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The annual Arrane son Mannin (Song for Mann) competition, which provides the Island entry for the Pan Celtic Festival Song Contest held in Ireland each year, was held at the Masonic Hall in Peel.

It was a successful event, which brought a number of Manx traditional musicians together to entertain an appreciative audience, prior to the competition itself and as the judges made their appraisal.

Despite an array of contemporary entertainment, the annual Oie'll Verree in Kirk Michael still attracts a full house to the Ebenezer Hall, situated in the centre of the village.

Many, but not all, of these concerts have fallen by the wayside in recent years, although this particular event continues to grow in popularity. Now organised by members of Michael Heritage Trust, the evening follows a tried and tested format which draws people from all walks of life; and indeed from various parts of the Island.

Featuring Celtic Musical acts, Irish Dance and a Friday night Ceili (Gaelic for Party), the Savannah Irish Festival will be held February 19th thru 21st at the Savannah Civic Center.  The Festival boasts a full line of entertainment including performances by the Irish Dancers of Savannah, the Atlanta Ceili Band and the Savannah Pipes and Drums.

In a recent article in The Isle of Man Today Nigel McFarlane makes some interesting points when he talks of his journey in learning the Manx Gaelic language and its importance to the Isle of Man/Mannin:

"In an increasingly globalised world, the beauty of individuality is often hidden and all too often lost.

The language connects us, I believe, to the heart of our island home.

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

I never had contact with Veronica Guerin the murdered Irish journalist mentioned in an earlier post but as General Secretary and Director of Information (a role I finally relinquish in March this year) over the years I got to know a good few journalists in newsroom in Belfast and Dublin and farther afield.

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

The Isle of Man a Tax haven? It was all in the murky mists of past times according to Liberal Vannin’s Kate Beecroft thirty years ago everyone’s terribly professional now (here’s the clip):

http://www.manxradio.com/…/lib-van-does-not-think-island-i…/

Pictured above is Brigit's Cross whose origins pre-date Christianity  

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

Manx Radio reports on strange happenings in the skies near Kirk Michael could the aliens be back after over 50 years?

The report below is from the Galloway Gazette (a Johnson paper same as the IOM Newspapers) in September 2009.It recounts the so called West Freugh incident in 1957 when mysterious objects were tracked by several sources off the N W Coast of Mann.