Blogs

My Celtic League colleague Patricia Bridson forwards more background to the 1973 Fo Halloo Ballaleece railway bridge daubing which occurred on Tynwald Day (July 5th) of that year.

The Royal Navy was at fault in an incident two years ago when a nuclear submarine almost collided with a Stena Ferry on passage between Britain and Ireland.

The MAIB has finally published a report which found that:

A magnificent Cornish Breton collaboration in which Cornish speaking Bard, Mick Paynter from St Ives, translates and speaks the late Yan Ber Kalloc'h's famous poem written in Breton. Yan was born on the island of Groix, near Quimper, on July 24, 1888 and died in April, 2017.

Cape Breton Island is today home to world’s only Gaelic speaking population outside of Europe. The 2011 Canadian census reported 1,300 Gaelic speakers, with an additional 2,000 enrolled in Gaelic language programs around the province. The Celtic tongue of Nova Scotia is experiencing a remarkable comeback and the credit in large part can be attributed to role played by the by the Gaelic College in nurturing a culture and language which has made its way back from the precipice.

The Masks, offered in Nova Scotia and Capre Breton Tartan, are made at the Collegee by Gaelic Speakers. 

In 1965 a memorial chapel was built as a memorial to the drowned Welsh speaking village of Capel Celyn. Capel is Welsh for chapel, while celyn is Welsh for holly. The memorial chapel is now about to have conservation work undertaken. Capel Celyn was located to the north west of Bala in Gwynedd, in the Afon Tryweryn valley in the north of Wales.

Jules Molyneaux from Crieff, Perthshire (Scottish Gaelic: Craoibh, Siorrachd Pheairt), a pupil at Ardvreck school, has become the youngest person to climb the Matterhorn. The 11 year old undertook the climb with his father Chris. The mountain is in the Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. It is 14,692 feet (4,478 metres) high and is one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe. The Matterhorn is considered to be one of the most dangerous peaks in the World.

Loch Arkaig (Scottish Gaelic: Loch Airceig) is a beautiful freshwater loch in Lochaber, Scotland. It is approximately 12 miles in length and lies 140 feet above sea level, the maximum depth is some 300 feet. To the south of the loch is Loch Arkaig Pine Forest and consists of two areas of native Caledonian pinewood: Glen Mallie and the Gusach (Gaelic for ‘pinewood’). This normally peaceful setting has become something of an internet sensation, particularly over the last five weeks. The stars of the show are three osprey chicks.

An issue common to both the Irish and Welsh tongues, which has gotten attention recently, is the erosion of traditionally stable linguistic zones as the result of property development.

In 2008 the Isle of Man Post Office Manx: Oik Postagh Ellan Vannin) issued a set of stamps to celebrate the links among the Celtic nations. The set of stamps were presented at Lorient Interceltique Festival in Brittany that year. The eight stamps featured the National flags of Ireland (Éire), Scotland (Alba), Isle of Man (Mannin), Wales (Cymru), Cornwall (Kernow), Brittany (Breizh), Galicia and Asturias.

Tynwald Day (Manx: Laa Tinvaal), the National Day of the Isle of Man (Mannin) is held on the 5th of July. It is traditionally when the government for the Isle of Man go to Tynwald Hill to read a summary of the laws passed over the last year. Although the Tynwald fair and ceremony is this year taking place tomorrow and has been scaled down due to the coronavirus pandemic.  The reading is given in Manx Gaelic and English. The artificial hill, which is thought to have started as a Bronze Age burial mound, is made up of four circular platforms.