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The Almanac of Ireland Profile

The Almanac of Ireland

English, Social, 1 season, 41 episodes, 10 hours, 21 minutes
About
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.
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Ancient Madness

Presenter Manchán Magan investigates the quirks, conundrums and wonders of this country.
8/27/202323 minutes, 4 seconds
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Stones

Presenter Manchán Magan investigates the quirks, conundrums and wonders of this country.
8/27/20237 minutes, 32 seconds
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Hay

Manchán Magan and Sally Foran learn about old weights and measures. // Presented by Manchán Magan and produced by Colette Kinsella. A Red Hare Media production for RTÉ Radio. Partially funded by the BAI with the television licence fee.
8/20/20239 minutes, 43 seconds
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The Storyteller Part 2

Celebrated contemporary storyteller Dr. Martin Shaw recounts an ancient Irish myth. // Presented by Manchán Magan and produced by Colette Kinsella. Production assistance by Ronan Kelly. A Red Hare Media production for RTÉ Radio. Partially funded by the BAI with the television licence fee.
8/20/202316 minutes, 22 seconds
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The Storyteller Part 1

Manchán Magan delves into the riches of Irish mythology with renowned contemporary storyteller Dr. Martin Shaw. Presented by Manchán Magan and produced by Colette Kinsella.
8/13/202329 minutes, 50 seconds
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Wild

Manchán Magan rewilds himself in County Meath. Presented by Manchán Magan and produced by Colette Kinsella. A Red Hare Media production for RTÉ Radio. Partially funded by the BAI with the television licence fee.
7/30/202321 minutes, 48 seconds
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Weight

Manchán Magan learns about weights and measures, old and new. Presented by Manchán Magan and produced by Colette Kinsella. A Red Hare Media production for RTÉ Radio. Partially funded by the BAI with the television licence fee.
7/30/20238 minutes, 20 seconds
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Magic Mountain

Manchán Magan hears strange tales of fairy folk in Co. Leitrim. Presented by Manchán Magan and produced by Colette Kinsella. A Red Hare Media production for RTÉ Radio. Partially funded by the BAI with the television licence fee.
7/23/20238 minutes, 46 seconds
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Currach

Manchán Magan takes to the sea in an ancient, giant boat in Co. Mayo. Presented by Manchán Magan and produced by Colette Kinsella. A Red Hare Media production for RTÉ Radio. Partially funded by the BAI with the television licence fee.
7/23/202318 minutes, 8 seconds
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Wrought Iron

Manchán Magan learns about the secrets of Ireland's wrought iron gates. Presented by Manchán Magan and produced by Colette Kinsella. A Red Hare Media production for RTÉ Radio. Partially funded by the BAI with the television licence fee.
7/16/202317 minutes, 38 seconds
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An Sáspan Dubh

Manchán Magan investigates the origins of a mysterious love potion. Presented by Manchán Magan and produced by Colette Kinsella. A Red Hare Media production for RTÉ Radio. Partially funded by the BAI with the television licence fee.
7/16/20239 minutes, 32 seconds
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Wellness Waters Part 2

Manchán Magan visits a holy well with a hydrogeologist to search for the powers hidden in its water. With Dr Bruce Misstear.
7/28/202129 minutes, 29 seconds
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Wellness Waters

Manchán visits St. Ciaran's Well in Co. Meath to learn about its cultural and spiritual history. With Dr. Ronan Foley.
7/21/202126 minutes, 50 seconds
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Red Fox Press

Manchán Magan visits a publishing house at the edge of the world. http://www.redfoxpress.com/
7/14/202122 minutes, 57 seconds
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Breaking Bread

Manchán Magan investigates the true origins of traditional Irish cuisine with Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire.
7/14/202117 minutes
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The Deserted Village

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.
6/23/202121 minutes, 52 seconds
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Of weather, waves and wireless

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.
6/23/202116 minutes, 26 seconds
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Of Comets and Kings

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.
6/16/202121 minutes, 34 seconds
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Imbolc, St Brigid’s Day

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.
2/1/202110 minutes, 1 second
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Everything Is Connected

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.
11/30/202031 minutes, 17 seconds
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Enchanted by Nature

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
11/13/202034 minutes, 17 seconds
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An Almanac Extra: Samhain

Manchán visits the Hill of Tara to consider the meaning and mythology of Samhain, Hallowe'en. A tiny tale from The Almanac of Ireland.
10/28/20205 minutes, 51 seconds
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An Almanac Extra: Changelings - a tiny tale

How do you spot a changeling, a human child that has been replaced by a fairy? Billy Connell tells us what to look for.
10/21/20205 minutes, 4 seconds
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An Almanac Extra: Fog stories from the Aran Islands Part 2

Another tiny story from the Aran Islands about how to keep your bearings when at sea in foggy weather.
10/9/20203 minutes, 52 seconds
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An Almanac Extra: Fog stories from the Aran Islands Part 1

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.
10/9/20204 minutes, 3 seconds
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An Almanac Extra: Tying sheep with hay rope

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.
10/9/20203 minutes, 11 seconds
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Hellmouth

Manchán descends into a cave known in ancient Ireland as Oweynagat: a hellmouth, the gateway to the Celtic Otherworld.
9/9/202013 minutes, 24 seconds
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Toadstool

Courtney Tyler takes Manchán on a mushroom hunt to find on of the most beautiful, intriguing and misunderstood of the mushroom family.
9/9/202015 minutes, 24 seconds
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The power of place names

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.
9/2/202017 minutes, 5 seconds
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Magh and other stories

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.
9/2/202013 minutes, 52 seconds
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Beauty and the Brain

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.
8/26/202017 minutes, 17 seconds
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Leviathan

Manchán meets a former commercial fisherman and learns about the wonders of basking sharks.
8/26/20209 minutes, 58 seconds
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Pond Life

Manchán discovers a world of wonder under the surface of a suburban pond in the company of nature enthusiast and science communicator Collie Ennis.
8/19/202015 minutes, 26 seconds
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Achill Prophecies

Manchán travels to Achill Island in Co. May to meet Gerard Mangan, who introduces him to a 17th-century Irish soothsayer.
8/19/202012 minutes, 20 seconds
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Weather

An Irish obsession
8/12/202017 minutes, 53 seconds
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Milo's cabinet of curiosities

A container of treasures, lore and wisdom.
8/12/20208 minutes, 9 seconds
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Amethyst Quest

Manchán Magan delves into the mystery of how an amethyst gem is born.
8/5/202010 minutes, 33 seconds
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Stonemason

Manchán Magan uncovers a secret supernatural stonemason deep in the Tipperary countryside
8/5/202016 minutes, 32 seconds
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Tír Sáile

Discover the North Mayo sculpture trail, the largest public art trail in Ireland.
7/29/202012 minutes, 59 seconds
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Food

How were the Irish able to make a cheese hard enough to kill the semi-divine leader of Connaught, Queen Maeve?
7/29/202014 minutes, 31 seconds
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Introducing... The Almanac of Ireland

Presenter Manchán Magan investigates the quirks, conundrums and wonders of Ireland. Starts July 29th 2020.
7/15/20201 minute, 31 seconds