Frank McNally

Frank McNally

Frank McNally is a journalist and author. He has covered a wide range of subjects for The Irish Times, including politics, sport, and literature. A former National Media Awards winner for his Dail and tribunal sketches, he is now chief writer of the daily Irishman's Diary column.

Padraig McKenna (a cousin of Barney’s), Seán Óg McKenna (a brother), and Gerry Tully: all performing at the Donnycarney Trad Festival next month.
Dancing at the traffic lights

An Irishman’s Diary: A Dublin suburb goes back to its roots

‘Founded in 1893, Donore is marking a big milestone this year. Among the celebratory events, last weekend, was a “This is Your Life” tribute to Jim McNamara’ (above, with Irish Runner editor, Frank Greally). Photograph: Ian Redican
The paradox of a running legend

An Irishman’s Diary: A demon to compete against, a pleasure to deal with

Mayor Quimby and Homer Simpson - quite possibly descendants of Blasket Islanders
An Irishman's Diary

A DUBLINER now living near the borders of New Hampshire and Massachusetts has e-mailed me about the eerie experience this week…

‘Later, in time-honoured fashion, four nuts loosened without a struggle. For the fifth, I had to stand on the wheel-wrench, and then perform part of Riverdance on it.’ Photograph: Getty Images
Men and the art of car-wheel maintenance

An Irishman’s Diary: When in doubt, try kicking the tyre

‘Then I got sucked in, thanks to The Little Museum of Dublin’s uniquely interactive feature, a state-of-the-art, fully human curator who wanders around the rooms striking up conversations with visitors and then (“you’d be interested in this”) matching them with exhibits. His name is Trevor White and, having created the museum back in 2011, he is now its director.’ Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
A literary digression

An Irishman’s Diary In which our hero attempts to experience European Literature Night but loses the plot

‘The real-life Seamus McGowan had shared a room with Seán O’Casey (above) and was no stranger to bombs. But as his Starry-Plough-bedecked headstone records, he was somewhat luckier than the pedlar, dying peacefully in 1955.’ Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Elegy written in a city churchyard

An Irishman’s Diary: The last word on a famous lexicographer

Red-tinted glasses: Alex Ferguson at a training session in 2011. Photograph: Matthew Peters/MUFC/Getty
Alex Ferguson: a winner, a great manager and the biggest bully of his generation

I’m not an ABU bigot, but the retiring Manchester United boss personified everything that was wrong with football

‘In one letter, Tolkien admitted “a certain distaste” for Celtic myths. They were like broken, stained-glass windows, reassembled at random, he thought. “Colourful”, in other words, but “mad”.’ Above, the grave of Tolkien and his wife Edith, in Oxford, England. Photograph: Graham Barclay/BWP Media/Getty Images
Muddled Earth

JRR Tolkien’s tortured relationship with Ireland

‘The Burren was and remains one of very few places on the planet to feature “reverse transhumance”: farmers putting cattle out to upland pasture in winter, rather than summer.’ Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Hermits, herbs, and Hobbits

An Irishman’s Diary: On a Clare day, you can see a lot

More articles

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A huge tornado approaches the town of Moore, Oklahoma, near Oklahoma City, yesterday. At least 91 people are so far known to have been killed in its wake. Photograph: Richard Rowe/Reuters Tornado devastation in Oklahoma
To the mainland. Photographs: courtesy Ionad an Bhlascaoid Mhóir - The Blasket Centre Leaving the Blaskets - from the evacuation to the Gathering

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