Blogs

Gwenno Saundres is a Welsh musician who released a Cornish Language album Le Kov (A Place of Memeory) in 2018. The impact was electrifying. The impact of the album on interest in the Cornish tongue has been widely acclaimed.  The Gorsedh Kernow went so far as to attribute the album’s release to the jump in the number of students sitting for the Cornish language certification exam, which in 2018 saw a record number of students certified in Cornish.

All Under One Banner (AUOB) have successfully organised a series of marches and rallies across Scotland in favour of independence. For years there has been an attempt to ignore, under report and constantly play down attendees at these marches. Now Police Scotland and the local council are getting decidedly nervous about the AUOB march in Glasgow on May 4th. The marches have always been good humoured and peaceful, but now police say they might not be able to handle the numbers expected to attend. 

Manx Wildlife Week  runs from 4th May until 12th May 2019. The Isle of Man (Manx: Mannin) is rich in wildlife. The aim is to promote and encourage people to learn and appreciate the Island's natural environment. Now, more than ever, the natural world is under increasing threat from pollution, climate change, over-fishing and the vandalism and loss of wildlife habitat being perpetrated by the relaxation of planning controls. Manx Wildlife Week is one way to promote environmental protection and build a society where nature matters.

Information received from the Celtic Congress which is in Cornwall

The International Celtic Congress is taking place at the Hotel Bristol in Newquay from Thursday 25th until Tuesday 30th April.

The theme of the Conference is Recording Our Past to Inform Our Future.

The Congress takes place in each of the Celtic Countries in turn and so the Cornish branch host it every six years.

On this day in 1746: The Battle of Culloden took place. Prince Charles Edward Stuart, (31 December 1720 – 31 January 1788) The Young Pretender, affectionately known as Bonnie Prince Charlie was the grandson of James II of Scotland and had led the second Jacobite Uprising of 1745 to overthrow the British King George II. The Jacobite cause was supported by many Highland clans. Prince Charlie and his forces were defeated at the Battle of Culloden (Scottish Gaelic: Blàr Chùil Lodair).

Scotland, as with other Celtic nations, has many prehistoric remains. Many will be familiar with the ancient Neolithic stone monuments, such as the Callanish Stones, on Lewis (Scottish Gaelic: Leodhas), which are thought to date from 4000 to 2600BC. Now a new illustrated booklet has been published with aim of exploring the archaeology of Scotland's lost timber halls and timber circles.  It has been created by Forestry and Land Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Coilltearachd agus Fearann Alba) and Archaeology Scotland.

News from the Gaelic League:

An Coimisinéar Teanga (Language Commisioner) has published an Annual Report which finds that RTÉ is not fulfilling its statutory obligations under the Broadcasting Act 2009 by failing to provide a comprehensive range of television programming in Irish. 

President of Conradh na Gaeilge Dr. Niall Comer said;

News from the Celtic League:

The most widely spoken of the Celtic languages, Welsh is arguably the most secure with the brightest future. The Welsh language is integral to Wales’ culture and society. It is the only language that is de jure official in any part of the United Kingdom (with English being de facto official). It is estimated that 25% of the Welsh population now speak the language, with roughly 15% speaking Welsh daily as their first language of choice.”  Brown UCCF (Welsh Language Society)

News from the Celtic League: