Blogs

Ireland's President Michael D. Higgins made a highly successful visit to Wales last week. He met with political leaders at the National Assembly for Wales and supported stronger cultural and economic ties between the two Celtic nations. As reported in the newspaper The Irish Post the Irish President stated:

Jinny the Witch has long been associated with the Manx observance of Hop tu Naa, a celebration of the Celtic New Year, along with a varied assortment of customs.Many of them were based on divination, with young girls attempting to discover whom they would marry, whereas the boys were more likely to be visiting their neighbours with cabbages on sticks demanding potatoes, herring or bonnag; hence its lesser known title ‘thump the door night’.

An Ipsos Mori survey commissioned by STV (Scottish Television) has shown that the Labour Party in Scotland would face political annihilation should there be a UK general election tomorrow. Labour continues to pay the price for stabbing Scotland in the back during September's referendum on independence after they sided with the Tory Party to oppose a Yes vote.

Researchers from Univserity of Glasgow have worked for eight years to complete translations for the first phase of Dachaigh airson Stòras na Gàidhlig or the Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic (DASG). It is the world's most extensive digital archive of Scottish Gaelic texts.

The DASG project has two main outputs:

EduBreizh is an association dedicated to the development of the Breton language on Internet. They are promoting an interesting Special Mooc Christmas EduBreizh Schedule: 01 December 2014 to 25 December 2014. It lasts for four weeks. Go to the EduBreizh website to find out more. Its never too late to learn a Celtic language and have fun at the same time! It sounds like EduBreizh have certainly set out to make it interesting and fun. Every week you go to 3 different modules with short videos.

Rhiannon Davies Jones, novelist was born in  Llanbedr, Merioneth on 3 November 1921 and died in Ynys Mon on 22 October 2014.

Cornwall and second class citizens - a damning and open letter sent to the press and politicians by the Cornwall Branch of the Celtic League.

"AN KESUNYANS KELTEK - SCOREN GERNEWEK
The Cornish Branch of the Celtic League
(The Celtic League has Roster Consultative Status at the United Nations)

28th October, 2014

Dear Editor

Our organisation is increasingly concerned at the way the public of Cornwall are being treated as second class citizens when compared to those resident in other parts of Great Britain.

A vote on independence for Catalonia on November 9 will be a step towards separation from Spain. The Spanish government is doing everything in its power to prevent the people of Catalonia from engaging in a democratic vote to determine their own future. Barcelona wanted to hold a referendum on independence, in the same way that Scotland did. At every turn Madrid, using the power of the Constitutional Court has bullied and threatened the Catalans not to hold any kind of democratic vote or consultation.

October 27th was the 100th anniversary of Dylan Thomas's birth. Throughout the year there has been a recognition and celebration of his work. Last night saw the conclusion of 36-hour live performance of the Swansea poet's work at Swansea Grand Theatre . Opening at 11am on Sunday, October 26 and coming to an end at 11pm on Monday, October 27 100 years to the day on which Dylan Thomas was born.

The Scottish Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism visited the Isle of Man last week. Fergus Ewing Scotland's Economic Development Minister met Manx Chief Minister Alan Bell and Minister for Economic Development Laurence Skelly. They discussed strengthening links between Scotland and the Isle of Man in such areas as energy, tourism and international trade.