Alastair Kneale's blog

In 2008 the Isle of Man Post Office Manx: Oik Postagh Ellan Vannin) issued a set of stamps to celebrate the links among the Celtic nations. The set of stamps were presented at Lorient Interceltique Festival in Brittany that year. The eight stamps featured the National flags of Ireland (Éire), Scotland (Alba), Isle of Man (Mannin), Wales (Cymru), Cornwall (Kernow), Brittany (Breizh), Galicia and Asturias.

Tynwald Day (Manx: Laa Tinvaal), the National Day of the Isle of Man (Mannin) is held on the 5th of July. It is traditionally when the government for the Isle of Man go to Tynwald Hill to read a summary of the laws passed over the last year. Although the Tynwald fair and ceremony is this year taking place tomorrow and has been scaled down due to the coronavirus pandemic.  The reading is given in Manx Gaelic and English. The artificial hill, which is thought to have started as a Bronze Age burial mound, is made up of four circular platforms.

Speaking at the Downing Street press briefing, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that: "Instead of quarantining arrivals from the whole world, we will only quarantine arrivals from those countries where the virus is sadly not under control."  The result is that people travelling from a named list of 59 places and 14 British overseas territories will not have to quarantine on arrival in England unless they have travelled through a place which is not exempt.

NEWS RELEASE FROM CULTURE VANNIN: 

The Voyage of Odin’s Raven now online

The story of sailing of a Viking longship from Norway to the Isle of Man 41 years ago is one of the most unusual and fascinating Manx tales of modern times.

Now it is available online thanks to a full reading of a wonderful account written by a member of the crew.

Northumbria was one of the most important kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England, lying north of the River Humber. The name derives from the Old English Norþan-hymbre meaning "the people or province north of the Humber". The dates for the Kingdom of Northumbria are often given as 654-954 AD, although others give an earlier date for its founding of 547. This Kingdom experienced a period of significant expansion, including into the Celtic lands of the Picts and Gaels in present day Scotland.

The Isle of Man (Manx: Mannin) border will remain closed because it is "not the moment to make significant changes", the Manx chief minister, Howard Quayle has said. The Isle of Man became the first place in the British and Irish Isles to live without lockdown and to end social distancing on Monday 15th June. Although it is now 27 days since the island last had an active case of coronavirus, Howard Quayle told Tynwald (Manx: Tinvaal), which is the legislature of the Isle of Man, that the border remained an "integral part of our defences" against the disease.

A series of changes to coronavirus restrictions came into force on the Isle of Man (Manx: Mannin)  today, Monday 15th June. This follows 25 days without any new cases of Covid-19. The changes include Manx residents no longer being legally required to remain two metres apart. This was confirmed by the Chief Minister of the Manx government, Howard Quayle, who had contracted the virus earlier in the pandemic, but thankfully made a full recovery.  He has now confirmed social distancing is no longer deemed necessary to protect the community from coronavirus.

It has been reported that there have now been no new Covid-19 cases on the Isle of Man (Manx: Mannin) for three weeks. The Isle of Man Government stopped all passenger arrivals to the Isle of Man by air and sea from the morning of 27 March 2020. The borders remain closed to all but essential workers and certain other specific categories. Along with other measures, including social distancing, it appears that the closure of Manx borders has been an important factor in preventing further spread of the virus.

Archaeologists in north-western Spain believe they have discovered the burial place of 16th century Irish chieftain known as Red Hugh O’Donnell (30 October 1572 – 10 September 1602). Hugh Roe O'Donnell (Irish: Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill) was a ruler of Tyrconnell. Tyrconnell (Irish Gaelic: Tir Chonaill) was an independent Gaelic state in Ireland. Red Hugh and his father-in-law Hugh O’Neill fought the Nine Years’ War against the English and sought aid from Spain.

In normal times the most famous motorcycle race meeting in the world, the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, would have been about to begin. However, as we are only to well aware, we in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. As a result the Council of Ministers, which is the highest level decision making body within the Isle of Man Government, had some time ago taken the decision to cancel the 2020 Isle of Man TT Races which were due to take place between 30th May and 13th June.