Seán Mac Mathúna is an Irish writer whose work has been published in both
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
.
Biography
He was born in
Tralee
Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in Count ...
,
County Kerry and attended
University College Cork
University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork.
The university was founded in 1845 as one ...
.
He began his literary career as a writer of short stories, a number of which were published in Irish in ''
Comhar'' and in English in the ''
Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' and the ''
Irish Press
''The Irish Press'' ( Irish: ''Scéala Éireann'') was an Irish national daily newspaper published by Irish Press plc between 5 September 1931 and 25 May 1995.
Foundation
The paper's first issue was published on the eve of the 1931 All-Ireland ...
''. In 1983 his first collection, entitled ''Ding'' (Wedge), was published by An Comhlacht Oideachais. His second Irish-language collection, ''Banana'', was published by Cois Life in 1999, and won Gradam Uí Shúilleabháin /Irish Book of the Year Award. In 2005 his selected short stories were published by Cois Life under the title ''Úlla'' (Apples).
Mac Mathúna has written four novels. One of them, entitled ''Gealach'' (Moon), was published by Leabhar Breac in 2012 and won an
Oireachtas prize.
Mac Mathúna is also a playwright. In 1992 the
Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the p ...
produced ''The Winter Thief/Gadaí Géar na Geamhoíche'' in English and Irish on alternate nights, using the same cast. In 1999 the
Taibhdhearc Theatre in
Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...
produced his play ''Hula Hul''.
A selection of his work can be heard on the audiobook ''Niall Tóibín ag léamh gearrscéalta le Seán Mac Mathúna'' (
Niall Tóibín
Niall Tóibín (; 21 November 1929 – 13 November 2019) was an Irish comedian and actor. Born in Cork into an Irish speaking family, Tóibín grew up on the north-side of the city in Bishop's Field.
He appeared in ''Ryan's Daughter'', ''Brides ...
reading short stories by Seán Mac Mathúna) (Cois Life, 2009).
He has expressed the view that literary inspiration is something closely tied to the deepest sources of our humanity: "But writers are reluctant to talk about inspiration because it’s an acknowledgment, perhaps, that they didn’t write the story themselves but that it came into existence because of the will of a source which is higher than us". He has also said that he prefers the Irish language versions of his work.
[Interview with author, Gaelchultúr Newsletter #8: April 2011 : http://www.gaelchultur.com/en/newsletters/newsletterarticle.aspx?id=98]
Novels
* ''Cros na Sceilge'' (Coiscéim, 2013)
* ''Gealach '' (Leabhar Breac, 2012)
* ''Scéal Eitleáin'' (Coiscéim, 2005)
Short stories
* ''Úlla'' (Cois Life, 2005)
* ''Banana'' (Cois Life, 1999)
* ''Ceardlann 85'' (Coiscéim, 1988)
* ''Ding agus Scéalta Eile'' (An Comhlacht Oideachais, 1983)
* ''The Atheist and Other Stories'' (Wolfhound, 1987) (the author’s translation of the stories in ''Ding agus Scéalta Eile'')
* ''Blas'' (An Comhlacht Oideachais, 1979)
* ''Ráfla'' (An Comhlacht Oideachais, 1978)
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mac Mathuna, Sean
Irish male short story writers
20th-century Irish short story writers
20th-century Irish male writers
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Irish-language writers
People from Tralee