The Almanac of Ireland

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

How do you spot a changeling, a human child that has been replaced by a fairy?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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

A container of treasures, lore and wisdom.

An Irish obsession

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

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

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

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