Ray Mac Mánais
Seánraí: Beathaisnéisí, Drámadóir, File, Scríbhneoir scripte, Scríbhneoir don aos óg
I bparóiste Ard Eoin i mBéal Feirste a rugadh Ray Mac Mánais. Cé go bhfuil sé ina chónaí i gContae na Mí le fada an lá, tá a shaol oibre go dtí seo caite aige i mBaile Átha Cliath, áit a raibh sé ina phríomhoide ar Ghaelscoil Míde i gCill Bharróg sula ndeachaigh sé le léachtóireacht i Roinn na Gaeilge in Institiúid Oideachais Marino. Bíonn sé ag léachtóireacht fosta ar an chúrsa MA sa Ghaeilge Fheidhmeach in Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Bhaile Átha Cliath. Tá dhá bheathaisnéis dá chuid curtha i gcló, chomh maith le drámaí agus agallaimh bheirte do dhaoine óga. Cló Iar-Chonnacht a d’fhoilsigh Máire Mhic Ghiolla Íosa: Beathaisnéis. An Gúm a d’fhoilsigh bailiúcháin éagsúla d’agallaimh bheirte don tsraith Séideán Sí, atá in úsáid i ngaelscoileanna agus i scoileanna Gaeltachta. Is iomaí agallamh beirte agus lúibín do dhaoine fásta atá scríofa aige fosta, chomh maith le hamhráin agus ceoldrámaí, trí cinn acu siúd do Thaibhdhearc na Gaillimhe. Ag ócáid chomórtha céad bliain an Oireachtais, bronnadh gradam saoil air as a shaothar i gcaomhnú agus i bhforbairt na n-ealaíon béil traidisiúnta.
Ray Mac Mánais was born in Ardoyne, in North Belfast, and lives in County Meath. His working life has been spent in Dublin, where he was for many years Principal of Gaelscoil Míde, in the north of the city, before taking a lecturing position with the Irish Department in the Marino Institute of Education. He also lectures on the MA course in Applied Irish in Dublin Institute of Technology. His published work includes biographies and agallaimh bheirte (spoken poetic dialogues) for children. Cló Iar-Chonnacht published his first biography, Máire Mhic Ghiolla Íosa: Beathaisnéis (Cló Iar-Chonnacht, 2003), the authorised biography of Mary McAleese. An Gúm, the Government Publication Office, has published several of his agallaimh bheirte for children in their series of books for use in gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools, Séideán Sí. He has written many agallaimh bheirte, songs and lúibíní (sung dialogues) for adults and has written musical dramas for the Taibhdhearc Theatre in Galway. At the centenary celebrations of Oireachtas na Gaeilge, Ray was the proud recipient of a lifetime award to mark his contribution to the preservation and development of our traditional oral art forms.