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News from the Welsh Language Society

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

This year's Lorient Interceltique Festival, saw Manx bands Barrule, and the Ruth Keggin Band in first and second position in the coveted Trophée Loic Raison, topping off a special year for the Isle of Man at the annual festival in Brittany. Considerable credit for the continued success of Manx artists and performers goes to the legacy left by Mona Douglas.

Congratulations to Scotland, Wales and Ireland who have qualified for the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup 2015. Scotland secured their qualification by beating Samoa 36-33 yesterday. Wales had already reached the quarter-final stage despite being beaten by Australia yesterday. Scotland now face Australia in the quarter-final on 18 October, with Wales against South Africa on 17 October. Ireland conclude the group stages of the tournament when they play France later today.

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

HSBC are not living up to their reputation as the ‘world’s local bank’ according to renowned Welsh harpist Robin Huw Bowen.

Mr Bowen found himself barred from the Aberystwyth branch of the bank after he criticised the prominence given to the Welsh language on a sign at the entrance.

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

(A personal view from the Celtic League Director Of Information, Bernar Moffatt)

All in all it’s been a curious two weeks for people on the Isle of Man certainly if you follow what’s reported in the Manx media.

Aided by a herd of pigs foraging along the coastline of the Scottish island of Islay, Inner Hebrides, Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Ìle, Na h-Eileanan a-staigh, Alba), archaeologists from the University of Reading have found a set of Ice Age Mesolithic and Palaeolithic tools. The stone tools used for hunting, included scrapers used for cleaning skins and sharp points for hunting big game such as reindeer. The items date back 12,000 years, the earliest dated evidence of human activity in Scotland.

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

The Military Reserves, they’ve only just been formed but already they are ‘shrinking’!

With much fanfare and an overabundance of media zeal the Reserves Forces initiative was launched with a military pantomime that went on for several days on Douglas promenade earlier this year. Hundred we were told had ‘flocked to the colours’ although this was later modified to ‘about’ one hundred and fifty expressions of interest and afterwards, in one of a series of contradictory radio interviews, they were including families in the count!

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

Major naval military exercises have long been thought to cause distress and harm to cetaceans and other marine life. Over the years there have been many assertions that the stranding and death of whales and dolphins was attributable to military activity.

Finally, in 2011 the MOD admitted that the death of 19 pilot whales which stranded of the Kyle of Durness in Scotland was caused by military activity (see link):

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

The Isle of Man government seems to have parked its controversial decision to ‘reform’ the rating system.

When earlier this year rates demands dropped through Islanders letterboxes they were accompanied by a statement saying the government wants to consult on a new rating system. The government said they wanted the system to be more ‘accurate and fair’. We immediately christened this Orwellian double-speak for ‘they want it to increase’.

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

A variety of National Facebook sites for the various branches have been under development now for two years or more. You will find links on the National branch pages to the other branch sites including our friends in Patagonia.

The GS is also working to rejuvenate our branch in Nova Scotia and together with International and the US branch that constitutes our reach outside the Celtic countries.