Blogs

In June 2016 four anglers, Stephen Murphy, Kieran Mahar, William Gregory and David Johnston, found the remains of a prehistoric logboat in the River Boyne (An Bhóinn) in Ireland. A sample of the wood has now been radiocarbon dated to between 3,300-2,900BC.  This coincides with the construction of the Neolithic passage tombs of the Brú na Bóinne including Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange in the Boyne Valley through which the river flows. The remains of the logboat consist of a 3m length of wood, which would have formed the base of the boat.

Dreams for the Future is a celebration of Scottish novelist and playwright J M Barrie (9 May 1860 – 19 June 1937) creator of Peter Pan, and also of young people’s story-telling. The Festival, being held in Dumfries (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Phris) from November 24 to December 2, will mark Scotland’s Year of Young People (Bliadhna na h-Òigridh) and feature events for all ages involving story-telling, music and theatre. Details of the Dreams for the Future Festival can be obtained from the Moat Brae website.

A metal detectorist, Mike Smith, has discovered an ancient Celtic chariot burial in a yet to be disclosed site in Pembrokeshire (Welsh: Sir Benfro) in the southwest of Wales. At first, when searching in February of this year, he thought he had found a medieval brooch, but he was later advised that it was a Celtic horse harness dating from around 600 BC. So he explored and found more pieces. This led to initial excavations and surveys being undertaken in June by Dyfed Archaeological Trust and National Museum Wales. Then the tops of a pair of chariot wheels were uncovered.

Despite poor weather conditions, crowds of onlookers and supporters headed for the Manx Electric Railway Station at Laxey, as part of an eight day extravaganza enjoyed by both local and visiting enthusiasts.

The day-long celebration included a variety of live entertainment, fairground rides, stalls, memorabilia and an opportunity to explore the Laxey Car Shed.

There's something new on the Christmas calendar this year with the introduction of a sparkling new event at the Gaiety Theatre under the title of Manannan's Winterfest - A Magical Manx Christmas!

Billed as a unique concert celebrating Manx Christmas traditions, the event will be a collaboration of the Island's finest exponents of classical, folk, brass and choral music - topped with local humour and drama.

I hear the Manx Radio report on Minister Geoff Boots ‘Pauline’ conversion from being a climate change heretic. He is now ‘born again’ and extends an olive branch to the newly formed ‘Green Coalition’.

I wonder if he’s been summoned to the ‘headmaster's study and given a quiet talking to by Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK. After all Howard has enough on his plate with Brexit, Beecroft and Chris Robertshaw MHKs - not to mention the Social Attitude Survey which suggests that two thirds of the Manx population want to cast him adrift like Captain Bligh in an open boat.

Robert Burns was born in the scottish village of  Alloway (Scottish Gaelic Allmhaigh) on January 25, 1759. The eldest of the seven children of  William Burnes (1721–1784), a tenant farmer from Dunnottar in the Mearns, and Agnes Broun (1732–1820), the daughter of a Kirkoswald tenant farmer. His parents ensured that their son received a relatively good education.  He died at the age of 37 on 21 July 1796 and his Mausoleum is at St Michael’s churchyard in Dumfries (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Phris). Throughout his life he was a practising poet and wrote many poems, lyrics and other pieces.

Perran Round is the best surviving example of a plen an gwary, a Cornish medieval amphitheatre. Indeed, it is often described as Britain’s earliest theatre.

Cornish language miracle plays were performed in these structures across much of Cornwall throughout the Middle Ages. It is widely believed that Perran Round was specially created as an open air theatre, although it is possible that it was an Iron Age or Romano-British enclosure adapted for use in medieval times.

Recently Transceltic reported on moves to turn, “The Flow Country”, a large area, of peatland and wetland in Caithness and Sutherland in northern Scotland, into a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Peatlands are one of the most important natural ecosystems in the world. Peat bogs are a rich wildlife habitat and home to plants that are unique to that environment. Bogs also store more carbon than any other land-based ecosystem, giving them an important role in the defence against the effects of climate change.

A 150-year-old bottle of Tennent's beer discovered on the shipwreck of the Light of Age off the coast of Australia has been returned to Scotland. Diver Jim Anderson found it on a shipwreck in the 1970s. It is thought to be the oldest bottle of beer in Scotland. The bottle was on board the Light of Age which sank near Melbourne on 16 January 1868. He has now returned it to the Glasgow brewery. The Light of the Age was a fast and large wooden clipper ship  built in 1855 and originally named the Beacon Light.