Journalist and TV presenter to run for Green Party in Longford/Westmeath

The Green Party has announced today (Wednesday) that broadcaster and journalist, Manchán Magan, will stand for the party in Longford / Westmeath in the upcoming general election.

Magan is a writer and documentary-maker who writes regularly for The Irish Times, reports weekly on travel for Newstalk’s The Right Hook, and has presented dozens of documentaries on history and world culture for TG4, RTÉ & Travel Channel.

'I am running for the Green Party in Longford/Westmeath as a way of offering fresh perspectives on the potential of this region,' he commented.

'There is a desire for living creative, fulfilling and sustainable lives in this area, and yet rarely are alternative positive proposals brought forth.

'By uniting as a community we can become a vibrant and prosperous Eden… a return to our former role where the Midlands were considered the core of Ireland: Mide, the place from where all life and energy radiated.'

He said his goal is to provide a platform whereby communities can explore 'novel solutions' to our current challenges.

The solutions he has in mind include: community-owned renewable power generation such as wind turbines and biogas plants; sustainable farming; developing the tourism potential of our lakes, rivers and peatland wildernesses; 'enlightened, outdoor-focused, preschool and primary education'; home retrofitting schemes, with grants that cover at least 75% of insulation, damp-proofing and double-glazing costs; and, 'cohousing initiatives, where families share heating, laundry and recreational features in well-insulated, green buildings.'

In 1997, Magan built the first straw bale house in Ireland, near Collinstown, Co Westmeath and planted a 6-acre oak & larch forest which now supplies his home-heating needs.

“Seeing the transformation of my under-grazed field into a fertile woodland that now supports 5 free-range pigs and shelters a 40 fruit tree orchard and a colony of honey bees has shown me the potential of our temperate, midland landscape to offer a rich and sustainable quality of life at little cost,” he said.