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The Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site in County Meath (Contae na Mí) in the east of Ireland, is a remarkable place. It is famous for the three passage tombs, Knowth, Newgrange and Dowth, built some 5,000 years ago in the Neolithic or Late Stone Age. Ninety monuments have also so far been recorded in the area. Recently the exceptionally dry weather experienced in Ireland has provided the conditions necessary for the site of a hidden henge to be seen.

The International Celtic Congress (Breton: Ar C'hendalc'h Keltiek, Cornish: An Guntelles Keltek, Manx: Yn Cohaglym Celtiagh, Scottish Gaelic: A' Chòmhdhail Cheilteach, Irish: An Chomhdháil Cheilteach, Welsh: Y Gyngres Geltaidd) is being held  in Quimper, Brittany on 16 - 21 July 2018. The International Celtic Congress is a cultural organisation that seeks to promote the Celtic languages of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man. Its stated object is to "...

The recent heatwave in Ireland has played a vital role in the discovery of a possible ancient henge, or circular closure near to Newgrange. The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht have hailed the archaeological feature at the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site in County Meath as "a very significant find".

The news (imparted by Manx Radio) that some obscure German University is placing Manx under the cultural microscope continues to fascinate me.

No hint of doom and gloom they other day when I get a missive from Adrian Cain announcing the production of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Manx so I was a little surprised to read this news item on Manx Radio:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/manx-gaelic-features-in-...

Yn Chruinnaght celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year and organisers are inviting everyone to come and mark the occasion at various venues in Peel, alongside a line-up of some of the best performers of Celtic music, song and dance, both at home and abroad.

The Scottish press reported yesterday that Glasgow was running out of Croatia shirts as football fans in Scotland continued to back England’s opponents, whoever they were, in the Football World Cup. Shops had been inundated with requests from customers who sought to purchase the chequered kit before England's semi-final match last night. It seems to have done the trick as England were outclassed and beaten by their Croatian opponents. They are now set to meet France in the final which is being played on 15th July.

So called 'Eleventh Night' bonfires were lit at midnight across the north of Ireland as part of a loyalist tradition to mark the anniversary of Protestant King William's victory over Catholic King James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The fires usher in the traditional 12 July Orange parades, which are an excuse for loyalist paramilitaries to orchestrate, participate and encourage others to engage in serious disorder.

Plastic is everywhere and it's very bad. We know because Bill Dale and the crew are always collecting it of beaches that is when Bill is not collecting the odd award or three for collecting plastic.

Now Manx Radio have gone one better than beach buddies they are exploring the Pacific Gyre a gigantic mass of seaborne plastic crud on the other side of the world. However it doesn't matter that it's the other side of the world because we live in the global village now.

With Manannan obviously unimpressed either by the rushes on ‘Baroole’ or Geoff Boot’s fire raising skills I emerge blinking to see a brief shower of rain has ‘blessed’ us.

I decide to settle down with De Valera for the day and am immediately struck by the fact that we may in Mann be revisiting the great mans vision of Ireland set out in his 1943 St Patricks Day message sometimes referred to as the ‘comely maidens’ speech (which it turns out is a misquotation).