Hotty But Notty: Manchán Magan

Hotty But Notty(Part 15): Manchán Magan

I must admit that I had to Google this guys name. It's been a few years since I've had a tv but I was in my parents house this weekend and saw an ad for one of Magan's travel shows and remembered that I used to love his programs. I noted a reminder to Google the TG4 guy with the glasses to figure out who he was for this post.

When I did have a tv I did watch TG4 quite a lot, not because I'm any good at speaking Irish, but because they usually have good quality documentaries, I'm one of those people who has to read the subtitles for my own native language. Manchan and his brother Ruan have made intelligent travel shows for TG4 for the past 10 years and also did a show No Bearla where he travelled around Ireland speaking only As Gaeilge.

Manchan speaks about the interesting obstacles  he came across in this journey in an article for The Guardian. I was shocked to read that people became aggressive when he tried using Irish. I fit into the category of being ashamed that I can't speak any Irish after learning it in school from the age of 4. If I listen carefully I can usually piece together a meaning, but i become totally tongue tied when I've to speak Irish. John is a Gaeilgeoir as he went to a Irish speaking primary school, he doesn't have much opportunity to use his language skills, but he relishes it when he does. If and when I have kids I would love to send them to a Gaelscoil, as I would want my kids to have a love of our language rather that it being rammed down their throats. I hated Irish in school, not because I couldn't understand why we were learning it, but because I hated being bad at something.

Manchán definitely fits into my nerdier category of 'hotty', he is someone that you need to watch and listen to to see why he is so attractive. Someone who approaches what they do with that level of enthusiasm is always shines more that just a pretty face. He also reminds me of one of my other Hotty or Notty's Hugh Fearnley Wittingstall.