Blogs

United kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron’s reluctance to debate idependence with Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond is starting to become an issue with Scotland‘s voters. In a poll commisioned by the Scottish National Party carried out by Panelbase in December 63% of people in Scotland wanted this debate. Even across the UK a majority of 56% thought a referendum debate should take place.

Recent Blog items on the Transceltic website have pointed to the perils faced by those earning a living off our Celtic coastlines. It is always with great sadness that we learn of lost vessels and are reminded of the close bond that exists between our fishing communities.

Divisions are again beginning to emerge in the anti-independence ‘No‘ vote campaign. The pro-union supporters have long been criticised for their very negative campaign stance. Comprising of Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and others who oppose independance the ‘Better Together‘ ‘No‘ grouping have been seen as over concentrating their efforts on adopting scaremongering tactics rather than constructive arguements in favour of keeping Scotland within the United kingdom.

Yves Gounin, ex-chief of staff of the French Minister of European Affairs, wrote in the journal Politique Étrangère, that Catalonia and Scotland should be immeditaely admitted into the European Union upon independance. His arguements come at a time of increased scaremongering by the British and Spanish Government’s as the pro-independance movements in Scotland and Catalonia gain momentum.

Former teacher, Lorraine Fraser King, wrote her first YA novel in 2006 when she was employed at Marown Primary School, when the old streets of Peel inspired her to put pen to paper to write Mannin Boy, but with the publication of an extended e-book version there’s an opportunity for Island readers to help people in Cambodia struggling with diabetes and related disorders.

Mannin Boy focuses on the exploits of Jamie and Finn as they grow into manhood in the mid-nineteenth century port, exploring the turbulent life of the fishing industry and the price of personal tragedy.

Lorraine’s research incorporates local words, personal names and Manx locations, but later we are compelled to follow our heroes as they tackle a much longer sea journey and face the dangers and uncertainty of the gold mines of Australia.

Upon leaving the Isle of Man and spending some time in Australia, Lorraine volunteered to join forces with Cambodian refugee Professor Lim Keuky and together they established a clinic of the Cambodian Diabetes Association at Siem Reap, situated next to the famous Angkor Wat Temple.

As the year-long Island of Culture gets underway the Isle of Man Post Office has issued a new set of stamps by Manx artist Juan Moore to celebrate the occasion.

Juan commented, “It feels so good to have my artwork on the Island of Culture stamps. Art is always something that people have an opinion on and I hope my work will be noticed on these stamps. It is important to me that my work is not only thought-provoking, but that it is accessible to everyone. One of the aims of my work is for it to be as understood by not only those from an art background, but for someone who knows nothing about it.”

It was an evening of mixed emotions at the annual Oie’ll Verree held in the village of Michael, when it was revealed that two stalwarts of the celebrated Michael Players were hanging up their aprons for the final time and taking a well earned rest from the stage.

The distinctive Manx dialect play has been a feature of the Kirk Michael concert for generations, with the Michael Players believed to be the only Island drama group to keep the tradition in the public eye.

But the retirement of Win Callister and Ann Corlett has put the future of both the Michael Players and the unique Manx dialect play in doubt, although strenuous efforts are being made to encourage the recruitment of younger actors who can pick up the baton.

With every ticket sold and an extensive waiting list of hopeful visitors, this year’s Chairman, Laurence Skelly MHK, confidently took charge of the proceedings, contributing his own humour about fellow politicians throughout the evening.

An Fhéile Phan Cheilteach (the Pan Celtic Festival) will be hosted in the City of Derry (Doire) in 2014. The festival, which brings visitors from all over Ireland as well as the other Celtic nations will be visiting Derry, in the north of Ireland for the first time.

Multiple press reports are citing the growing strength of the Irish tongue in Northern Ireland.  In the latest example of the Gaelic resurgence in this at times troubled part of the Celtic Homelands is the opening of a new Irish Centre in East Belfast.  The headlines accompanying the articles on the newly opened centre of Gaelic instruction, which has received unusual recognition given the size of the new facility, may reveal more about the symbolic significance of the event than the details of the opening of the Irish Language venue at the Skainos Centre in East Belfast.

Welsh politicians and Meri Hughes, the Language Commissioner in Wales have condemned an incident of blatant and dangerous discrimination against the Welsh speaking community. This was after the disgraceful actions by Morrisons Supermarket pharmacy counter in Bangor, north Wales, who refused to provide medication for a one year old baby because the prescription was written in both Welsh and English.