of The Ga Bolga (Jonathan Cape, 1985); The Red Men […]
Afric McGlinchey was born in Ireland. Her debut collection is The Lucky Star of Hidden Things (Cliffs of Moher, Salmon Poetry, 2012). She grew up in Southern Africa, and received degrees from Rhodes University and the University of Cape Town, where she was tutored by the Nobel prize-winner, JM Coetzee. She has also lived in […]
Thomas McGonigle was born of Donegal ancestry in Patchogue, Long Island, New York in 1944, and has had a deep connection with Ireland since 1964. His novels are Going to Patchogue (Champaign, IL, Dalkey Archive Press, 1992); and The Corpse Dream of N. Petkov (Dalkey Archive Press, 1987/Evanston, IL, Northwestern University Press, 2000). His novel […]
Iggy McGovern was born in Coleraine. His collections are The King of Suburbia (Dublin, Dedalus Press, 2005); and Safe House (Dedalus Press, 2010). He is the recipient of the McCrae Literary Award, the Hennessy Literary Award for poetry, and The Glen Dimplex Poetry Award, 2006. He is Associate Professor of Physics at TCD, and lives […]
Seán McGrady was born in Belfast in 1955. His novel is The Backslider (Ann Arbor, MI, Dzanc Books, 2012). Formerly a university lecturer in philosophy and freelance writer/editor, he currently lives in York, UK. Sean McGrady at Dzanc Books Poeticus Philosophicus Seán McGrady’s top 10 philosophers’ novels Sean McGrady on Twitter
Eamonn McGrath was born in Wexford in 1929. His novels are Honour Thy Father (Dublin, Figgis,1970 / New York, Herder & Herder, 1972 (as The Clay Grew Tall) [reissued Belfast, The Blackstaff Press,1990]); The Charnel House (The Blackstaff Press, 1990/US, Dufour Editions, 1990); and The Fish in the Stone (The Blackstaff Press, 1994). Both Honour […]
Medbh McGuckian was born in Belfast in 1950. Her collections of poetry include The Flower Master (1982, Oxford University Press, republished by Loughcrew, The Gallery Press, 1993); Venus and the Rain (Oxford, 1984, a revised edition published by Loughcrew, The Gallery Press, 1994); On Ballycastle Beach (Oxford 1988); Marconi’s Cottage (The Gallery Press, 1991); Captain […]
Frank McGuinness was born in Buncrana, Co Donegal, in 1953. His plays include The Factory Girls (1982); Baglady/Ladybag (1985); Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (Dublin, The Abbey Theatre, 1985); Innocence (1986); Carthaginians (1988); Mary and Lizzie (Stratford-upon-Avon, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, 1989); The Bread Man (Dublin, The Gate Theatre, 1990); Someone Who’ll […]
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