In Gaeilge Tamagotchi, Manchán invites you to adopt an Irish word in order to breathe life into it.

Arán & Im celebrates the Irish language in an engaging, accessible bilingual way, through sourdough bread and home-churned butter.

Gaeilge Tamagotchi 

The Irish language has 4,400 different words merely to describe someone; to convey their character, their demeanour, their shape or stature. They are rarely used now. Many are already dead.

súghóg – stain left by tears

iarmhaireacht  – loneliness at cock-crow

dril – drop glancing in the sun

spailp – surprise kiss

In Gaeilge Tamagotchi Manchan invites you to adopt an Irish word. Participants wind through a labyrinth of 30m of raw Irish linen to receive an endangered Irish word from the artist, which they agree to nurture, nourish and take guardianship of. They each receive a word unique to them and are given the opportunity to print or paint their word on stone, oak-wood or linen as a ritualistic covenant.

Tá 4,400 focal éagsúil sa Ghaeilge le cur síos a dhéanamh ar dhuine: lena  gcarachtar, a meon, a gcruth a chur in iúl. Is annamh a úsáidtear a bhformhór acu anois. Tá cuid mhór acu básaithe cheana féin.

In Gaeilge Tamagotchi tugann Manchán cuireadh duit focal Gaeilge a uchtú. Siúlann tú trí lúbra 30m de línéadach Éireannach le focal Gaeilge atá i mbaol a fháil ó Mhanchán, agus geallann tú an focal a chothú agus a chaomhnú agus cúram a dhéanamh de. Faigheann gach éinne focal sainiúil dó nó di féin amháin, agus tugtar an deis dó nó di an focal a phéinteáil nó a phriontáil ar cloch, ar adhmad darach nó ar línéadach mar chúnant deasghnách.

Arán & Im 

Arán & Im is a theatrical performance/installation in which Manchán bakes sourdough bread for 75 minutes while offering insights into the wonders of the Irish language – exploring potent words of landscape, terms of intuition and insight, and the many phrases that bring to life the mysterious glory of our natural world.

It is a celebration of language, land and local Irish food, with freshly-baked traditional sourdough bread for the audience to slice and spread with butter they churn themselves from Irish cream.

Is taibhiú drámaíochta é Arán & Im ina mbácálann Manchán arán taois ghéir ar feadh  seachtó cúig nóiméad fad is a thugann sé léargas ar iontaisí na Gaeilge  – agus é ag ceiliúradh focail mhealltacha a bhaineann leis an tírdhreach, téarmaí i dtaca le hiomas agus léirstean, agus an iliomad nathanna a thugann beocht do chumhacht agus mistéir an tsaoil nádúrtha.

Out of the Abbey 

As part of Jimmy’s Hall, Manchán will bring his theatrical installations on tour to the following:

• 20 – 21 July at the Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick 
• 14 – 15 September at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway 
• 21 – 22 September at the Cork Opera House, Cork

Other Performances 

• Arán & Im, 13 October at The Fumbally Stables 

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