Blogs

Scotland’s anti-independence ‘Better Together’ campaigners are squabbling amongst themselves. The alliance of Tory, Labour and Liberal Democrat No campaign is starting to disintegrate into open warfare.

The Executive Director of Nova Scotia's Office of Gaelic Affairs, Lewis MacKinnon, has cited a jump in the number of Gaelic Speakers in Canada’s Maritime Province of Nova Scotia.  This is a stunning example of the revival of the Gaelic language in Nova Scotia which was home to 100,000 Scots Gaelic speakers in the late 1800's. The language suffered calamitous decline as a result of the Provincial Government's policy of banning Gaelic medium education in the Celtic language heartland of Cape Breton Island. 

A message from An Kesuntans Keltek Scoren Kernewek - The Cornwall Branch of the Celtic League.

"Cornwall Branch of the Celtic League again declares solidarity with Brittany!

In the photograph we see Pierre Le Moine at his headquarters in Brittany. Pierre has close relatives who live and work in Cornwall and who speak fluent English, Cornish, French and Breton. One is a full member of the Cornwall Branch of the Celtic League and a founder member of Cornish Solidarity and long time campaigner for Cornish recognition which has now been achieved.

The Urdd Eisteddfod is a unique event being the first Eisteddfod to be dedicated to children and young people. Founded in 1929 it had the aim of protecting the Welsh language at a time when English influences were growing. The Urdd Eisteddfod is held in north and south Wales on alternate years and in 2014 the event is being held in Bala in Gwynedd. Welsh speakers, learners and non-Welsh speakers are all welcome to attend the Eisteddfod. There is a translating service available, free of charge.

The sinking of the luxurious liner Lusitania just off the Old Head of Kinsale in Ireland in 1915 by a German submarine resulted in the loss of 1,201 lives. A significant turning point during World War I, the doomed vessel sank in just eighteen minutes, but this year the curator of The Leece Museum in Peel, Roy Baker, will be speaking at the annual commemorative service for the first time about the heroic involvement of a Manx fishing boat, PL11 The Wanderer, in the rescue of passengers and crew.

Given the recent recognition of the Cornish nation the next step should be devolution for Cornwall. It appears the obvious next step, but it will of course only be achieved after a struggle. Remember that it took a long and prolonged fight for the creation of a Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly. However, once won and taking Scotland’s case as an example, there is no going back.

Manx born poet Thomas Edward Brown (colloquially known as T. E. Brown), will be remembered by members of the World Manx Association as they gather in Glen Falcon Gardens, off Broadway in Douglas, for an annual garlanding ceremony on his birthday, 5th May.

Born in Douglas in 1830, T. E. Brown attended King William’s College before gaining a double first at Christ Church, Oxford, and entering the teaching profession, eventually retiring as Master of Clifton College in Bristol in 1892.

Scotland’s Sunday Herald has announced its support for a Yes vote for independence in the forthcoming Scottish referendum. It is the first of Scotland’s newspaper’s to do so in an industry that has fallen increasingly under non-Scottish control. On the front page is the headline “Sunday Herald says Yes” with a design of a thistle and Scottish flags by artist Alasdair Gray. The paper’s editorial states: 

As reported in Welsh newspaper the Daily Post Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board were forced to apologise following insulting behaviour by a Doctor towards two Welsh speaking patients. The incident happened last Tuesday when a mother and daughter went to the emergency department at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan. As the mother was talking to her daughter in Welsh it is claimed that the Doctor told them she would take it as a “personal insult” if they continued speaking in their own language.

Today, the first day of May is the Festival of Beltane. This ancient Celtic Feast Day is the third Feast day of the Celtic year. Beltane celebrates the fertility and optimism associated with the beginning of the growing season. The other Celtic Festivals of the Celtic Year, which fall every three months, are Samhain (Halloween) celebrated on 1st November, Imbolg which is the Feast day of the Celtic Goddess Brigid celebrated on 1st February, Beltane and Lughnasa, the Celtic Feast of the harvest, celebrated on 1st August.