Shiaght Laa

Maralyn Crellin introduces this edition of Shiaght Laa, the final one in this series. After a look at some forthcoming events, we find out about Charlotte de Tremoille, the Countess of Derby, wife of James Stanlagh (yn Stanlagh Mooar), the 7th Earl of Derby, and the siege of Lathom House in Lancashire - as described in song by Steeleye Span. The Countess staunchly resisted and the siege was lifted by the arrival of her kinsman, Prince Rupert, on 27th May 1644, when she and her family came to join her husband in Castle Rushen.We hear a brief overview of motorcycle racing in the Island, with racing on the Billow Circuit this weekend (24th, 25th & 26th May) and the commencement of the TT Races on Monday 27th May. This time of year used to bring showings of a 1935 film, 'No Limit', with George Formby "Riding in the TT Races". There's perhaps a reason it's not been shown in more recent years.

Fiona McArdle introduces an edition of Shiaght Laa in which -we hear about some of the opportunities to enjoy events in the week ahead; we hear of a new publication by Dr Peter Davey about 'Rushen Abbey : one hundred years of excavation'; we try to find out about why to the Manx people the 18th May was called Laa'l Spitlhin Souree; andwe look at the lyrics and hear the song, 'Baatey Pabyr', written by Matthew Warren and performed by Sarah Mercer and Mera Royle, which won Arrane son Mannin this year and represented the Island in the Pan Celtic International Song Competition, and of which a Ballagroove Studio recording by Gyp Buggane has just been published on Soundcloud Baatey Paybr (Paper Boats) - Gaelg by Matthew Warren (soundcloud.com).

From this year's Manx Music, Speech and Dance Festival, the Guild, we enjoy award winning performances from the winner of the Sheffield Plate, Breesha Kelsey, and of the Cleveland Medal, Neil Taverner. A recording of Dollin Kelly's performance of T E Brown's 'Betsy Lee' has just been made available online at Culture Vannin's website, and we hear a famous extract from that.  As what appears on the modern calendar as 12th May would have been Shenn Laa Boaldyn, May Day by the old-style calendar, we hear some music associated with the season and the words of some traditional songs mentioning it. 

Maralyn Crellin takes us into the Villa Marina for the Guild as we hear about the junior and senior blue riband awards, the Sheffield Plate and the Cleveland Medal. Then we go outside and join Manx Wildlife Trust's Community Ranger, Hannah Phillips, for information about the end of Manx Wildlife Week - and beyond. The calendar has already passed 1st May, but the Early May Bank Holiday falls on 6th May when Cregneish is hosting extra music, dance and Mayday crafts. However, we hear archive recordings telling of how people in the early 20th century were still celebrating Mayeve and Mayday on what appear to be 11th and 12th May.  

Fiona McArdle is our host as we hear about Manx Wildlife Week (27th April - 4th May), which brings together Manx National Heritage, the Manx Wildlife Trust and UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man and many of the volunteer groups they each support. The programme can be found at this website - https://manxnationalheritage.im/whats-on/ We hear an overview from: Lauren McCoy, curator of natural history at MNH; Lucy Chapman of the Manx Wildlife Trust; and Jo Overty of UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man. We then join MWT's Community Ranger, Hannah Phillips, who tells us about some of the things the Trust is involved in during the week. We also hear about the Luke Jerram installation, Gaia, in St Thomas's Church in Douglas from Aly Lewin of Net Zero Isle of Man of which the website can be found at - https://www.netzero.im/

We hear of two recent publications in this edition, the first of which is 'Dreich Planet 2 - Isle of Man', with poetry from the Island. Guest editors for the international publishing venture, Annie Kissack and Hazel Teare, tell us about, and we hear the first poem in the collection by their fellow guest editor, David Callin. The other is 'Strandings & Sinkings : Shipwrecks in Manx Waters' published by Loaghtan Books, for which Sara Goodwins and George Hobbs took as their starting point more of Ray Stanfield's archive of images.  This is very resonant in a year in which the choice of Adrian Corkill as Reih Bleeaney Vanannan 2024 was for his detailed database of shipwrecks in Manx waters, and in which the RNLI is celebrating 200 years since its founding in 1824 by Sir William Hillary. Manx National Heritage curator of archaeology, Alison Fox, talks about Sir William and the foundation of the service, and also about some of the Island's maritime history and heritage in an ongoin

