Illiam Dhone Commemoration 2024

The annual Illiam Dhone commemoration is being held today at the site of his execution. Illiam Dhone (14 April 1608 - 02 January 1663) also known as William Christian was a Manx politician and patriot. For his part in the Manx rising of 1651 he was executed by firing squad at Hango Hill in the Isle of Man on 2nd January 1663. This poem by A. P. Graves was written 111 years ago in his honour and published in "A Book of Manx Poetry" by the Manx Language Society and the World Manx Society, 1913.

“ILLIAM DHONE

THE Scot to mighty Wallace

And lordly Bruce is leal;

The Irish heart's the palace

Of Brian and O'Neil;

The Welsh, they laud Llewelyn

With harp and trumpet tone;

But oh! our hero's Illiam,

Our hero's Illiam Dhone!

For when oppression flourish'd,

And we were slaves, not men,

What voice rebellion nourish'd

And gave us heart again?

What proud insurgent vassal

Could shake the tyrant's throne,

And pluck from him his castle,

Say, who but Iliiam Dhone?

Ah ! laurel tree fair risen,

But blasted at a breath,

O'erpower'd and pent in prison

Tried, doom'd, and led to death!

His fair ones he is clasping

A flash, a fall, a groan

And in his life's blood, gasping,

Lies gallant Illiam Dhone!

His foes traduced him living,

Hiss foes traduced him dead,

With hatred unforgiving,

Our hand, our heart, our head.

But when the dead have mounted

Before the judgment Throne,

Which shall be righteous counted

Shall they, or Illiam Dhone?

Then oh, while great and simple

Still side by side are set,

In God's own Tynwald temple,

Let Manxmen ne'er forget,

That the red seal on a charter

Of freedom all our own

Is the life-blood of our martyr

And monarch, Illiam Dhone.

A.P. GRAVES.”

Source: "A Book of Manx Poetry" by the Manx Language Society and the World Manx Society, 1913.