Illiam Dhone commemoration held on 2nd January 2019 in Isle of Man

Illiam Dhone (14 April 1608 - 02 January 1663) also known as William Christian was a Manx politician and patriot. For his part in the Manx rising of 1651 he was executed by firing squad at Hango Hill in the Isle of Man on 2nd January 1663. Every year on 2nd January there is a commemoration held at Hango Hill, which is an ancient place of execution. The ceremony is jointly organised by Mec Vannin (the Manx Nationalist Party) and the Mannin Branch of the Celtic League. The speakers at this year's 2019 gathering were Bernard Moffatt, Assistant General Secretary of the Celtic League, Mark Kermode, Chair of Mec Vannin, who gave his address in the Manx language and Bill Henderson, a member of The Legislative Council (Manx: Yn Choonceil Slattyssagh), which is the upper chamber of Tynwald, the legislature of the Isle of Man (Mannin).

Bill Henderson, called in his speech for the return to the Isle of Man of The Chronicles of the Kings of Mann and the Isles sometimes known as the Manx Chronicle. The main part of the manuscript is believed to have been written in 1261 or 1262 at Rushen Abbey, which is located in Ballasalla (Manx Balley Sallagh) in the south-east of the Isle of Man. The abbey was founded in 1134, under the reign of Óláfr Guðrøðarson (died 29 June 1153) a twelfth-century King of the Isles. The Chronicles, written in Latin, are a look back, year-by-year from 1016, over the significant events in Manx history of that time. Sadly, the manuscript, which should rightly be located on the Isle of Man, is held in the British Library in London, England. It is like many treasures and artefacts from the Celtic lands that remain in collections in England and should be returned. There are increasing calls for The Chronicles return to the Isle of Man.