Valerie Caine's blog

With a strong focus on top quality Celtic music, Peel’s Centenary Centre will be the hub this July for the Island's biggest Celtic festival Yn Chruinnaght (The Gathering); celebrating everything Celtic from music and dance to language and crafts.

The festival programme includes a diverse range of entertainment, including mellow singer-songwriters and fast and fiery dance tunes, with energy, attitude and talent from Dublin’s finest folk miscreants Lynched, Welsh superstars Calan, exceptional Cornish singer-songwriter Kezia and Brittany’s delightful An Tri DipoP.

As commemorations for the centenary of the Easter Rising continue apace in the Irish Republic, it's an appropriate time to reflect upon the Island's links with one of the most important men of the insurrection, Éamon de Valera.

With the imminent handover of St Patrick's Church, Jurby, to The Friends of Jurby Church, a recent exhibition at the venue highlighted the ecclesiastical building's long and varied history.

A prominent feature of the northern plain, the building is an important aspect of parish life, which is reflected in the work done by Sandra Kerrison for the publication Isle of Man History at Jurby Church.

Manx Gaelic vocalist, Ruth Keggin, will be sharing her success in the music industry with the launch of her second album, Turrys (Journey) as part of two concerts this weekend.

Following on from her critically acclaimed debut, solo album Sheear (Westward) in 2014, Ruth has performed live sessions on both BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio Scotland, as well as at the British Museum in London and at high profile festivals such as Glasgow based Celtic Connections and the European favourite, Festival Interceltique de Lorient in Brittany.

As worldwide recognition of Manx traditional music continues to grow, local group Barrule will embark on the band's first tour of North America.

This exciting opportunity arose when the all-male trio played at a showcase festival in Montreal called La Grande Rencontre, after establishing contact with festival organiser, Gilles Garand, at the world music expo WOMEX three years ago.

The first of their two spring concerts was held in St Paul's Church in Ramsey, where an attentive audience enjoyed an extensive programme involving a range of choral pieces.

Members of the acapella choir were challenged by a diverse collection of work, created by a wide selection of composers from the fifteenth to the twentieth century.

By concentrating on such a variety of early music, Tallis Consort brought a wealth of rich resource to its Island audiences through their occasional concerts at selected venues.

With the future of the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway in jeopardy earlier this year, after Douglas Borough Council announced that they would no longer operate the service, Isle of Man Transport has secured a license to run the world famous heritage system for this season.

Now in its eleventh year, Praying the Keeills Week invites everyone to participate in one of the many events lined up for what has become a unique part of the Manx calendar.

A keeill is the local name which describes a Christian chapel, many of which were built between the eighth and twelfth centuries across the length and breadth of the Island.

In celebration of the forthcoming National Mills Weekend, the lovingly restored Kentraugh Mill, near Colby, will once again throw open its doors to the public - giving visitors a chance to see one of the few remaining working mills on the Isle of Man in action.

Kentraugh Mill, now owned by Canon John Sheen and his wife Elizabeth, was once a focal point of village life, as were many of the now redundant watermills across the length and breadth of the Island.

Formerly known as the Western Open Studio Art Trail (WOSAT), the recently re-branded art festival will be reaching out to its supporters from across the Island this year under the title of the Isle of Man Art Festival.

Organised by members of The Creative Network, this year's event will be inviting members of the public to join with them in celebration of visual art during the early bank holiday weekend in May; with exhibitions, workshops, demonstrations and an opportunity to look inside selected artists' studios.