Celtic Recipes

Scottish Artist Alexander Goudie and His Love of Brittany

Submitted by Douglas MacQueen on December 2, 2020 - 10:11am

Alexander Goudie Self Portrait

Scottish painter Alexander Goudie (11 November 1933 – 9 March 2004) was born in the town of Paisley (Scottish Gaelic: Pàislig) situated in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art under William Armour, David Donaldson and Benno Schotz and where he was awarded the Somerville Shanks Prize for Composition. The prize is named after William Somerville Shanks (28 September 1864 – 28 July 1951) a Scottish artist who was a tutor in painting and drawing at the Glasgow School of Art for 29 years. Alexander Goudie was a tutor at the school for a number years before dedicating himself to his own studio work. He is now widely acclaimed as having been one of Scotland’s finest figurative painters.

Amongst his considerable body of work there is a series of paintings depicting life and landscapes of the Celtic country of Brittany (Breton: Breizh). It was an interest that grew during his marriage to his Breton wife Marie-Renee Dorval. He documented the changing face of the Breton rural landscape in sketches and paintings over a 30 year period. In 1966 he staged his first exhibition of Breton paintings at The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, other exhibitions of Breton paintings at various galleries followed in 1986, 1987, 1992, 2002 and 2005.

Lockdown Free Isle of Man Lights up for Christmas

Alastair Kneale's picture
Submitted by Alastair Kneale on December 1, 2020 - 11:40am

The Christmas lights are being turned on in ceremonies and celebrations in the Isle of Man (Manx Gaelic: Mannin) over recent days. The most recent being in the town of Peel (Manx: Purt ny h-Inshey) where people thronged the town streets and a fireworks display was held. The Isle of Man scrapped social distancing rules on 15th June, the first in the British and Irish Isles  to do so. A relaxation that has since allowed for the opening of restaurants, cafés and pubs, and the reopening of gyms.

Scotland: St Andrew's Day 30th November 2020

Submitted by Douglas MacQueen on November 30, 2020 - 2:22pm

St. Andrew's Day (Scottish Gaelic: Là Naomh Aindrea) is Scotland's official national day celebrated on 30th November. St Andrew has been the patron saint of Scotland from at least the mid tenth century and legend says long before. He was born in the village of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee in the early 1st century and is the brother of St Peter. According to the Gospel of St John, Andrew was a follower of the preacher John the Baptist and then became a disciple of Jesus who he recognised as the Messiah. The name Andrew is Greek in origin.

Wake up and smell the coffee! When the English say "Great Britain" they mean "Greater England"

Alastair Kneale's picture
Submitted by Alastair Kneale on November 28, 2020 - 3:35pm

Wake up and smell the coffee! When the English refer to "Great Britain" they mean "Greater England". There has been some shock expressed over recent days that British Airways wished the England rugby team “good luck” in the rugby match against Wales today 28th November. But is it that much of a surprise?

Galatasaray Celtic 0-0 (5-4), 12 January 2014 - An ordinary game with a great ignored story

Submitted by Francesco Marinacci on November 25, 2020 - 9:08pm

The Celtic football club from the city of Glasgow (A in the map) in Scotland travelled to Antalya (C), southwestern Turkey, in January 2014 for a football tournament. In the final of this tournament they met Galatasaray from the city of Istanbul (B), based in the European part of the city, also in Turkey. The city of Istanbul is divided into two parts by the Bosphorus Strait which joins the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea.

Glasgow is 3600 km away from Istanbul and yet these teams are sisters, probably without there being an awareness of this by the managers, the players and even less the fans. I wasn't aware of it either in 2014.

Magnificent Celtic Cross Standing by St Adamnan's Church Isle of Man

Alastair Kneale's picture
Submitted by Alastair Kneale on November 19, 2020 - 3:06pm

Standing on its original site in the churchyard of St Adamnan's Church in the Parish of Lonan (Manx Gaelic: Skyll Lonan) on the Isle of Man (Mannin) is a very beautiful Celtic Cross. It is one of a number of Celtic Crosses in the churchyard that date back to the 5th century. One of the early Keeils (a Manx Gaelic word for a church), St Adamnan's Church is on the site of an earlier keeill dating from the 5th century. Often simply referred to as "Lonan Old Church" it was originally known in Manx as Keeill ny-Traie, or "the chapel by the shore" and is on the eastern side of the Island.

Illustrator receives Londeyr award for her work to promote the Manx language

Alastair Kneale's picture
Submitted by Alastair Kneale on November 18, 2020 - 12:49pm

Media release from Culture Vannin:

Illustrator receives Londeyr award for her work to promote the Manx language

Jeebin, the Manx Language Network, was delighted to present illustrator Vicky Webb with the annual Londeyr award, at the Cooish Manx Language Festival 2020 earlier this month.

Scottish island with ancient ritual significance and home to Fingal's Cave

Submitted by Douglas MacQueen on November 16, 2020 - 2:41pm

Staffa (Scottish Gaelic: Stafa) is an island of the Inner Hebrides (Na h-Eileanan a-staigh) off the west coast of Scotland. Now uninhabited there is evidence that humans inhabited the Island as long as 3,800 years ago. Some years ago archaeologists working with the National Trust for Scotland discovered evidence for human activity during the Bronze Age on Staffa. Research continues to try and determine whether Staffa was home to a permanent settlement or visited as a place of ritual. 

Uncovering the mysteries of the Welsh Abbey of Strata Florida

Submitted by Mair Williams on November 15, 2020 - 1:00pm

Work continues in exploring the history of Strata Florida Abbey (Welsh: Abaty Ystrad Fflur) and surrounding lands. The ruins of the former Cistercian abbey are situated just outside Pontrhydfendigaid, near Tregaron in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. The abbey was founded in 1164 and the name Strata Florida is a Latinisation of the Welsh Ystrad Fflur; 'Valley of Flowers'. The conserved ruins of the old Abbey church and part of the cloisters are in the care of Cadw (a Welsh verbal noun meaning "keeping/preserving"), which is the Welsh Government's heritage agency. 

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