Blogs

Despite being only the second year running this event, the Isle of Man Young Farmers' Christmas Tractor Run captured the imagination of the Manx public, as fifty working tractors left the Island's farms to raise funds for local charities.

Gaily decorated for the festive season, they gathered along Marine Parade in Peel and at Tynwald Mills in St John's before embarking upon a dedicated route along the TT course, with large numbers of spectators gathering at various points along the route.

The official website of the EU has chronicled the march of the Irish Language towards full status within the European Union:

" Irish has been an EU language since 2005 with a limited status, meaning that only a small share of documents were translated into Irish. In December 2015, at the request of the Irish government, the Council decided to increase the material available in Irish to progressively reach full status for the Irish language in the EU by 2022."

The Scottish National Party (SNP) won a landslide victory in Scotland in the British general election held on 12th December. They won 48, that is 80%, of Scotland's 59 seats. Although  the Conservatives won a significant majority across the rest of the UK, they lost seven of the 13 seats they previously held in Scotland.

As most people are only too well aware. The 2019 United Kingdom General Election was held on Thursday 12 December. Three of the Celtic countries, Scotland, Cornwall and Wales also went to the polls as part of that election. Brittany, Ireland and Isle of Man are, of course, not part of the UK and did not participate in the election. However, that part of Ireland in the northeast where Britain retains a colonial presence did take part. The result was significant.

A star and planet will be given Manx Gaelic names after being chosen in an international competition. The International Astronomical Society held the competition, to name a star and planet. The winners were two classes of eight and nine-year-olds from Cronk-y-Berry school in the Isle of Man (Manx: Mannin). The star, WASP-13, will be named Gloas, the Manx for 'shine', and planet WASP-13b will be now be known as Cruinlagh, which is Manx for 'orbit'.

Although the Island is often viewed as a place of wealth and prosperity, there's a growing number of people acutely affected by the high cost of living, whilst others find themselves homeless.

These issues are unrecognised by some living on the Isle of Man, but volunteers at the forefront of the charity Graih witness at first hand the growing number of homeless individuals, of both sexes, who arrive at their door looking for help and compassion.

With the festive season just around the corner, there's a couple of annual events coming up with a special Manx flavour to entertain you during the cold, winter evenings.

The long-standing Mollag Ghennal, starting at 7.30pm on Sunday 29th December, has now settled into its new location at the Manx Legion Club on Market Hill in Douglas, offering a host of entertainers to lift your spirits midst the holiday activities.

Archaeologists are investigating what could result in some of Scotland's best preserved Pictish dwellings. As part of the University of Aberdeen's Northern Picts work is being undertaken along with Caithness Archaeological Trust and the Dunbeath Heritage Museum to investigate the Wag of Forse site. It is known that people lived in the settlement situated between Lybster (Scottish Gaelic: Liabost) and Latheron (Scottish Gaelic Latharn) in Caithness (Gallaibh). Included in the area of the site is an Iron Age stone tower known as a broch.

A dedicated group of supporters gathered at the memorial to the S.S. Ellan Vannin, placed by the Manx Heritage Foundation (now known as Culture Vannin) on the quayside at Ramsey to take part in the annual Service of Remembrance, to mark the anniversary of what is probably one of the greatest maritime disasters in Manx history.

Media Release from Culture Vannin:

A Thousand Years in Man – a new book about the Island from a Norwegian perspective

A Thousand Years in Man offers unique insights into the history of the Isle of Man from a Norwegian perspective. Written by Jon Leirfall and published in 1979 to coincide with the Millennium of Tynwald celebrations, it has only been available in his native Norwegian as Tusen år på Man until now.