Fiona McArdle introduces the final programme in this series. We start with a reminder of Ruth Keggin Gell's workshops on Taizé chants (with an explanation of their background) and on Manx for worship on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th January. Later on we hear Ruth herself reminding us of Culture Vannin's Manx lessons on Zoom each Wednesday from 17th January. Will Price of Port Erin has set up Amity Publications Ltd and has just published a bilingual edition of The Amazing Adventures of Tom and Charlie / Ny Contoyrtyssyn Yindyssagh ec Tom as Charlie. He explains how the book came about, with the Manx translation by Chris Sheard and illustrations by Grainney Sheard. Fiona McArdle herself was instrumental in setting up Arrane son Mannin in 2005, a competition to choose a song in the Manx language to represent the Island in a contest for songs in the Celtic languages of each of the Celtic nations taking part in the Pan Celtic Festival in Ireland. This year's Arrane son Mannin is on Friday 12th

2nd January marks the anniversary of the death of Illiam Dhone, William Christian, by firing squad in 1663, an event lamented in song and in poetry ever since. We hear from yn Greinneyder, Culture Vannin's Manx Language Development Officer, Ruth Keggin Gell, about workshops at Thie dy Vea in Peel for Manx in worship, and also more general another workshop there for Manx songs. She will also be leading Manx classes on Zoom during the coming year.

As we approach y Chegeesh Ommidjagh, the Foolish Fortnight of y Nollick, the Manx Christmas, we listen to some seasonal pieces that have been composed in comparatively recent years. We hear - S'feayr yn oie (Annie Kissack); Carval Chreneash (Annie Kissack); Christmas Star (Marilyn Cannell); Shinyn ny deiney (Annie Kissack); Deiney creeney (Bob Carswell); Yn Joarree (Philip Leighton Stowell, trans. Colin Jerry); and Yeesey Creest (Bob Carswell).

Maralyn Crellin introduces a programme in which James Franklin, the Online and Educational Resource Officer of Culture Vannin, tells us about a new publication, 'A Guide to the Folklore Sites of the Isle of Man', the result of a five-year project between Katie Newton, Sam Hudson and himself.  Margaid Bird is a founder-member of Ramsey-based Manx Gaelic choir, Cliogaree Twoaie, and she takes us back to the early days and some of the many highlights since then, as they prepare a third album. We also look ahead to one of the opportunities to sing traditional Manx Gaelic songs, to be presented by Yn Greinneyder, Culture Vannin's Manx Language Development Officer, Ruth Keggin Gell. It's not till Saturday 13th January 2024, but it would be as well to contact Ruth and book a place now.

Fiona McArdle is your host for this edition. The Isle of Man Poetry Society has monthly meetings at the Archibald Knox public house in Onchan, and there's one on Sunday 3rd December at 7.30pm. Chair of the Society, Bethany de Legh Runciman, talks about poetry and about opportunities to write and perform it. And as the programme goes out on Laa'l Andreays, St Andrew's Day, we look at the Scotch Kirk and St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Douglas and, of course, at the parish and its church on the north of the Island - one of the seventeen ancient parishes, though now part of the Parish of the Northern Plain. We return to a recording of churchwarden, Michael Ellis.

There's an important date coming up on 1st December, because that's the deadline for two important matters.  It's the final day by which to nominate a person or a group for the prestigious annual award, the Reih Bleeaney Vanannan, to be awarded early in the New Year. Breesha Maddrell of Culture Vannin tells us about that. Coming up from 10th February to 10th March will be another of the Isle of Man Poetry Society's Poetry Trails at ten locations in Douglas city centre. However, ten poems have to be chosen by a panel of judges, and the closing date for entries is 1st December! Chair of the Society, Bethany de Legh Runciman, has all the important information for us. 

In the final programme in this series, Maralyn Crellin gives an overview of musical events during the coming week, and we dip into musical treats of yesteryear with songs by Florrie Forde - the final 'Kelly' song from 1920, 'Kelly's Got Married Today' and from 1930 asks, 'What Happened to the Manx Cat's Tail?'. As we often say in Shiaght Laa, people in the Island are active in many pursuits, and there are regular music sessions of all sorts, and the visual arts are extremely popular. This coming weekend, The Creative Network hold the final part of their biennial Isle of Man Art Festival, in which they're joined by the Manx Mural Fest. This coming Wednesday, 23rd August, there's a return visit by Professor R Andrew MacDonald, who'll be giving a talk in the Manx Museum Lecture Theatre in Douglas in association with his new publication, 'A Visitor's Guide to the Medieval Kingdoms of Man and the Isles, 1066-1275'. Shiaght Laa heard about Professor MacDonal

