Blogs

Although at one time there was little in the way of written material in Manx Gaelic, this has changed dramatically in recent years as the language continues to flourish and demand for material in assorted genre increases.

Neen y Ghruffalo (The Gruffalo’s Child) comes hot on the heels of the recent release of Yn Ghruffalo (The Gruffalo), the classic children’s picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, which has captured the attention of children all over the world.

News item from the Welsh Newspaper Daily Post as the campaign to protect and promote the Welsh language continues http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/cymdeithas-yr-iaith-gym....  Protesters demand that the Welsh Government needs to take drastic and determined action to halt any decline in the number of Welsh language speakers. They promise that their campaign will continue and call for measures to ensure that the language will thrive in the years to come.

The Scottish Independence Referendum Campaign has exposed the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for what many think it really is, the English Broadcasting Corporation (EBC).  They appear to have lowered their thin veil of neutrality in regard to the Scottish Independence Referendum Campaign. This was demonstrated clearly during UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s recent ‘Day Trip’ to Scotland in a crude attempt to bully Scottish voters to vote against independence. 

The website “ThisIsThe WestCounntry, under the headline “Milestone Reached as 1,000th Cornish Language Street Sign Is Installed”, reports on the latest chapter in restoring  the Celtic tongue of Cornwall to everyday usage.  Although seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme,  the simple fact that the language is seen everyday by a growing number of people on their way to work or shopping gives credit to the tongue and lends it increasing  legitimacy.

The Manx Heritage Foundation has been a pioneering force behind a number of cultural projects on the Isle of Man since its inception by Act of Tynwald in 1982, but as we celebrate Island of Culture during 2014 the organisation has been inspired to re-launch itself as Culture Vannin.

Reflecting a new, inspirational era for Manx culture, through development, education and grant assistance, Culture Vannin recognises the importance of culture in our daily lives, as a community, a nation and also internationally.

On Saturday 15th February an estimated 10,000 people marched in Dublin to protect the rights of the Irish speaking community. Attracting people from all over Ireland Lá Mór na Gaeilge was seen as both a celebration of the Irish language and a protest over the failure by Government to implement legislation protecting the rights of Irish speakers.

A recent communication received by the Secretary of the Cornwall Branch of the Celtic League is immensely revealing.

There has been a long running campaign in Cornwall and elsewhere to have the Cornish people who are one of the indigenous peoples of Britain included in the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCPNM). If this were the case then certain basic legal protections would be afforded to the Cornish people wherever they are.

United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s bullying statements on currency union are starting to backfire. The revolting spectacle of English Tory Osborne being joined by Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls and Liberal Democrat Danny Alexander to try and intimidate Scotland’s voters did not go down well. The Scottish National Party leader and Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond has described the joint attack from the United Kingdom political parties as “a concerted bid by a Tory-led Westminster establishment to bully and intimidate". 

The Red Arrows are well known across the world as the public face of the Royal Air Force and are very popular on the Isle of Man, thrilling thousands of spectators with their speed, agility and precision.

In celebration of their 50th display season, Isle of Man Stamps will be releasing six stamps in a special anniversary pack in honour of the Red Arrows team, which is a core part of the Royal Air Force, employing pilots with previous combat experience.

It was announced this week that the new Irish Language Commissioner has been named to replace the outgoing Seán Ó Cuirreáin.  The new Commissioner, Rónán Ó Domhnaill, is a former political correspondent for Irish Television TG4 and Nuacht RTE.  The website Gaelport gives the following description of the new Commissioner: “ Mr. Rónán Ó Domhnaill, aged 38, is a native Irish speaker from An Cheathru Rua, Connemara, and is a political correspondent with Irish-language broadcast services TG4 and Nuacht RTE. “