Shiaght Laa Manx Radio

Fiona McArdle introduces Shiaght Laa, and in addition to some of the many other opportunities to enjoy music and song - and the return of the Jurby Mice! - round the Island, we hear about Yn Chruinnaght's Celtic Gathering 2024, which will be held from Monday 22nd July to Sunday 28th July.
Two members of the organising committee, Jo Callister and Chloe Woolley, give us an overview of the whole inter-Celtic festival, before we look particularly at what's happening from Monday to Thursday.
You can find out more at the website : Yn Chruinnaght | Celtic Gathering – Yn Chruinnaght | Celtic Gathering ; or the Facebook page : Celtic Gathering Isle of Man - Yn Chruinnaght | Peel Isle Of Man | Facebook

There are lots of opportunities to enjoy a summer of music in the Island, with a range of styles in a range of venues. We hear of some of them in the programme.
The North American Manx Association (NAMA) again awarded silver medals to young recipients to celebrate their cultural achievements, and there were also two prizes in respect of the Manx language presented by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture just before Tynwald Day.
On Tynwald Day, a member of NAMA was in St John's. Bill Cassidy explains how it is he's a speaker of the Manx language. We also hear of another Manx speaker, Steve Kayll, who lives in Yorkshire. He recently made his first ever trip to the Island, and came along to a Manx conversational evening in Peel.
There's a lot of Manx now being spoken from Tynwald Hill, apart from the fencing of the court in Manx, and we hear His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir John Lorimer and His Honour the Second Deemster, John Needham.

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; and
we 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.