Manchán Magan

The Irish language has thirty-two words for field. Among them are: Geamhar – a field of corn-grass Tuar – a field for cattle at night Réidhleán – a field for games or dancing Cathairín – a field with a fairy-dwelling in it The richness of a language closely tied to the natural landscape offered our ancestors a more magical way of seeing the world. Before we cast old words aside, let us consider the sublime beauty and profound oddness of the ancient tongue that has been spoken on this island for almost 3,000 years. In Thirty-Two Words for Field, Manchán Magan meditates on these words – and the nuances of a way of life that is disappearing with them.

Lost Words of the Irish Landscape

Thirty-Two Words for Field

Focail na mBan is a gathering of Irish words for vaginas, vulvas, clitorises and periods with
illustrations from 29 artists.

It is meant as a catalyst for those willing to seek out further terms and insights from older lore-
keepers in the Gaeltacht. In no way is it a comprehensive collection of such words, but rather a
humble first step; a gesture of encouragement for others who may wish to dive deeper into this
rich realm of linguistic insight.

It is illustrated with the works of 29 artists who responded to the words.

They are: Sandra Adams, Emily Robyn Archer, Chloe Austin, Aideen Barry, Aurélie Beatley,
Emma Brennan, Eabha Cleary, Rachel-Marie Cleary, Amanda Coogan, Serena Viola Corson,
Dorothy Cross, Arisleyda Dilone, Millie Egan, Bebhinn Eilish, Rachel Fallon, Ursula Foley,
Sharon Greene, Lisa Harris, Joya Hatchett, Hammond Journeaux, Toma McCullim, Yvonne
McGuinness, Eimear McGuire, Dee Mulrooney, Emily Ann Ní Dhriscoll De Marco, Kiki na
Art/Ciarna Pham, Aisling Rogerson, Maria Simonds-Gooding and Carmel Winters.


Also included are articles by, poet, Annmarie Ní Churreáin, writer, Tadhg Mac Eoghain; and
some poetry by Dairena Ní Chinnéide

Women’s Words

Focail na mBan

Our ancestors lived in a unique and complex society that was inspired by nature and centred upon esteemed poets, seers, monks, healers and wise women, all of whom were deeply connected to the land around them. This relationship to the cycles of the natural world – from which we are increasingly dissociated – was the animating force in their lives. With infectious joy and wonder, Manchán Magan roams through Ireland’s ancient bogs, rivers, mountains and shorelines, tracing our ancestors’ footsteps. He uncovers the myths and lore that have shaped a national identity that is quietly embedded in the land, which has endured ice ages, famine and floods. A magical and reinvigorating exploration into the wisdom that lies beneath us, Listen to the Land Speak casts the world in a new light.

A Journey into the Wisdom of What Lies Beneath Us

Listen to the Land Speak

Documents the author's trek through Africa by truck with a group of eighteen fellow travelers.

A Journey Through Africa

Truck Fever

The bestselling author of Thirty-Two Words for Field brings you Ninety-Nine Words for Rain There are many, many words for rain in Irish. This richness reveals the closeness with which our ancestors observed the world around them. They believed that is maith an scéalaí an aimsir – weather is a good storyteller. Here, Manchán Magan, whose hugely popular books Thirty-Two Words for Field and Listen to the Land Speak have re-enchanted a new generation, encourages you to see the world through the eyes of the néaladóirí (cloud-watchers) and réadóirí (stargazers) of our past who depended on birds, trees, animals, and markers on land and sea for signs of weather change. Get ready to grasp an almost-lost world through the Irish language once again in this beautifully illustrated book.

Ninety-Nine Words for Rain (and One for Sun)

Uncover the secrets of our island in this engrossing look at magical landmarks across the country. Traveling province by province through Ireland, Manchán outlines the stories most closely associated with each site, focussing on a specific beast or creature from legend and highlighting a magical word or phrase in Irish alongside. Discover the dobharchú or water hound of Achill Island; the enchanted sow Cailcheir of Sligo's Keash Caves; the Burren's ollphéist or great serpent; the Caoránach or hairy worm of Lough Derg; the one-eyed salmon of Ballyshannon; and the man wolves of Ossory, County Kilkenny, amongst many others. This stunning gift book is a feast for the eyes for Manchán fans of all ages.

The Myths, Monsters and Magic of Ireland

Wolf-Men and Water Hounds

Rediscover the lost words of an ancient land in this new and updated edition of an international bestseller. Most people associate Britain and Ireland with the English language, a vast, sprawling linguistic tree with roots in Latin, French, and German, and branches spanning the world, from Australia and India to North America. But the inhabitants of these islands originally spoke another tongue. Look closely enough and English contains traces of the Celtic soil from which it sprung, found in words like bog, loch, cairn and crag. Today, this heritage can be found nowhere more powerfully than in modern-day Gaelic. In Thirty-Two Words for Field Manchán Magan explores the enchantment, sublime beauty and sheer oddness of a 3000-year-old lexicon. Imbuing the natural world with meaning and magic, it evokes a time-honoured way of life, from its 32 separate words for a field, to terms like loisideach (a place with a lot of kneading troughs), bróis (whiskey for a horseman at a wedding), and iarmhaireacht (the loneliness you feel when you are the only person awake at cockcrow). Told through stories collected from Magan's own life and travels, Thirty-Two Words for Field is an enthralling celebration of Irish words, and a testament to the indelible relationship between landscape, culture and language.

This entertaining, offbeat travelogue by an Irish TV documentary maker is a true story of deluded maharajahs, murderous environmentalists, sex-obsessed yogis, and bizarre high-society belles. It stretches from women throwing themselves on funeral pyres in the deserts of Rajasthan, to mind-reading children in Himalayan forests and devious missionaries on the shores of the Ganges. A bizarre and truly helter-skelter journey which ends on the roof of the world with Manchan and his brother befriending the Nepalese secret service, thus escaping years behind bars.

Manchán Magan

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