The Almanac of Ireland

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Manchán Magan investigates the quirks, conundrums and wonders of Ireland such as, how were the Irish able to make a cheese hard enough to kill the semi-divine leader of Connaught, Queen Maeve? What is it like to spend hours alone in an ancient cave of transformation where Gaelic warriors endured periods of isolation to prove their manhood? How long does it take for an urban pond to become a multi-dimensional wonderland? Or, what exactly is the neurological effect of staring at an art work? The Almanac of Ireland aims to answer these and many more questions.

RTÉ


    • Jul 28, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 15m AVG DURATION
    • 30 EPISODES


    Latest episodes from The Almanac of Ireland

    Wellness Waters Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2021 29:29


    Manchán Magan visits a holy well with a hydrogeologist to search for the powers hidden in its water. With Dr Bruce Misstear.

    Wellness Waters

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2021 26:50


    Manchán visits St. Ciaran's Well in Co. Meath to learn about its cultural and spiritual history. With Dr. Ronan Foley.

    Red Fox Press

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2021 22:57


    Manchán Magan visits a publishing house at the edge of the world. http://www.redfoxpress.com/

    Breaking Bread

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2021 17:00


    Manchán Magan investigates the true origins of traditional Irish cuisine with Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire.

    Of weather, waves and wireless

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2021 16:26


    The Almanac of Ireland was presented by Manchán Magan and produced by Colette Kinsella. A Red Hare Media production for RTÉ Radio. The series was partially funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the television license fee. All music in the series is by Blue Dot Sessions.

    The Deserted Village

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2021 21:52


    The Almanac of Ireland was presented by Manchán Magan and produced by Colette Kinsella. A Red Hare Media production for RTÉ Radio. The series was partially funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the television license fee. All music in the series is by Blue Dot Sessions.

    Of Comets and Kings

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2021 21:34


    Thanks to Professor Mike Baillie of Queens University Belfast. The Almanac of Ireland was funded in part by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the television license fee. Presented by Manchán Magan and produced by Colette Kinsella. A Red Hare Media production for RTÉ Radio. All music in this series is by Blue Dot Sessions.

    Imbolc, St Brigid's Day

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2021 10:01


    To celebrate St Brigid's Day, 1st February, Manchán Magan reads accounts of St Brigid's Day traditions as collected by schoolchildren in the 1930s for The School's Collection.

    Everything Is Connected

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2020 31:17


    This is the second part of Manchán's conversation with environmental philosopher Matthijs Schouten. Manchán and Matthijs chat about how everything in the world – the natural world and the human-built world – is connected, and how this realisation can help us feel happier as individuals and less powerless in the face of the current climate crisis.

    Enchanted by Nature

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2020 34:17


    Manchán travels the breadth of Ireland for an uplifting chat with environmental philosopher Matthijs Schouten about how to reconnect our souls to the natural world. For more information on the NatureWise programme at Wageningen University in The Netherlands: https://cdn.naaee.org/sites/default/files/case-study/file/case_study_naturewise_0.pdf

    An Almanac Extra: Samhain

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2020 5:51


    Manchán visits the Hill of Tara to consider the meaning and mythology of Samhain, Hallowe'en. A tiny tale from The Almanac of Ireland.

    An Almanac Extra: Changelings - a tiny tale

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2020 5:04


    How do you spot a changeling, a human child that has been replaced by a fairy? Billy Connell tells us what to look for.

    An Almanac Extra: Fog stories from the Aran Islands Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2020 4:03


    We're still crafting new stories for you that we'll be showcasing soon on The Almanac of Ireland. In the meantime, have you ever wondered how you might help a fogbound currach find its way safely back to shore? Manchán hears a story about how the innovative people of Inismaan did it.

    An Almanac Extra: Fog stories from the Aran Islands Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2020 3:52


    Another tiny story from the Aran Islands about how to keep your bearings when at sea in foggy weather.

    An Almanac Extra: Tying sheep with hay rope

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2020 3:11


    The Almanac of Ireland will be back shortly with brand new adventure-filled stories from all over Ireland. Until then, please enjoy this tiny tale of sheep, hay ropes, and an ingenious plot to escape an IRA attack.

    Hellmouth

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2020 13:24


    Manchán descends into a cave known in ancient Ireland as Oweynagat: a hellmouth, the gateway to the Celtic Otherworld.

    Toadstool

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2020 15:24


    Courtney Tyler takes Manchán on a mushroom hunt to find on of the most beautiful, intriguing and misunderstood of the mushroom family.

    Magh and other stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2020 13:52


    This episode is about a word that we don't use much anymore, an ancient legal term for measuring distance, and we also hear about a magical cow who has advice about how to save the planet.

    The power of place names

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2020 17:05


    Why is a place associated with a tragic shipwreck called "he prison"? And what is the real story behind a depression in the landscape called “the fool's hole”? Manchán discovers how place names act as thresholds, offering insights into the people, history, archaeology, landscape and fauna of an area.

    Leviathan

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2020 9:58


    Manchán meets a former commercial fisherman and learns about the wonders of basking sharks.

    Beauty and the Brain

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2020 17:17


    What happens inside your brain when you look at art? And if you could find out, would you want to? Manchán speaks to Dr. Richard Roche about why we sometimes moved by art.

    Achill Prophecies

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2020 12:20


    Manchán travels to Achill Island in Co. May to meet Gerard Mangan, who introduces him to a 17th-century Irish soothsayer.

    Pond Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2020 15:26


    Manchán discovers a world of wonder under the surface of a suburban pond in the company of nature enthusiast and science communicator Collie Ennis.

    Weather

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2020 17:53


    An Irish obsession

    Milo's cabinet of curiosities

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2020 8:09


    A container of treasures, lore and wisdom.

    Stonemason

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2020 16:32


    Manchán Magan uncovers a secret supernatural stonemason deep in the Tipperary countryside

    Amethyst Quest

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2020 10:33


    Manchán Magan delves into the mystery of how an amethyst gem is born.

    Tír Sáile

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2020 12:59


    Discover the North Mayo sculpture trail, the largest public art trail in Ireland.

    Food

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2020 14:31


    How were the Irish able to make a cheese hard enough to kill the semi-divine leader of Connaught, Queen Maeve?

    Introducing... The Almanac of Ireland

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2020 1:31


    Presenter Manchán Magan investigates the quirks, conundrums and wonders of Ireland. Starts July 29th 2020.

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