Westmeath author's latest book reveals the deep links between Ireland and Iceland
It's a long way from Collinstown to Iceland, but one which Manchán Magan connects in his latest literary offering.
Ireland in Iceland: Gaelic Remnants in a Nordic Land by the acclaimed writer and broadcaster, with illustrations by Aodh Ó Riagáin, is a richly illustrated exploration of a little-known but powerful cultural connection: the enduring Gaelic presence in Iceland.
Magan takes readers on a journey through language, lore, place names, DNA, and landscape to reveal a hidden truth – that Ireland and Iceland, two island nations on the Atlantic’s edge, are far more deeply entwined than most realise.
The spark for the book came during a visit to the National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavik, where Magan encountered two 10th-century skeletons – among Iceland’s earliest known settlers.
“The guide explained that lead residue in the woman’s teeth showed she’d been born in Ireland or Scotland,” says Magan. “And DNA revealed that the male skeleton – a young warrior – had a Norse father and an Irish mother. It dawned on me that Irish was one of the very first languages spoken on this uninhabited land.”
From that moment, a quest began – uncovering Irish monks who arrived in Iceland even before the Vikings, tracing Gaelic echoes in Icelandic place names, sagas, and oral traditions, and finding strands of Irish cosmology, Christian mysticism, and folklore deeply woven into Icelandic culture.
“All this set me off on a journey that threaded together myth and memory, DNA and geography, Icelandic sagas and Irish seanchas,” Magan writes. “These were Irish people, with Irish mindsets and heritage, interacting with a new landscape, creating something entirely new.”
Magan poses a powerful question:
“If we in Ireland have distant cousins living just below the Arctic Circle, shouldn’t we spend some time getting to know them? And if so much of Iceland’s make-up and mindset comes from Ireland, might they not be curious too?”
From the poetic traces in medieval texts to the modern genetic imprint, Ireland in Iceland is a story of migration, resilience, and cultural fusion. It offers a timely and thought-provoking reminder of the shared stories that bind us — even across vast seas and centuries.
This is the second title in a series of illustrated cultural explorations Magan is creating with Mayo Books Press, following threads between Ireland and other ancient cultures — from India to the Aboriginal traditions of Australia.
Manchán has travelled extensively from his home in Collinstown, Westmeath to Africa, India, and South America. He presents the Almanac of Ireland podcast for RTÉ, has made dozens of cultural documentaries for TG4, RTÉ, and the Travel Channel.
His bestselling books include Thirty-Two Words for Field, Listen to the Land Speak, Tree Dogs, Banshee Fingers and Other Irish Words for Nature, and Wolf-Men and Water Hounds.
Ireland in Iceland: Gaelic Remnants in a Nordic Land launches on June 11, available in all good bookshops and for pre-order at manchansbooks.com.