Blogs

In one of a series of events organised by All Under One Banner an estimated 15,000 people took part in a march and rally at Bannockburn yesterday. This is the site of the Battle of Bannockburn on 24 June 1314, which was a significant Scottish victory in the First War of Scottish Independence against the English forces of King Edward II.

Statistics released by the Welsh Government (link posted below) demonstrate deep broad support for increased efforts to strengthen and protect the Celtic Language of Wales. However, the survey also showed profound skepticism over the seriousness and effectiveness of the government's efforts to protect the Welsh Language against the English language onslaught.

BBC Northern Ireland has an interesting piece here on the American artist Rockwell Kent and the time he spent in Ireland (Donegal) in the mid 1920s

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-44534911

Kent was one of a group of socialists and intellectuals who were involved with the American Socialist movement in the early twentieth century.

The Cromwellian invasion of Ireland (1649–53) resulted in the conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell. The Parliamentarian reconquest of Ireland was brutal, and Cromwell remains a hated figure in Ireland. Cromwell passed a series of Penal Laws against Roman Catholics, who were the overwhelming majority of the population and confiscated large amounts of their land. Laws regulating the lives of Catholics and penalising the practice of their religion were introduced throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.

With huge sadness, we hear of the passing of Cornish Patriot, Donald Rawe.

Born in Padstow in 1930 of a very longstanding Padstow family, Donald became a Bard of Gorseth Kernow in 1970 with the Bardic name of Scryfer Lanwednoc ('Writer of Padstow') 

He was a hugely influential in Cornish culture, politics, heritage and publishing. 

Donald was a driving force behind the Cornish Literary Guild.

The Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce have been in the news in the ‘Neverland’ that is the Manx media

They had a ‘meet’ and stuffed their faces into the bargain.

The title of this little soiree which is reported to us courtesy of their affiliate Manx Radio is ‘Drawing the future’:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-business/chamber-hosts-drawin...

I despair I’ve been watching Paul Moulton and Richard Butt glad handing about a meet the public stunt this weekend. Now it may be news after the event but is it news now or just mutual back scratching (link):

https://youtu.be/ulRfzSgLavo

Don’t get me wrong I have nothing against either Butt or Moulton who are both very personable people but seeing a conversation they could have had privately in a pub turned into news leaves me cold.

The Chinese water torture is a process in which water drips on to the victims forehead eventually making them insane.

I suppose Manx Radio can ultimately have the same effect because surely that is what this story in which one noneenity apparently refers to another nonentity as ‘Bold’ is designed to induce.

A can think of a lot of descriptive terms for our current Treasury Minister but Bold is not one of them unless of course Manx Radio are subtly referring to the interpretation of the word as ‘flashy, gaudy, lurid’.

News from the Celtic League:

I reported last month on my Transceltic blog about renewed calls for a prosecution over the killing of GAA player Aidan McAnespie at a border crossing in Aughnacloy Co Tyrone in 1988. Now a trial is to proceed.

The British Army said that Mr McAnespie was killed when a GPMG (General Purposes Machine Gun) was accidentally fired.

However the McAnespie family have long disputed the circumstances of the killing citing the harassment that Aidan had endured from the security forces over many years.

News from the Celtic League:

‘By appealing to the desire to belong, the Army have latched onto a very powerful recruitment tool, in particular among adolescents who feel isolated or marginalised.’ (ForcesWatch UK June 2018)