Claare Ny Gael - Manx Radio

We open at random a copy of George Jefferson's Manks Advertiser and Weekly Intelligencer for Thursday 8th February 1821 to get a flavour of what Island life was like at that time. It cost over twice as much per year to licence a greyhound (£2 2s) as it did to have a four-horse carriage on the road (£1), and all the details of owners and how much they paid on what was there for all...

In celebration of Noo Breesha, St Bridget, we hear about the custom associated with households vying to attract the saint to lodge with them overnight, which would bring good luck on the household for the rest of the year. We hear an abridged version of the story as told by Kathleen Killip, read by Ian Cottier.  In Manx, we hear the short history of what was reckoned to be the finest ves...

Henry Bloom Noble wrote a letter on 25th January 1886 saying that his wife, Rebecca, would present the site and that he would pay for building a hospital in Douglas (now the Manx Museum building in Kingswood Grove). Their offer was announced and accepted on 27th January. Unfortunately, Rebecca didn't live to see the completion and opening of the hospital in 1888. Our story in Manx is another b...

The 'Lord Hill' was a vessel which traded between Douglas and Liverpool in the early nineteenth century, carrying passengers as well as cargo. She appears to have been wrecked somewhere off the mouth of the Ribble in the early hours of Sunday 17th January 1819 with the loss without trace of 29 passengers and crew on board. Our story in Manx is from a poignant original in English by Amber S...

We visit the northern parish of Kirk Andreas and hear about how the Murray family as Dukes of Atholl indulged in nepotism to hasten the advancement of George Murray in the church. However, our main focus is on the church building, and particularly on the very tall tower, designed by Ewan Christian and built in 1869. There was a slap-up supper for the workmen and a party for their wives and family...

We focus on Manx hero William Christian, known as Illiam Dhone, who was put to death by firing squad at Hango Hill near Castletown through the machinations of Charles Stanley, the Eighth Earl of Derby, on 2nd January 1663. Our story in Manx is a translation of one by Steve Caplin about a bar with an unusual clientele.  As nyn giaull : CAARJYN COOIDJAGH - Baase Illiam Dhone GREG JOUGHIN - Hang...

We hear of traditions of Yn Chegeesh Ommidjagh, the Foolish Fortnight of the Manx Christmas, in the Manx language, but also of traditions in the English language. The White Boys are groups of mummers performing versions of a play they would have found in chapbooks printed in Britain and Ireland sold by chapmen. Hunting the wren is a tradition widespread throughout Britain, Ireland and other Europe...

Our story in Manx (author unknown) follows the snowy footsteps of the tradition of telling ghostly tales at the Christmas time. The snow falls, too, in William Kennish's description of the Oie'll Verree in Maughold Church in the early 1800s, which gives us a glimpse of Yn Chegeesh Ommidjagh, the Foolish Fortnight of the Manx Christmas. As nyn giaull son y Nollick : CAARJYN COOIDJAGH - Tra...

Agricultural leases came to an end at Hop tu Naa, the end of the agricultural year. New ones began Laa Souney. With the change of calendar in 1752, that became Shenn Laa Souney, the modern calendar's 12th November. On the South Side of the Island, possession had to be taken on or before Shenn Laa'l Catreeney (modern 6th December). On the North Side, the date was Shenn Laa'l Andrea...

We celebrate Shenn Laa'l Catreeney, St Catherine's Day by the old-style calendar, which coincides with 6th December by the modern reckoning, with a visit to the well, keeill and present church dedicated to her in Port Erin and then a fair at Bell Abbey in Colby, where there was also a well and keeill, and devotees seem to have been notoriously thirsty. Our story in Manx begins and ends in...

We go along to Gooseneck-lane in Douglas for the opening of what has been a very useful building for all sorts of purposes over the years, and now houses the Family Library. Shortly after the opening of Noble's Hall on 26th November 1906, Gooseneck-lane was developed and renamed Westmoreland Road. Our short story in Manx is a translation from a poignant tale of seeking solace after death by fo...

We hear about the reason the Mona's Isle Steam Packet Company was founded, and about its early competition with the St George's Steam Packet Company of Liverpool. That rivalry ended dramatically with the wreck of the St George on Conister. Fortunately, all aboard were rescued by Douglas lifeboat, though Sir William Hillary suffered six broken ribs in the rescue in the early hours of 20th N...

