The voice of Old Trafford: Alan Keegan

You will probably recognise the distinctive voice of Alan Keegan before you see him. Known as the ‘Voice of Old Trafford’, he has been the official stadium announcer for Manchester United since 2000. From his pitchside podium, he is a familiar voice over the matchday mic for fans and visitors to the iconic football ground.

One in five Mancunians claim Irish heritage, and Keegan is no different. With parents hailing from Leitrim, the family moved to Manchester in the 1960s seeking a better living for themselves. It’s a familiar story for much of the Irish community in the northern English city.

Irish contributions to Manchester

The Irish greatly contribute to the social fabric of the unofficial capital of the North of England, and the story of the community is a richly layered tale.

When we met Keegan at Old Trafford, his affection for and connection to his Irish roots was immediately evident. During our conversation, he traced the social history of the Irish in Manchester, and told us about his own life growing up in the surroundings of his Leitrim-born mother’s bustling shop.

During a speech delivered by President Michael D. Higgins at the University of Manchester, his alma mater, in 2012, he noted that “where Liverpool was a gateway for so many Irish people, Manchester tended to be, for many, the end of the journey. A home.” Keegan reflected on how the Irish community embraced the city, and how this warmth was reciprocated.

Having an Irish identity in Manchester, and in Britain, has not always been easy. Keegan spoke of the dissonance between his pride in being Irish and his difficulty in expressing that pride outwardly during certain periods of time.

Keegan recounted fond memories of growing up in his mother’s grocery shop - a focal point of the Irish community in his area - where he claims he got his “gift of the gab”.

His friendly demeanour made him a natural entertainer, eventually becoming a DJ catering mostly to the Irish community in Manchester and later graduating to radio, earning a slot on Britain’s longest-running Irish community radio show, the BBC’s ‘Come into the Parlour’. Irish radio helped to connect communities across the UK and gave a voice to a growing demographic.

Though the times have changed considerably since his childhood, his love for Manchester United has been a constant in Keegan’s life. His genuine love for the club and his role as stadium announcer was evident in how his face lit up when discussing his experiences there.

The history of Manchester United and the history of Irish migration to Manchester are intrinsically linked. Hanging in the in the hall of fame at Old Trafford are the jerseys of players like George Best, Roy Keane and John O’Shea - Irish players who brought their Irish roots to Manchester.

In a conversation that overflowed with Keegan’s passion for his Irish heritage, for Manchester United and for his city in general, it’sa great reminder of the pivotal role that our culture can play in our lives, the path it can take us on and the joy it can bring us.