Valerie Caine's blog

Manx group Biskee Brisht recently won the local competition to choose a song to go forward for the annual Pan-Celtic Song Contest, which will take place in Ireland later this year.

This is the second time in succession that Biskee Brisht has won the local heat of Arrane son Mannin (Song for Mann), which was held at the Masonic Hall in Peel and interspersed with a rich selection of musical entertainment.

If you're looking for something a little different during the festive season, there's an excellent opportunity to participate in a number of long standing Manx events which will give an insight into the unique cultural identity of the Isle of Man.

This year's Mollag Ghennal will be returning to Douglas, setting up at the Manx Legion Club on Market Hill, but promises a great line-up of singers, dancers and musicians as well as a tantalising supper from the Mollag Kitchens.

With the popular Cornish festival Lowender Peran on schedule for early November, Manx participants will soon be packing their musical instruments and dancing shoes for this annual extravaganza, but this year's invited group could prove to be a bit of a red herring.

Recognised as one of Europe's largest festivals, the Lorient Inter-Celtic Festival will be celebrating the Year of Scotland this month, with the prospect of more than seven hundred and fifty thousand visitors attending an extensive programme of events.

Some of those singers and musicians will be representing the Isle of Man, which has a number of both historical and cultural links with Scotland.

All roads lead to Peel during the first weekend of August, when the popular fishing port comes alive to the sights and sounds of the town's annual carnival and welcomes a number of vessels to the long standing Traditional Boat Weekend.

Now in its sixty fifth year, Peel Carnival (Sunday 6th August) is recognised as the oldest, continuous carnival on the Island, and organisers invite people of all ages to head west for the festivities, or participate in the parade.

In an effort to introduce Manx and Celtic culture to a wider audience, the much-loved Yn Chruinnaght Inter-Celtic Festival has been given a make-over, but still remains largely based in Peel.

There's a fresh new look for a familiar festival later this month as the much cherished Yn Chruinnaght Inter-Celtic Festival steps forward with a resplendent new make-over, in an effort to introduce Manx and Celtic culture to a wider audience.

With Yn Chruinnaght as the organising force behind the festival, Celtfest Isle of Man will focus this year on a fine selection of upbeat Celtic music, showcasing some of the finest bands and solo artists from Ireland and Scotland - with a number of concerts to suit all tastes at the Centenary Centre in Peel.

Wearing a sprig of Bollan Bane (aka mugwort or white wort) in your lapel on Tynwald Day (the Isle of Man's National Day) has long been recognised as a colloquial protection against 'themselves' or the fairies, but the release of a new film by Culture Vannin reveals further interesting details about this long held tradition.

As part of the closing events for the year long initiative Isle of Architecture, a special concert reflected a diverse use of a very special building in Peel.

Isle of Architecture is a celebration of the built environment, encouraging appreciation of the Island's rich, architectural heritage, as well as exploring the future of building on the Isle of Man itself.

With Cyclefest in the can and the British Cycling National Road Championships looming on the horizon, it's a fitting opportunity to remember the Island's first gold-winning Commonwealth Games medallist who set the pace in cycling during the 1960s, but died tragically in the midst of his ongoing success.

Peter Buckley was born in Peel to Joan (née Quayle) and Louis Buckley, a member of the Peveril Camp Guard, and although he later relocated to Oldham in Lancashire he always maintained he was proud to be a Manx man; returning regularly for training.