Ruán Magan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruán Magan
Born	Dublin, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Education	Gonzaga College University College Dublin
Occupation	Director Writer Producer

Ruán Magan, born in 1968, is a talented Irish director, producer, and writer. He creates films, TV shows, and big live events. His work has won over 40 international awards. Millions of people around the world have seen his projects.

Some of his well-known works include Dunhuang – Mysteries of the Sands, Pearl Harbor – The Heroes Who Fought Back, and 1916 – The Irish Rebellion. He also helped create The World Meeting of Families Concert for Pope Francis.

Early Life and Education

Ruán Magan was born in Dublin, Ireland. He grew up in a family with strong ties to Irish history. His grandmother, Sighle Humphreys, and his great-granduncle, The O'Rahilly, were important figures in the founding of the Irish State.

As a boy, he went to Gonzaga College. Later, he studied History of Art and Archaeology at University College Dublin. He started his career in the film industry. He worked as an assistant director and location manager on several movies. These included Far and Away, The Devil's Own, and Michael Collins.

Career in Film and TV

Documentaries and TV Series

In 1996, Ruán Magan directed his first documentary. It featured his brother, the writer Manchán Magan. This was the start of a long partnership. Together, the brothers made over 60 documentaries. They filmed these all over the world. Their films explored human history, different cultures, and how people live. They even received an award for their work promoting the Irish language.

Ruán Magan has also produced many projects in the United States. He worked on The Men Who Built America, an Emmy-winning series. This show told the story of famous business leaders like Vanderbilt and Carnegie. He also produced Pearl Harbor - The Heroes Who Fought Back. Another series, Sacred Sites, explored ancient world mysteries. He also made The Ghosts of Duffy’s Cut, which looked into the mysterious deaths of railway workers in the 1850s. In 2003, he filmed the famous Irish dance show Riverdance performing in China.

Magan has worked with other creators too. He helped human rights activist Deeyah Khan with her documentary Banaz - A Love Story. He also collaborated on films like Blood Rising and Outsider.

He has created many documentaries about Irish history. On God's Mission, Lifers, and The Nazarene explored the work of Irish missionaries and aid groups in Africa, South America, and Asia. He directed Waterloo's Warriors, about Irish soldiers in the Battle of Waterloo. He also made Death or Canada, which told the story of Irish people fleeing the Great Famine to Canada in 1847. He worked with broadcaster Gay Byrne on two documentaries. My Father’s War showed the experiences of Irish soldiers in World War I. Last Orders looked at the history of the Irish Christian Brothers and the effects of scandals in Ireland.

Ruán Magan wrote and directed two documentary series about Ireland's fight for independence. These were 1916 – The Irish Rebellion and The Irish Revolution. 1916 – The Irish Rebellion was watched by over 40 million people worldwide.

He also wrote and directed The Hunger, a powerful documentary narrated by Liam Neeson. This film, made with University College Cork, tells the sad story of the great famine of the 1840s. This event caused many deaths and led to millions of Irish people moving to other countries. The Hunger has been shown on TV in America, Ireland, Europe, and China.

In 2021, he released Steps of Freedom. This film tells the amazing story of Irish dance. It shows how traditional Irish dance became a global hit.

Drama Productions

In 2019, Ruán Magan worked with Tencent and IFA Media Beijing. He wrote and directed Dunhuang - Edge of the World. This was a 5-part series about the 1000-year history of Dunhuang, a city on the Silk Road. The series was nominated for an Asian Academy Award. Each episode was watched by 50 million people.

Magan directed the first episode of the Discovery series Redrum. This true crime show starts at the crime scene and works backward to find the killer.

In 2016, Magan directed Wrecking the Rising. This award-winning comedy-drama stars Peter Coonan. It's a funny series about amateur historians who travel through time. The Irish Department of Education has even chosen it for the secondary school curriculum.

Magan also directed the Irish-language film Éoinín na nÉan (2015). He also directed the short film Angel, which won many awards. He has written several screenplays, including The Noticer (2015) and No Fury (2019). He also co-wrote The Trouble with Charlie (2019) with Mark Doherty.

He is set to produce Devil In The Feet. This documentary film will explore where Irish dance first came from. It is planned for international release.

Theatre and Live Events

Ruán Magan has also worked in theatre. He wrote and directed the play And Spring Shall Come with Professor Chris Fitzpatrick.

In 2018, Magan was the Creative Director for the World Meeting of Families. This was a huge music, song, and dance show held in Croke Park in Dublin. It celebrated the visit of Pope Francis to Ireland. Famous performers like Andrea Bocelli and Shaun Davey were part of the show. There were 1,500 performers in total. The event played to a full stadium and was watched by TV audiences worldwide.

He also had a similar role for the Gaelic Athletic Association's 1916 Commemoration show, Laochra.

In recent years, he has made short films with Irish government bodies. These include This Is Ireland, Here We Live, and Ireland’s campaign video for a UN Security Council seat.

Selected Awards and Honours

• Delhi International Film Festival (2020) for The Irish Revolution
• Prix Europa (2019) for The Irish Revolution
• Accolade Award (2018) for Sacred Sites
• Programming Excellence Award, American Public TV (2016) for 1916 – The Irish Rebellion
• Silver Sabre, World Military Film Festival (2016) for 1916 – The Irish Rebellion
• Irish Film and Television Academy Award (2016) for 1916 – The Irish Rebellion
• New York Film festival, Gold Award, World Media Festival (2015) for Waterloo’s Warriors
• World Religious Film Festival (2014) for Lifers
• Radharc Award (2014) for Lifers
• Outstanding Contribution Award from the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland (2013)
• Emmy Nomination Best Documentary (2013) for The Men Who Built America
• Irish Film and Television Academy Award (2013) for The Radharc Squad
• Milan International Film Festival (2013) for Angel
• Best Drama, Fastnet Film Festival (2012) for Angel
• Overall Winner, Fastnet Film Festival (2012) for Angel
• Gemini Awards (2010) for Death or Canada
• Irish Film and Television Academy Award (2007) for The Pope's Children

See also

• Manchán Magan