Fiona McArdle is our guide through the programme this week. Loaghtan Books have published a book that takes us to many unexpected corners and fascinating facts about the Island and its people. It's called 'Manx Myths, Mysteries and Miscellanies'. It's based on the research and articles of journalist and author, the  late Robert Kelly. We hear about Robert and his work from his friend, Neal Hanson, and from Matthew Richardson of Manx National Heritage, who undertook the editorial work.  We also hear from Grainney Sheard, who organises the Manx presence at the Festival Interceltique de Lorient which is now taking place, and briefly from Annie Kissack, speaking from the stage of the Eisteddfod Genedlaethol earlier in the week.

As well as hearing about other opportunities to enjoy a range of music, Yn Chruinnaght is in full swing and we hear from Jo Callister and Chloe Woolley about events from Thursday evening 27th July to Sunday 30th July.  Almost on the eve of the Southern District Agricultural Show, we hear from show Secretary, Zoe Hampton, this year's President (and former Secretary), Sarah Comish, and from immediate past President, Briony Vernon.

We look to the west for the most part this time, as Maralyn Crellin tells us about the Peel Traditional Boat Weekend from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd July, and that's followed by Yn Chruinnaght Celtic Gathering from Monday 24th to Sunday 30th July. However, in addition to events in Peel, Yn Chruinnaght also includes a series of events in Douglas and a packed day in St John's. Chloe Woolley and Jo Callister of Yn Chruinnaght join us to tell us about the events and the performers in Yn Chruinnaght Celtic Gathering 2023.

Since 1979, the North American Manx Association has made an annual award of a series of specially-minted silver medals to young people of the Island who display eminence in aspects of the Island's cultural and community life. This year the ceremony to award these medals, plus two prizes of the Department of Education, Sport and Culture for the most progress in the Manx language, was held on Friday 7th July. We join the ceremony which is opened by Paul Craine, MLC, of the Department of Education, Sport and Culture, and we hear from President of the North American Manx Association, Kelly McCarthy, who presented the medals, and the President of Tynwald, Laurence Skelly, who presented the Department's prizes and gave a vote of thanks.

This is the last programme in this series of 'Shiaght Laa' and it's presented by Fiona McArdle, RBV. IOM Post Office has just issued a set of ten stamps to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Manx Wildlife Trust with designs by MWT Artist in Residence, Clare Payne. We hear more about the work of MWT from Community Ranger, Hannah Phillips, including its role in The Manx Nature Show in Cathedral Isle of Man, about which Outreach and Education Manager of Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch, Jen Adams, reminds us. One of Florrie Forde's hit songs was 'Flanagan' from 1910. It brought a response from another Australian performer in Britain, Billy Williams, who in 1911 announced that 'I'm the Man that Buried Flanagan'. However, that can't have been true because Florrie Forde was able to say, 'Hello there, Flanagan!' as he returned to the Isle of Man in 1919.

Jen Adams, the Outreach and Education Manager for the Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch talks about the three-month project, The Manx Nature Show, which the Watch is steering and which opens in St German's Cathedral on 18th February, running through till 6th May. Taking part in The Manx Nature Show will be 22 environmental organisations, including the Manx Wildlife Trust. Community Ranger Hannah Phillips tells us about the Love Your Beach initiative and a chance to take part in a Bug Hunt in the Trust's Ballachurry reserve in Rushen.

We join the ceremony for the investiture of Shiaght Laa presenter, Fiona McArdle, as Reih Bleeaney Vanannan, the Island's highest cultural award. We hear from Breesha Maddrell, Director of Culture Vannin, and briefly from the Culture Vannin Chairman, Chris Thomas MHK, before we hear from Fiona herself. Moylley as soylley da Fiona McArdle, RBV!  In association with a piano recital by George Todica, Pip Rolfe of the Erin Arts Centre has organized a masterclass earlier in the day in which George Todica will talk about his repertoire and his experience as a leading young professional musician. Monday 13th February is the deadline for entries to Aundyryn Kiaull Theay Vannin, the Manx Folk Awards, and we hear about that from Jo Callister of the Department of Education, Sport and Culture and from Chloe Woolley of Culture Vannin.