Magan roamed the sea-roads and coastal trails of the Atlantic coast of Ireland in the company of local folklorists, fisherman and linguists, seeking and collecting forgotten sea words and maritime terms. The result is Sea Tamagotchi: Foclóir Farraige, a collection of fascinating and insightful sound files created from the many hours of tape Manchán had gathered from conversations and encounters on his coastal travels.

The project started on air this March as part of St. Patricks Festival TV in addition to the release of 20 short daily videos on Instagram from Monday 1st March, with support from Foras na Gaeilge. Sea Tamagotchi was commissioned by Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture and allowed Manchán to visit elderly boatmen and families connected to the sea, gathering a rich harvest of maritime words that are gradually fading from consciousness.

Reflecting on the legacy of this project, Marilyn Gaughan-Reddan, Head of Programme, Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture said “Through his practice as an artist, Manchán has become synonymous with the collection and harvesting of Irish words, capturing the richness and the beauty of our language and our place. We have been honoured to share Manchán’s journey along the west coast in the collection of these words and are delighted to share this project online, forever archiving his beautiful collection for posterity.”

For more visit www.manchan.com