THE STRUGGLE (2003) 1-hour documentary, RTE
"Sighle Humphreys, society belle and crack-shot Irish rebel, was my grandmother. In her house on Ailesbury road was a secret room in which the Irish rebel leaders, Michael Collins, de Valera, etc, hid out," explains the presenter, Manchán Magan
‘In Nov 1922 the house was raided by Free State Soldiers and the IRA leader, Ernie O’Malley came out shooting. In the ensuing gun battle my great-grandmother was shot through the brain, yet survived. One man died. Who killed him – my granny or Ernie?’
Producer: Manchán & Ruán Magan, Wonderland Ltd
GLOBAL NOMAD: China 6-part series (2003), TG4 & Travel Channel
Manchán Magan explores the modern face of one of the world’s most intriguing countries – China. Wandering the length and breadth, from its smoke-stack cities, to the remotest, rural regions; meeting the people and exploring their lives. For the past 5000 years China’s doors have remained resolutely closed, but as her isolation now comes to an end, Manchán Magan sets out to get to know her. The series offers an absorbing look at the oldest surviving culture on earth, from its great cities to its most remote villages. We vist Yunnan province, which borders Tibet; the Yangtze River, home of the Three Gorges Dam; the wealthy commercial centre of Taiwan; the far-flung province of Xinjiang; and China’s most cosmopolitan city, Shanghai. The fruit of a years' work by the Magan brothers, Global Nomad: China is a window on another world.
“When China wakes, it will shake the world,” Napoleon
Music: Ronan Coleman. Producers: Manchán & Ruán Magan, Wonderland Ltd
NASC (2002) 6-part documentary series, TG4
Six Irish Craftspeople journey to six remote regions of the world to meet with local craftspeople and share techniques. The documentaries follow the Irish craftspeople as they communicate through their craft with Inuit kayak builders, Ladakhi basket makers, Coptic weavers, Indian mud builders, Cretan potters and Italian pipe makers. The result is an testimony to the power of the craft tradition to survive into the modern age, and a insight into the common links between people throughout the world.
Music: Ronan Coleman. Producer: Manchán Magan.
Directors: Ruán Magan, Traolach O’Buachalla. Create One/Wonderland
MANCHÁN IN TENERIFE (2001) 1-hour documentary
An exploration of the Guanche culture of Tenerife and the cave-dwelling islanders who strive to preserve their traditions in the face of mass tourism. Manchán joins Segundo Demofilo and his family as they journey from their hilltop village to Santa Cruz for the raucous celebrations of the Burning of the Sardine. An in-depth insight into the rich culture that lies beyond the well-known sun-seeker’s paradise.
Music: R Coleman.
Producers: Ruán & Manchán Magan
The Global Nomad: Middle East (2000) 6-part series, TG4 & Travel Channel
Manchán Magan journeys through the Middle East exploring the civilizations and cultures of Turkey, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. The programmes provide intimate glimpses into the lives of people who live beyond our daily experience. Celebrated by critics and viewers alike, this is not a travel series in any traditional sense: the Global Nomad documentaries are an intimate engagement with the people and cultures of the world.
Music: R. Coleman. Producer/director: Ruán Magan
MANCHÁN USA (1999) 4-part series, for TnaG
An eight thousand mile journey along the Pacific Coast of North America, from alternative communities in the Rockies of Canada to the cave-dwelling Tarahuamaran people of the Sierra Madres in Mexico. In the course of his journey, Manchán joins a Native American Pow Wow; meets gold-miners in the Mojave; dances with New-Agers in BC; investigates the repercussions of nuclear experiments in Oregon; explores the world of RV owners in San Diego; meets smugglers in Tijuana; and finally in a remote canyon in Central Mexico gets to know hunter-gatherers who have retreated from the modern world in order to preserve their pre-Columbian culture.
Producer/director: Ruán Magan, Create One Ltd.
MANCHÁN UM NOLLAG – 2-part series on Christmas traditions in remote cultures.
MANCHÁN IN ÉIRINN (1998) TnaG 4-part series on Ireland
MANCHÁN I MEIRICEÁ THEAS (1997) TnaG, 2 part series on South America
MANCHÁN SAN INDIA (1996) TnaG 2 part series on India
Television Documentaries 1996-2003