Manuel Comellas Coimbra

Category: Writer
Birth Date: 30th April 1853 (†3rd June 1925)
Birth Place: Ferrol (A Coruña)
 Curriculum

He was one of the founders and editor of El Correo Gallego (1878). He wrote both in Galician and Spanish and was very appreciated in many journalist articles of that time. He took an active part in the “Rexurdimento”. He participated in many literary contests and was awarded many prizes.

 

 Work & Activities

He had an intense, constant and important cultural activity in Galicia. He wrote an extense work although it was never published:

1) Poems: odes, elegies and poems about customs and manners.

2) Theatre: Pilara ou Grandezas d'os humildes (drama fantasy in three parts), published in 1920. It was first performed in Ferrol with a great success.

He also founded Comellas School in Ferrol (1877-1934), where Francisco Franco and Ricardo Carvalho Calero studied.

“Don Manuel Comellas Coimbra figura como autor dramático galego pola súa obra Pilara. Foi estreada no teatro Jofre de Ferrol o 23 de agosto de 1919, e novamente representada no mesmo teatro o 6 de setembro do mesmo ano. Imprentouse ao seguinte nos talleres de El Correo Gallego. É unha peza de ambiente mariñeiro, de desenrolo dramático, pero de desenlace fiz. Ten como segundo tíduo Grandezas dos humildes, i é evidente n-ela unha intención moral. O escritor non percuróu somente un fin artístico: quixo tamén dar unha lición de ética, e n-iste senso a súa obra cóntase antre as que constituien o teatro educativo. Contén unha apoloxía do carácter dos peixeiros e unha condenación do caciquismo. No primeiro aspeito o patrón Sidro e súa filla Isabel. A perseguizón da moza pol-o home da vila relaciónaa asimismo, co Lubicán, de Cotarelo”. (Carballo Calero R., Historia da literatura galega contemporánea, Galaxia, Vigo 1975, pp. 433-435)

“Alí acodimos os seus discípulos de entón, os seus discípulos de antano a escoitalo, silenzosos, no seu derradeiro viaxe”. En la lápida de su hogar natal se puede leer: “Bó ferrolán, bó periodista. Mestre de tres xeracións de estudantes”.

In Mandiá, in his country place, he had exotic trees and plants from Japan and many other places. He was an excellent botanist. He got a great fortune, which he used for charity and left part of his legacy for the Galician Academy.

He was decorated by the Pope Leon XIII in 1901. In 1905, he published Catecismo Social, according to the doctrine of the "RerumNovarum" by Leon XIII.

He was a fervent Catholic.

 Other Interesting Aspects

PRIZES:

1877. Silver Palm in the Floral Games of A Coruña: A María Pita.

1882. Golden Palm in the Floral Games of A Coruña: A Galicia (Nosa nai Galicia).

1888. Best journalistic article.

1892. Best journalistic article.

1897. Círculo Católico de Obreros: El Cristo de Candás.

1899. Círculo Católico de Obreros: Doce Cantares Gallegos.

1899. Quevedo Prize (Correo Gallego Foundation).

1900. "Mellor poesía curta galega 1900": A Enfermidade.

1901. "Hombre de confianza de S.S. León XIII": Catecismo Rerum Novarum, according to the the rules of Leon XIII.

1909. Honourable prize of the Galician Academy.

1919. Prize for the best play in Galicia (Pilara, a grandeza dos humildes).

1930. There is a street and a health centre in Ferrol with his name.