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Not Making Hay: The Life and Deadlines of a 'Diary' Farmer
Frank McNally is the renowned chief writer of 'An Irishman's Diary' in The Irish Times. With unparallelled wit and humour, he has been educating and entertaining Irish readers with his insightful observations for nearly twenty years. Now, the man who consistently had his finger on the pulse of the nation turns his attention inwards.
Picking up on a variety of personal themes that will be familiar to readers of the column, Frank reflects on his upbringing in Monaghan and his early career as a civil servant, as well as significant events which have shaped him and the Ireland he has chronicled in his diary.
Drawing unexpected connections between his daily routine and the sometimes obscure but always enlightening and rich life of the country, Not Making Hay masterfully connects Frank's own story with that of Irish culture, history and literature, offering fresh and humorous insights on both modern and historical Ireland.
'Funny, engaging and vibrant' Fintan O'Toole
'With his unsparing wit, wily turn of phrase and nosiness for detail, not to mention his attunement to the rhythms of nature and compassion for people, McNally is Monaghan's very own Montaigne.' Ardal O'Hanlon
Picking up on a variety of personal themes that will be familiar to readers of the column, Frank reflects on his upbringing in Monaghan and his early career as a civil servant, as well as significant events which have shaped him and the Ireland he has chronicled in his diary.
Drawing unexpected connections between his daily routine and the sometimes obscure but always enlightening and rich life of the country, Not Making Hay masterfully connects Frank's own story with that of Irish culture, history and literature, offering fresh and humorous insights on both modern and historical Ireland.
'Funny, engaging and vibrant' Fintan O'Toole
'With his unsparing wit, wily turn of phrase and nosiness for detail, not to mention his attunement to the rhythms of nature and compassion for people, McNally is Monaghan's very own Montaigne.' Ardal O'Hanlon
271 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 25, 2025
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November 19, 2025
A mixture of autobiography with reprints of some of An Irishman's Diary columns the author wrote for the Irish Times. McNally has a good self-deprecating turn of phrase and writes in an easy style. Much of his writing reflects his background among the drumlins of Monaghan and is none the worse for that. Most enjoyable
Displaying 1 of 1 review