Darragh McManus: Manchán Magan was a singular, remarkable man – his death is a sore loss for culture everywhere

Darragh McManus: Manchán Magan was a singular, remarkable man – his death is a sore loss for culture everywhere

His work shone with wit, passion and intelligence

Writer and broadcaster Manchán Magan. Photo: TG4

The first time I saw Manchán Magan on television was some time around the millennium – so long ago that I can’t recall now if it was his debut travel show, Manchán san India (1996), or the slightly later Global Nomad series – both made with director brother Ruán for TG4.

All I remember is this skinny young Irish guy drifting through a starkly beautiful landscape, somewhere impossibly exotic, meditating on it all in a contemplative manner. It made me wonder (in the best possible way), “What the hell is this?”