Sa chlár inniu, cluinfimid faoi shaol agus faoi shaothar Shéamuis Mhic Mhánais, údar, drámadóir agus file as Tamhnach Talaimh i nDún na nGall. Bhí sé de bhua ag Séamus a bheith ábalta culaith nua-aimseartha a chur ar fhinscéalta Éireannacha d’éisteoirí a linne. Feirmeoirí bochta ab ea a mhuintir, ach cháiligh Séamus mar mhúinteoir agus sna 1890idí thosaigh sé ag cur isteach altanna agus scéalta chuig nuachtáin sna Stáit Aontaithe. Sa bhliain 1901, phós sé an file, an cantaire bailéid agus an foilsitheoir Ethna Carbery, ach ar an drochuair cailleadh í go hóg bliain ina dhiaidh sin. I 1911, phós Séamus Catalina Violante Paez, gariníon leis an Ghinearál José Antonio Paez, Uachtarán Venezuela. Tchíonn cuid mhór daoine Séamus Mac Mánais mar an seanchaí, nó an scéalaí, mór deireanach ón traidisiún béil. Beidh muid ag foghlaim faoi ar chlár seo an lae inniu, le Séamus Mac Géidigh.
In the programme today, we will learn about the life and work of Séamus Mac Mánais, author, dramatist and poet from Tamhnach Talaimh in Donegal. Séamus was a talented storyteller, who had the gift of being able to add a modern twist to the old Irish legends to make them more interesting to his audiences. Coming from a poor farming family, Séamus qualified as a teacher, and in the 1890s he began sending in articles and stories to newspapers in the US. In 1901, he married poet, ballad singer and publisher Ethna Carbery. Unfortunately, she died just one year later. In 1911, he married Catalina Violante Paez, a granddaughter of General José Antonio Paez, the President of Venezuela. A lot of people consider Séamus the last great storyteller, or seanchaí, of the oral tradition. We’ll learn all about him in this programme today, presented and produced by Séamus Mac Géidigh.