Commemoration of Illiam Dhone's Execution

A brisk wind whistled through the site of Hango Hill as a crowd gathered in the winter sunshine to commemorate the execution of Illiam Dhone of Ronaldsway on the 2nd January, 1663, for his part in the Manx rising of 1651 against the Derby family. Although a Royal pardon was dispatched it arrived too late to save him from execution.

Believed to be an prehistoric burial ground with an artificial mound, the name Hango Hill is derived from the Norse hanga-haugr, meaning Gallow's Hill, but was renamed Mount Strange by the Derby family in honour of the Derby heir Lord Strange. The poignant remains are that of a castellated summerhouse built on the site during the late seventeenth century.

The event is a joint effort between the Manx branch of the Celtic League and the Manx Republican Nationalist Party Mec Vannin.

Following an introduction by Bernie Moffatt (Celtic League/Mec Vannin), the Manx oration was given by Mark Kermode (Mec Vannin) and that in English by Bill Henderson MHK (North Douglas) followed by a brief wreath-laying ceremony and a remembrance of some important players in the arena of Manx culture and language.

The short ceremony closed with renditions of the Manx National Anthem in both Manx and English before supporters moved on to two other venues; Malew Parish Church (the site of Illiam Dhone's burial) for an annual service and The Glue Pot (aka the Castle Arms) a long established pub in Castletown where a number of the Island's up and coming traditional musicians gathered for a lively music session.

The annual Illiam Dhone Commemoration first took place in 1963 on the 300th anniversary of his execution and was subsequently revived by Manx nationalists in 1980.

Valerie Caine (Copyright: Photos) January 2014

Further reading

Interview with historian John Callow on Illiam Dhône