ONE of the most respected international DJs has issued a glowing endorsement of Ennis’ new library.
Dublin born Annie Mac carved out a career as one of the most popular presenters on BBC Radio One while also touring the world as an international DJ where she has earned a legion of fans.
In 2021, she left Radio One after seventeen years and also debuted her first novel, Mother Mother, set in Belfast which became a Sunday Times bestseller. She has hosted popular podcasts Changes with Annie Macmanus and Sidetracked with Annie and Nick, reuniting her with her old Radio 1 colleague, DJ Nick Grimshaw.
A frequent visitor to Ennis where her sister lives, Annie spoke on Oliver Callan’s RTÉ Radio One show about how impressed she was by the €17m de Valera library which was officially opened in November.
She said, “Being in Ennis yesterday (Sunday), they have this new library there and it has blown my mind, it is a state of the art gorgeous massive new library and the whole town are using it.
“It made me realise that when you live between two countries you get to see how they differ, I couldn’t tell you any instance of a new library opening in London or England in recent times, it made me feel like so happy for Ennis and for Clare that those things are happening. I can’t speak for the whole country”.
Since 2015, Annie Mac Presents: Lost & Found Festival has been held in St Paul’s Bay Malta during the month of May. Macmanus was named as the Festival Ambassador of Malta in 2018, and was presented with the award by Malta’s Minister for Tourism.
Living in London, she turned an MBE in 2022. During an appearance on The Late Late Show, she explained why, “It was lovely to be recognised for services to broadcasting, I don’t want to sit here and sound all pompous, it was really nice. But the language of that I had an issue with. It’s quite mad, it’s like something from another century.
“It’s like. We want to submit your name to be an honorary member of the Excellent Order of the British Empire. It’s 2022 lads, what is this language. And also, I don’t want to be associated with the British Empire, I did history in school, I know about that, and if they change the language I’d be really happy to receive it, but right now, language wise, I just wasn’t happy to (accept it).”
