'Listen To The Land Speak' wins Radharc Awards Trophy

Listen To The Land Speak, in which the late Manchán Magan revealed with passion, the wisdom and moral inspiration contained in our landscapes and myths, won the Radharc Awards Trophy at a film and TV industry event yesterday.

Established in 2002 by the Radharc Trust, the biennial awards pay tribute to the legacy of the Radharc Films production unit, renowned for its work in religious affairs programming for RTÉ over four decades from the 1960s.

The Radharc Awards acknowledge the same high standards of craft, content and commitment in documentary filmmaking, recognising outstanding Irish documentaries that explore national and global issues relating to social justice, human rights, spirituality, religious faith and heritage.

Keynote speaker and guest of honour Jim Sheridan addressed an audience of established and emerging programme makers, senior broadcasting executives and respected members of Ireland’s screen industry at a Thursday lunchtime event in Dublin’s Talbot Hotel Stillorgan.

The six-time Oscar nominated and multi award winning film director and writer said: “Documentary filmmaking is one of the ways a society holds a mirror to itself. It asks who gets to tell our stories, whose suffering is acknowledged, whose power goes unquestioned, and whose lives risk being forgotten… and if you don’t see people, if you don’t hear their stories, it’s easy to forget them.”

Radharc Trust chairperson Peter Kelly described the biennial Radharc Awards as a key project of the trust: “We try to preserve the archive and celebrate the legacy of the Radharc Films contribution to religious affairs programming for RTÉ. The awards were created 24 years ago to acknowledge and encourage TV documentary production in the spirit of Radharc - television with a social conscience.”

Radharc Awards 2026 were presented in two categories.

Winner of the Radharc Trophy in Category One for television documentaries broadcast in Ireland: Listen To The Land Speak, in which the late Manchán Magan revealed the profound knowledge and wisdom contained in our landscape and myths and explores how they have shaped the way we look at the world.

The winning documentary was produced by Zlata Filipović and directed by Maurice O’Brien for Crossing the Line Productions.

The independent Radharc jury said: “The late Manchán Magan revealed with passion, in a documentary film of outstanding visual quality, the wisdom and moral inspiration contained in our landscape and myths.”

Two entries in Category One were Highly Commended by the Jury:

Born That Way was produced by Adrian McCarthy and directed by Éamon Little for Curious Dog Films. During Patrick Lydon’s final year, he reflects on a life that took him from rock journalism in the US to driving the radically inclusive Camphill Movement in Ireland, sharing life with people of diverse needs and abilities.

Women Locked Up - Inside the Dochas was produced and directed by Pamela Drynan for Midas Productions. This series is a rare insight into the challenges that the women and prison staff face daily. We see escalating drug problems, overcrowding tensions, complex mental health issues, and a glimmer of hope through prison and peer led education.

The Radharc Trophy for Category Two, for documentary produced for digital distribution, was awarded to The Good Farmer And The Failed Son produced by Peter Kilmartin and directed by Ailill Martin for Chaser.

A drag queen and his father consider the traditions around inheritance and what they may mean for the future of their family farm.

The jury said: “This short documentary revealed human frailty and generational change, illuminating its central characters with humour and visual dexterity.”

The Radharc Trust acknowledges the sponsorship support of Coimisiún na Meán, RTÉ, TG4, Fís Éireann and BBC NI.

(The Radharc Awards Trophy was collected by the late Mánchan Magan’s friend Eoin Warner at the awards event.)