Blogs

This week has seen multiple news reports on dramatic gains for the Cornish Language in Helston.  Councillor Martine Knight of Helston has been characterised in news accounts as an emerging champion of the Cornish tongue.

Proving true to the promises she made to the Welsh nation on assuming her post, the web site "Walesonline" reports Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws has issued the First Annual Report of the Language Commissioner. The report  details 488 complaints received by her office against Public Bodies and Private Companies who are alleged to have failed to comply with Welsh Language statutes.

The economy of the Isle of Man (Manx: Mannin) is looking toward a growth rate of between 3 and 4 per cent this year. Figures for the three months up to the end of June show encouraging outlooks for manufacturing, shipping, e-business, tourism, clean technology and aircraft registration. These are postive outlooks for the island which is free from the incumbency of English dominated rule.

Message from the organisers of Guldize 2013, the Cornish harvest festival:

Following a break in 2012 the celebration of Guldize, The Cornish Feast Day at the end of the Harvest, returns to Penzance.

I am writing to invite you to the event which this year will be held on Saturday 28th of September 2013. 

The website "InsideIreland" reports in an article by Caira Hanna, that the Northern Ireland Executive has come under criticism for it's "..failure to submit details on the promotion and progress of the Irish Language to the British Government for inclusion in a European report."  This information is required to comply with the reporting requirements under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.

As reported in recent weeks on the "thisissouthwales" and "walesonline" web sites, there is a rising chorus of voices demanding that Welsh speakers be afforded the basic right of being served by Medical Staff in the Welsh tongue. Keith Davies, National Assembly For Wales member for Llanelli, has cited the danger to patients health posed by the failure to provide Health Care services in Welsh.

Plans are afoot to uncover the oldest four walled Christian edifice in mainland Britain. The chapel was buried under the sands in 1980. At the time it was said to be the best way of protecting the site. The St Piran trust and Perranzabuloe Parish Council, which owns the site, were originally awarded a development grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2010 to investigate the feasibility of uncovering the chapel. Now the excavation work is set to begin.

The online "HeraldScotland" reports, in the popular "Highland Line" column written by David Ross, on the victory for the Gaelic language in Caithness: "The first Gaelic medium primary school department is to open at the start of the new school session in August, Highland Council has said." 

As Scotland moves ever closer towards the referendum on Scottish independence, it is not only the people of Cornwall and Wales who are looking with interest at the outcome. Breton’s are also looking at how they can move towards such a vote. Brittany with its deeply rooted culture, language and identity needs the opportunity to have its say on Breton independence. The issue is also heightened by the coming 2014 referendum on independence for Catalonia. Many in Brittany also look at smaller Celtic nations such as the Isle of Man, which clearly benefits from having autonomy and managing their own affairs. Their example dismisses those who are foolish enough to argue that countries like Brittany, Cornwall and Wales are too small for self-rule.

Scotland’s government has given funding of £2m for an online Gaelic dictionary. Source material for a digital archive containing 30 million words has already started.

Sabhal Mor Ostaig UHI,Skye’s Gaelic language centre, is managing the project called Faclair na Gaidhlig. It will be in partnership with Aberdeen, Glasgow, Strathclyde and Edinburgh universities. Bord na Gaidhlig the Gaelic national body has been supporting the work for a number of years with contributions of £75,000 per year.