Manchán Magan, celebrated Irish writer and documentary maker, dies aged 55

Manchán Magan, celebrated Irish writer and documentary maker, dies aged 55

Manchán Magan in Listen To The Land Speak. Picture: ©INPHO/James Crombie

The writer, broadcaster, and documentary maker Manchán Magan has died at the age of 55, his family confirmed.

Mr Magan, a passionate advocate for the Irish language, was widely known for exploring culture, heritage, and the natural world through books, television, and radio.

Born in 1970 and raised in Donnybrook, Dublin, Mr Magan first came to prominence with acclaimed travel documentaries, many produced with his brother, filmmaker Ruán Magan.

These programmes, broadcast on RTÉ and TG4, brought viewers to remote parts of the world and introduced them to diverse cultures and traditions.

Among his best-known works was No Béarla, a television series in which he travelled around Ireland communicating only through Irish. 

He also presented Crainn na hÉireann, a ten-part exploration of Ireland’s trees, and most recently Listen to the Land Speak, which aired on RTÉ One this summer.

Mr Magan's passion for the Irish language led him to publish books such as Thirty-Two Words for Field: Lost Words of the Irish and Ninety-Nine Words for Rain (and One for Sun), as well as dozens of documentaries and even a cameo in Kneecap’s Drug Dealing Pagans.

Tributes to Mr Magan were led by the Belfast rap trio.

They wrote: "Perhaps unwillingly, Manchán was the foremost cultural ambassador for our generation and instrumental in the resurgence of Irish language and culture.

"He gently reminded us of the role the language has in understanding our surroundings, and knowing ourselves.

His legacy will live on in the curious minds of the Irish and beyond, in those who seek a deeper and more fulfilling life.

 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was "deeply saddened"  at Mr Magan's passing.

"Manchán was a passionate advocate for our language and culture, whose work illuminated the richness of Ireland’s landscape, history and heritage.

"Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam."

Gaeltacht minister Dara Calleary described Mr Magan as a "gifted" man.

 3/10/25 File pic of Manchán Magan, Irish writer, traveller, author, and television programme maker photographed in July 24 Pic: Marc O'Sullivan
3/10/25 File pic of Manchán Magan, Irish writer, traveller, author, and television programme maker photographed in July 24 Pic: Marc O'Sullivan

He said: “I am very saddened to hear of Manchán’s death this morning at such a young age. Manchán was a gifted broadcaster, writer, and passionate advocate of the Irish language.

"Manchán leaves behind an extraordinary legacy in how he championed the Irish language. His dedicated work on television, his unmistakable voice on radio, and his writing didn’t just promote Irish, it reignited a grá for it in people. This legacy will live on.

“I want to join with others in offering my deepest condolences to his wife Aisling, his family, his friends and his former colleagues in TG4, RTÉ and the wider arts and culture community across Ireland."

The Rivers Trust, where Mr Magan was an ambassador, also expressed condolences.

"Over the past two years, Manchán has given generously of his time and talent to The Rivers Trust. 

"Even when he was ill, his passion for his subject matter was so strong that he recently recorded a podcast with us, promoted our Big River Watch campaign, and gave a moving and memorable address at our annual conference. 

"Through all of this, he brought his warmth, honesty, knowledge and unique gift for connecting people to both the history and the future of the natural world."

'Visionary spirit'

Mark Horton, All-Ireland Director of The Rivers Trust, said: “Manchán was a writer, broadcaster, and documentary maker of rare ability. He carried within him a vast repository of knowledge, imagination, and inspiration, particularly about the language, culture, and rivers of Ireland.

"His passion for the natural world and his ability to bring its meaning alive for others were unparalleled. He helped us see rivers not just as waterways, but as threads of connection between people, place, and spirit.

“For Manchán, nature was never separate from us; it was spirit and continuity, a truth that transcended the human experience and all borders. 

He reminded us that in caring for the natural world, we care for our own soul. He believed the essence of nature lay beyond human measure, a current flowing through spirit and time. His gift was to remind us that to truly live, we must reconnect with the earth and cherish it as kin. 

"The natural world was not a backdrop but a sacred presence, transcending human life. He called us back to it, urging us to remember our duty of care and our place within its eternal story. For that, we will be forever grateful for his visionary spirit.”

Comedian Dara O'Briain, who Mr Magan visited for a documentary for TG4, wrote: "Very sad today to hear of the untimely death of writer and film-maker Manchán Magan. 

His work with the Irish language was both inspirational and normalising, and he can claim a great amount of credit for the resurgence in the everyday, normal use of the language. 

"He managed to both elevate the culture and also place in the everyday, where it belongs.

"Comhbhrón lena clann agus cairde, ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann."

Comedian Dara O'Briain, who Mr Magan visited for a documentary for TG4, wrote: "Very sad today to hear of the untimely death of writer and film-maker Manchán Magan. 
Comedian Dara O'Briain, who Mr Magan visited for a documentary for TG4, wrote: "Very sad today to hear of the untimely death of writer and film-maker Manchán Magan. 

In September, Mr Magan suffered a setback in his journey with prostate cancer.

He was diagnosed with the disease in 2023.

Earlier that month, he joined Brendan O’Connor on RTÉ Radio 1 to speak about his experience living with cancer.

Speaking on the show, he said: “It’s a lovely thing to know that I can plan my last few — is it months or years?

"We don’t know. We might get a year or two, and definitely get another few months.” 

Mr Magan went on to talk about his connection to the spirit world, recalling how his parents recognised he was “a dreamer” and gave him a corner in the garden where he would “dig away” with herbs and flowers, and where he would hear the spirit world.

“I would just be hearing the spirit world, I would just be communicating with them. It was just these loving voices. The voice of feeling, that I have been put into this shell of a body for a certain amount of time, and I am like, this white light. This loving source of white light and I’m here to play,” he said.

He died in Dublin last night and is survived by his wife Aisling, his mother Cróine, and his three siblings.

x

More in this section

Lunchtime News

Newsletter

Keep up with stories of the day with our lunchtime news wrap and important breaking news alerts.

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited