Blogs

The 2016 All Ireland Music Festival, or Fleadh Cheoil na hErieann, was held this year in Ennis in County Clare. Media reports estimate the crowd at over 400,000 over the nine days of this traditional festival of the Gaelic culture and language of Ireland.

It was on this day on 23 August 1305 that Scottish national hero William Wallace was brutally killed by his English captors. William Wallace (Scottish Gaelic: Uilleam Uallas; c.1270 - died 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight, patriot and national hero. He was one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Leading the Scottish rebellion against Edward I and along with Andrew Murray inflicted a famous defeat on the English army at Stirling Bridge. 

News from the Celtic League:

As the terrible events of Srebrenica are remembered it is important to remember that in addition to the atrocity perpetrated by the Serb military the refugees in the enclave were let down by the UN Dutch peace keepers 400 of who were charged with guarding the enclave. The argument always made by the UN and Dutch s that they were overwhelmed. However a court in France three years ago did apportion blame (see link):

Around the Celtic world there are many stone monuments and carvings in rock made by people from prehistoric times. We are the direct descendants of those that constructed these monuments in the Celtic lands of north-west Europe. Ancient stones and tombs placed in a way that look to the stars and capture moments of astronomical importance. It is recognised that many stone monuments are aligned to the rising and setting of the sun and moon during the summer and winter equinoxes. Our ancestors clearly thought that the study of the stars could give them a clearer understanding of the world.

News from the Celtic League:

SUPER TRAWLER UPDATE: We’ve highlighted the activity of super trawlers mainly owned by conglomerates in the EU (Holland) and China that are busy scouring the worlds oceans and sweeping them clean of fish.

Waters to the West of Ireland and on an arc from the Faeroes to Mauritania, West Africa and the Indian Ocean are being swept clean of fish.

Fleets from China now using bases in Mauritania and Vigo (Spain) to target the Atlantic.

There activities were recently highlighted in the Irish documentary Atlantic (link):

Multiple media outlets are reporting that the Cornwall Council has welcomed a Pan Celtic Proclamation (full text below) from the Welsh National Eisteddfod which condemns London’s decision to cut funding for the Cornish language.  This is an encouraging development of Pan Celtic cooperation in support of the Celtic tongue.

The Cambrian news are reporting that “The Welshest pub, Welshest shop and Welshest street in the world have now been officially identified, following a competition in which all the winners were nominated and voted by the public.”

The competition was sponsored by Arloesi Gwynedd Wledig, a civic group which gets it’s funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities Development Programme which in turn is sponsored by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

This year’s 12th Annual Irish Hooley Music Festival at the Dubuque Star Brewery and Alliant Amphitheater (always the fourth full weekend in August) kicks off at 4pm on Friday 26th of August with The Lads of Dubuque, the Led Farmers, and headliner band The High Kings.

News From Kernow Matters To Us:

Cornwall's First Golden Age

Eminent Cornish academic and historian Dr. Bernard Deacon's book is released at a special launch price.

A refreshing antidote to the nonsense put out by the arrogant & less than transparent English Heritage/Historic England charity cum quango who really know very little of Cornish history!

Website & orders at special price here:

News from Kernow Matters To Us:

The Gorsedh Kernow Esedhvos Festival of Cornish Culture promotes and celebrates Cornwall’s distinctive cultural identity and Celtic heritage. 

The Cornish equivalent of the Welsh Eisteddfod and Breton Gorsedd, it is held in Cornwall every year in the days surrounding the annual Gorsedh Kernow bardic ceremony. 

The range of events is wide, open to the public and mostly free of charge, taking place in locations close to the current Gorsedh ceremony site.