Show Notes
In the third episode of ‘My Identity’ Professor Colin Graham (Maynooth) is in conversation with Manchán Magan. This episode is a recording of a public conversation which took place in Dublin on 4 February 2025.
Manchán Magan has written books on his travels in Africa, India and South America. He writes occasionally for The Irish Times, and presents the Almanac of Ireland podcast for RTÉ. He has made dozens of documentaries on issues of world culture for TG4, RTÉ, & Travel Channel. His books include Thirty-Two Words For Field, Listen to the Land Speak, Tree Dogs, Banshee Fingers and Other Words For Nature, and Wolf-Men and Water Hounds. With Antic-Ham, he’s collaborated on two art books for Redfoxpress. www.manchan.com
In this episode he discusses his identity and background as well as his work. Read more about this public event: https://www.ria.ie/blog/you-need-to-walk-the-land-to-feel-the-stories/
About the Series
This is episode 3 of the My Identity podcast series hosted by Professor Colin Graham, Maynooth. In this series, Colin is in conversation with a range of people whose ideas, work and life experiences shed light on the topic of identity on the Island of Ireland. My Identity is part of the ARINS project.
Colin Graham is Professor English and formerly Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Maynooth University. His books include Northern Ireland: Thirty Years of Photography, Deconstructing Ireland and Ideologies of Epic. He was editor of The Irish Review from 2004 to 2020. During the Brexit negotiations he created the Twitter account @borderirish and wrote the book I am the Border, so I am, published by HarperCollins.
ARINS: Analysing and Researching Ireland North and South brings together experts to provide evidence-based research and analysis on the most significant questions of policy and public debate facing the island of Ireland, north and south. The project publishes, facilitates and disseminates research on the challenges and opportunities presented to the island in a post-Brexit context, with the intention of contributing to an informed public discourse. More information can be found at WWW.ARINSPROJECT.COM
ARINS is a joint project of The Royal Irish Academy, an all-island body, and the Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies at Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs.
My Identity is hosted by Professor Colin Graham. Podcast management and production by Dr Susie Deedigan. Audio design and editing by Conor Patterson and Morgan Blain-Crehan, The Spinner’s Mill, Belfast.
More from The Royal Irish Academy
In this month’s ARINS podcast host Rory Montgomery speaks with Alan Whysall and Andrew McCormick. The discussion covers the topic of Improving Government in Northern Ireland, with a focus on Alan Whysall's recent report, “Improving Government in Northern Ireland: Towards a programme for reform”, which was published in May 2026 by the Constitution Unit of University College London.
In this episode of ‘My Identity’ Professor Colin Graham (Maynooth) is in conversation with Senator Patricia Stephenson.
In this month’s ARINS podcast host Rory Montgomery speaks with Adele Bergin, Seamus McGuinness and Conor Banahan of the Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin about their recently published ARINS article ‘Who is Better Off? Updated Cross-Border Differences in Living Standards, Opportunities and Quality of Life on the Island of Ireland’. The discussion covers their recent work which provides an updated assessment of living standards, opportunities for life progression and well-being across the island of Ireland.
In this episode of ‘My Identity’ Professor Colin Graham (Maynooth) is in conversation with Joy Gerrard and Paul Seawright.
Poem by Shirley O’Shea a writer from Carrick-on-Suir and a Teacher of English and German at St. Declan’s Community College, Kilmacthomas since 1999. She is an active participant of Poetry Plus in Brewery Lane Theatre. Her poem ‘With Grace and with Gratitude’ about Dr. Mary Strangman was published for SETU Blue Plaque unveiling at Carriganore House in Waterford in 2023. This poem and another ‘PJ 07’, was shortlisted for the Sean Dunne Literary award in June 2024.