Bhí Manchán Magan i láthair ag Féile Allingham in 2015… Fear uasal ó dhúchas a bhí ann. Cuimhníonn gach duine ag an bhféile ar a ghreann agus a stíl. Phléigh a sheimineár cuid dá spéiseanna móra: taisteal, scríbhneoireacht taistil, déanamh scannán faisnéise agus cultúr an domhain.
Ach inniu agus an ghrian ag dul faoi ar a ranníocaíocht mhór do shaol cultúrtha na tíre, is é an rud a lasann a oidhreacht ná a dhíochracht dá theanga dhúchais. Bhí sé an tugtha dá theanga dhúchais. Ach ní bhfaighfí riamh é i gcleachtaí acadúla seanchaite ag scrúdú na Gaeilge ná fiú ag úsáid na Gaeilge. D’fhéach sé thar theorainneacha geografacha agus polaitiúla na tíre agus na cruinne. D’fhéach sé thar chultúr na hÉireann,a hinstitiúidí agus a rialtais, a thug seirbhís béil don teanga dhuchais agus a chothaigh caidreamh contrártha idir mian agus éacht.
Bhí an chumas air, an taiféiseach ó thaobh an teanga, a fheiceáil agus é a thabhairt amuigh faoin solas chun díospóireacht faoi. Thug sé an chomhrá faoi úsáid na Gaeilge chuig áiteanna nua agus neamhchoitianta. Bhí dearcadh úr idirnáisiúnta aige ar na hÉireannaigh agus ar a dteanga. Agus má thug sé dúshlán do gach duine leanúint leis isteach sa domhan nua cróga a shamhlaigh sé, rinne sé iniúchadh níos doimhne ná riamh ar bhunús agus ar fhréamhacha na teanga scríofa agus labhartha a bhí ann leis na blianta fada anuas.
Chuir sé ceisteanna aisteacha agus chuir sé iallach orainn go léir aghaidh a thabhairt orthu, ar bhealach greannmhar, caoin ach cumhachtach. Bhí an tarraingteach a bhí aige don ghnáthduine i bhfad níos faide ná aon ghníomhaí eile ar son na teanga riamh.
Nuair a fógraíodh a bhás, ba é uachtarán na hÉireann , M.D. O hUigín é féin , cuid den chéad dream a chuir a bhrón in iúl faoina bhás anabaí agus ag an am céanna, lean an triúr hip hop Kneecap (a bhí mar phríomhcheoltóirí ag Glastonbury in 2025, agus a chríochnaigh sna cúirteanna dlí dá bhar) é seo, le hómós a thabhairt. Cosúil leis na laochra móra cáiliúla go léir, tá sé imithe ró-luath ach creidimidne i bhFéile Allingham go leanfaidh a oidhreacht ar aghaidh i bhfad amach anseo. Cuirimid ár gcomhbhrón ó chroí in iúl dá bhean chéile Aisling a mhathair Chroine agus an chlann sínte.
Manchán Magan was present at the Allingham Festival in 2015… He was a born gentleman. Everyone at the festival remembers his humour and his style. His seminar discussed some of his major interests: travel/travel writing, documentary filmmaking, and world culture.
But today, as the sun sets on his great contribution to the country’s cultural life, the thing that illuminates his legacy is his dedication to his native language. He was so devoted to it. But you would never find him engaged in outdated academic exercises examining Irish, nor even just using Irish. He looked beyond the geographical and political borders of the country and the world. He looked beyond Irish culture, its institutions, and its government, which paid lip service to the native language and fostered a contradictory relationship between aspiration and achievement.
He had the ability to see the absurdity of language and bring it out into the light for discussion.He brought the conversation about the use of Irish to new and unusual places. He had a fresh, international perspective on the Irish people and their language. And if he challenged everyone to follow him into the brave new world he envisioned, he also explored the origins and roots of the written and spoken language that had existed for many years more deeply than ever before.
He asked strange questions and forced us all to face them, in a humorous, gentle, yet powerful way. His appeal to the ordinary person was far greater than that of any other language activist ever before.
When his death was announced, the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, was among the first to express his sorrow at the untimely passing, and at the same time, the hip-hop trio Kneecap (who were main performers at Glastonbury in 2025, and subsequently appeared in legal courts because of it) followed this with a tribute.
Like all great famous heroes, he is gone too soon, but we at the Allingham Festival believe that his legacy will continue far into the future. We express our deepest condolences to his wife Aisling, his mother Croine, and the extended family.