Rónán Mac Con Iomaire

www.macconiomaire.com Rónán Mac Con Iomaire is an award-winning author and broadcaster, and is Group Head, Irish Language at RTÉ. ​ He is the author of The Man Who Was Never Knocked Down (Rowman & Littlefield), a biography of Irish boxer, Seán Mannion, who fought for the light-middleweight world championship in Madison Square Garden, New York in 1984. He is also the author of Rocky Ros Muc (Cló Iar-Chonnacht), the fastest-selling Irish language book of all time. ​ Rónán was awarded the New Writer of the Year award for his work on the book at the Oireachtas Literary Awards in October, 2013. ​ He is also associate producer and writer on the award-winning film based on his first book, also called Rocky Ros Muc. ​ He is a contributor to Scéal Scéil, an insight into the way the modern Irish journalist operates. Scéal Scéil will be published by Cois Life in 2014. ​ Prior to being appointed RTÉ's first ever Group Head of Irish Language, he worked as Leascheannaire (Deputy Head) in Raidió na Gaeltachta, Ireland's national Irish language radio station. Before that, Rónán spent many years in print and broadcast journalism, working for RTÉ and Independent News & Media, among other media organisations. ​ He has won a number of awards for his journalism, including the Oireachtas Journalist of the Year Award for breaking the story around former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern's attendance at a Manchester money-raising function. ​ He is a keen runner and triathlete and in 2010, founded TríSpórt, a triathlon club for the Connemara and Aran Islands area. ​ He lives in the Galway Gaeltacht village of An Cheathrú Rua on the west coast of Ireland.