Frank McNally is a newspaper reporter and columnist. Born on a farm in County Monaghan, he moved to Dublin in his late teens, working in a number of civil service jobs. He later studied journalism at Dublin City University and in 1996 joined the staff of The Irish Times, where since 2006 he has been chief writer of the daily An Irishman’s Diary column. His recently published memoir is entitled Not Making Hay – The Life and Deadlines of a ‘Diary’ Farmer.