Via the 1825 Potato Riots and lazy beds for seed potatoes on Peel Hill to restore Ireland's blighted stock after the 1840s we arrive at Archibald Cregeen. In his dictionary he refers to 18th November as Laa'l Spitlhin Geuree. We explore who or what was Spitlhin.  Rather than one story in Manx threaded through the programme, we have eight pieces of flash fiction. As shoh nyn giaull : S...

Hovering as we are between Laa Souney and Shenn Laa Houney, we look at the Ramsey Fair which was traditionally held until the early twentieth century on 8th November - Shenn Laal Simon as Jude, the Feast Day of St Simon and Jude. Biblical references, apocrypha, lost archaeology, murder and lost causes later, we move on to Laal Martin, 9th November. Our story in Manx is from one in English by Ameri...

In 1825, the Bishop of Sodor and Man, George Murray, imposed a tithe on green crops and set tithes far higher than in Great Britain or Ireland. This resulted in riots throughout the Island. We hear part of the account written by the Bishop's wife, Lady Sarah Murray, of the very real dangers and of avoiding the wrath of the mobs. Our story in Manx is a translation of a satire by American writer...

Two Peel men, James Moore and Thomas Siddleton, were sentenced to hang for robbery with violence in 1832. Moore confessed but Siddleton protested his innocence, even with his feet on the trapdoor and his neck in the noose. We look at the case and their execution which took place on 22nd October 1832.  Our story in Manx is all about strange goings on on 31st October, so perhaps a week in advan...

James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby, was known as Yn Stanlagh Mooar ('the great Stanley') by the Manx people, not from affection but as an acknowledgement of the power he exercised, not just in the Isle of Man and the north-west of England and North Wales, but in the royal court and in the House of Lords. He fought for the crown in the civil war. After his capture, Oliver Cromwell gave an ord...

It's a poetic edition of Claare ny Gael with pieces of poetry read by their authors : Kerron Clague - untitled : Ruth Baxendale - Tholt-y-Will Glen : Vinty Kneale - When I were young : Stacey Astill - Cronk ny Arrey Laa : David Kelly - The buggane : Annie Kissack - When the wind blows : Kerron Clague - Cartography in wire. It's the final part of our story in Manx, a translation from Mike S...

In 1263, King Hakon of Norway brought a large fleet together to attack King Alexander III of Scotland. King Magnus of Man was among the followers of Hakon. The Battle of Largs of 2nd October 1263 was indecisive, but following it Hakon became ill and died, and his fleet sailed back to Norway. King Magnus had no option but to agree to Alexander III as his overlord. Magnus died in 1265, and in 1266 N...

When poor weather brought a poor harvest, some Manx landowners wanted to ship grain off the Island to take advantage of higher market prices elsewhere - but leaving the Island with a shortage and prices beyond the reach of many people for their staple food. The outcome was rioting, which started in Peel on 29th September 1821 and spread to Douglas soon after.  Our story in Manx is the opening...

Mona Douglas was born on 18th September 1898, and we remember her in this edition of Claare ny Gael. On a more sombre note, Laa'l Mian, St Matthew's Day (21st September) is the anniversary of the wreck of the herring fleet in the mouth of Douglas Harbour. We hear contemporary reports about it and the song in Manx made on the tragedy. Our story in Manx is a little shorter, and it's a st...

We hear about a tragedy at the mouth of Douglas Harbour when three men on board a smack, 'Hero', were drowned on 13th September 1873. The event also caused the resignation of the coxswain of Douglas lifeboat, William Curphey, who had been critical of the position of the lifeboat house, on the Harris Promenade below St Thomas's Church. He was proved right when the lifeboat was unable to...

In January of 1901, S K Broadbent & Co published an announcement that the manuscript of a new book by A W Moore had been received and would be published later that year. It was to contain the biographies of over 200 distinguished Manx people. The book was 'Manx Worthies' and duly appeared on Tuesday 27th August 1901. We dip into the Isle of Man Examiner and Mona's Herald reports of...

We hear about the celebrations when the Ramsey Steam Packet Company's vessel, 'Manx Fairy' first arrived in the Island from Liverpool, and particularly when it came into its home port of Ramsey. In Manx we have a translation of a story by Frank Roger about a mysterious burning woman who appears as a vision to a lonely man. As y kiaull ain : SANDY CROSS, MUSICALE & THE MANX YOUTH BA...

Magnus Barefoot was a King of Norway who left that country and made his base here in Mann in the 1090s. The Chronicle of the Kings of Mann and the Isles regards him as de facto King of Mann and the Isles at that time. He was restless and aggressive, attacking the other Mona, the Isle of Anglesey, and going on to be belligerent towards Ireland. Having planned an attack, he went on ahead of his main...