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Yet another good item in Yn Commeeys Celtiagh - Celtic League Mannin. This looks at the startling decline of bird life globally and in particular the dramatic decline in Scotland around Orkney and Shetland and on St Kilda in the Western Isles. The article draws attention to the catastrophic damage caused by supertrawlers which are responsible for massive amounts of over fishing. As the article points out "A major conservation initiative is necessary before it's too late if indeed the eleventh hour is not long past!":

Galloway (Scottish Gaelic: Gall-Ghàidhealaibh) is a region in southwestern Scotland. It is an area steeped in history being the location of the ancient Kingdom of Galloway and is noted for its great natural beauty and wildlife. Now there is a campaign for the creation of a third national park in Scotland that should be created in Galloway.

This article from Yn Commeeys Celtiagh - Celtic League Mannin by Allen Moore draws attention to the blight of plastic pollution on the worlds oceans and the urgent need for a world treaty on global waste.  He makes the point that until we get global agreement rubbish will continue to be thrown into the sea presenting major dangers to seabirds, cetaceans, fish, other marine life and also humans: 

"Hope for world treaty on global waste"

Paris, the capital of France, is one of the most visited cities in the world. Renowned for its beauty this major European city is a global centre for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. The name "Paris" is derived from its early inhabitants, the Celtic Parisii tribe. The Parisii inhabited the Paris area from around the middle of the 3rd century BC. It is thought that they created a settlement on île de la Cité which is a natural island on the Seinne river. The île de la Cité is where the cathedral of  Notre-Dame de Paris stands.

Hartes Ease is a group of Manx musicians who give regular concerts throughout the Island. Their performances include mainly renaissance music for recorders, viols and voice. Following a successful Christmas concert last year  Hartes Ease will give another concert at 8.00pm on Friday 5 January 2018 at Holy Trinity Church, Patrick, Isle of Man. Money raised will go towards the Isle of Man local charity www.knockaloe.im 

The Irish Broadcasting Network are reporting that the Irish Uilleann pipes, an enduring symbol of Celtic culture in Ireland, have been recognised as an important and unique cultural heritage symbol by UNESCO.

Multiple press reports are quoting Irish President Michael Higgins on the announcement: 

Welsh history has to be given priority in school lessons in Wales. That is the call made by Councillor Owain Williams who represents Clynnog  on Gwynedd Council. As reported in the Welsh Daily Post newspaper he is putting a motion forward at next week's council meeting in which he proposes:

“That Gwynedd Council calls for arrangements to be made for Welsh history to be given priority in history lessons in all schools in Wales.

"The current situation of basic failings in teaching our own history and identity is unacceptable.

During road works being undertaken on the A9 recently the remains of a structure which could date back some 2000 years has been uncovered. Pieces of ancient pottery and a stone tool were also found at the site, which is close to the town of Kingussie (Scottish Gaelic: Ceann a' Ghiùthsaich) in the Scottish Highlands. The newly discovered building is not far from Raitt's Cave, an underground Iron Age subterranean chamber known as a souterrain discovered in the 1800's.

A number of decades ago a chair was donated to the Highland Folk Museum. The chair shows evidence of having been immersed in sea water for a considerable time. It estimated to be at least 300-years-old and the back panel of the seat has a carved a lion and a unicorn on a crest with a crowned heart motif. At this stage its origins are not known, but museum sources believe part of the carving could be associated with the Clan Douglas. 

The Soviet famine of 1932–33 killed millions of people in the major grain-producing areas of the Soviet Union. Ukraine, Northern Caucasus, the Volga Region, Kazakhstan, the South Urals, and West Siberia were included in the areas heavily impacted by the famine. In the Ukraine it is known as the Holodomor and it has been estimated that over 3 million died, with some suggesting the deaths could stand at over 7 milion. In Kazakhstan it is thought over 600,000 (15% of all Kazakhs) died.