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Shiaght Laa
Manx Radio's weekly programme looking at Manx life from a different angle, exploring the historical, social, linguistic and academic issues.
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Episodes
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Shiaght Laa 14th November 2024
Thursday, 14 November 2024
Fiona McArdle introduces a programme in which we hear Ruth Keggin Gell give her reaction to this year's Cooish Manx Language Festival which she co-ordinated, and we also hear from special guest to the festival, Scottish Gaelic singer Joy Dunlop, who tells us about her own experience of the Scottish Gaelic language and her careers as an award winning singer and as a television presenter in a range of Scottish Gaelic programmes.Kate Jerry and Collette Gambell run the Artreach Studios in Peel, where they have a wide range of events, with great opportunities to enjoy getting involved in hands-o...
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Shiaght Laa 7th November 2024
Thursday, 7 November 2024
Fiona McArdle introduces a programme in which we hear from yn Greinneyder, Culture Vannin's Manx Language Development Officer, Ruth Keggin Gell, about the Cooish Manx Language Festival 2024, which is running from Wednesday 6th to Sunday 10th November, and includes a concert with Scottish Gaidhlig singer, Joy Dunlop, accompanied by Ron Jappy. Joy will also be giving workshops in Scottish Gaelic and singing in that language, whilst Ron will be giving a workshop on guitar accompaniment and a Scottish tune workshop.We also look ahead to performances on Thursday 14th, Friday 15th and Saturday 16...
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Shiaght Laa 31st October 2024
Thursday, 31 October 2024
As soon as the sun goes down, we start a new 24 hour cycle consisting of the eve, followed by the day itself. Sundown on 31st October brings the Manx tradition of Hop tu Naa, with its surprising variation of associated songs, some of which we hear, whilst Culture Vannin's Online and Educational Resources Officer, James Franklin, tells us more about the tradition.Culture Vannin's Manx Language Development Officer, Ruth Keggin Gell, has been co-ordinating the work which goes into making the Cooish Manx Language Festival, running this year from Wednesday 6th to Sunday 10th November. Ruth outli...
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Shiaght Laa 24th October 2024
Thursday, 24 October 2024
From Saturday 26th October there'll be an exhibition entitles 'Rare Sightings and Urban Faeries' at the Manx Museum in Douglas. We hear from the curator of the exhibition for Eiraght Ashoonagh Vannin, Manx National Heritage, Nicola Tooms, before we hear from the artist herself, Julia Ashby Smyth, who has 77 images on display.In a week's time it'll be Hop tu Naa. Whilst there's a feeling that it remains a strong Manx tradition, that's never been evaluated. This year Culture Vannin's Online and Educational Resources Officer, James Franklin, is encouraging people to take part in what will be a...
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Shiaght Laa 15th August 2024
Thursday, 15 August 2024
Maralyn Crellin gives us an overview of some of the opportunities to enjoy a range of music in the course of the next week. Some of these take place as part of concert seasons in churches, and we also hear about St Paul's Church in Ramsey, celebrating the anniversary of its consecration by Bishop George Murray on 18th August 1822.However, our main focus is on 15th August, which is Laa'l Moirrey Toshee, the principal feast day of St Mary, who remains an important figure for the church in Man. A well-known song in Manx, collected by Mona Douglas, invokes 'blessed Mary' to increase the milk of...
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Shiaght Laa 8th August 2024
Thursday, 8 August 2024
Fiona McArdle hosts this edition of Shiaght Laa in which we hear of Manx representatives at two large festivals. This week, Yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol is taking place in Pontypridd, and Manx delegates Nicola Tooms and Matilda Watson were welcomed to the stage by the Archdderwydd. Lorient in Brittany will again be abuzz with music, and from Monday 12th to Sunday 18th August, a large contingent of Manxies will be taking part in the city's huge Festival Interceltique. We hear about it from Grainney Sheard, her sister Ealee, Breeshey Kermode of Biosphere Isle of Man and Blue Badge guide Jacquel...
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Shiaght Laa 1st August 2024
Thursday, 1 August 2024
In this edition of 'Shiaght Laa' we hear about some of the many opportunities to enjoy music and exhibitions of various sorts, about a tradition associated with 1st August - known in Manx as Laa Luanys or Laa Luanistyn - and hear from some of the people who enjoyed Yn Chruinnaght Celtic Gathering last week, and how it was that they came to be in the Island for it.We hear from the duo, Tarmac, James Green (from Port St Mary) and Suzie Wilcox; two young women from Switzerland; Fiona and Anna from the USA; and members of the group of Irish musicians, singers and dancers, The Len Collective.
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Shiaght Laa 25th July 2024
Thursday, 25 July 2024
Maralyn Crellin is our host as we rejoin Chloe Woolley and Jo Callister of the organising committee of Yn Chruinnaght for news about what's happening from today (Thursday 25th) to Sunday 28th July.Visitors to Yn Chruinnaght this year from Brittany, mother and daughter Brigitte and Katell Kloareg tell us about the situation with Breton-medium education and about their background and repertoire.Plus an overview of just some of the many events happening round the Island.
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Shiaght Laa 18th July 2024
Thursday, 18 July 2024
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 Gather...
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Shiaght Laa 11th July 2024
Thursday, 11 July 2024
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,...
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Shiaght Laa 23rd May 2024
Thursday, 23 May 2024
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 ...
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Shiaght Laa 16th May 2024
Thursday, 16 May 2024
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 ...
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Shiaght Laa 9th May 2024
Thursday, 9 May 2024
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 ...
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Shiaght Laa, 2nd May 2024
Thursday, 2 May 2024
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 ...
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Shiaght Laa 25th April 2025
Thursday, 25 April 2024
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 ...
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Shiaght Laa 18th April 2024
Thursday, 18 April 2024
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...
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Shiaght Laa 11th January 2024
Thursday, 11 January 2024
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...
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Shiaght Laa 4th January 2024
Thursday, 4 January 2024
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.
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Shiaght Laa 14th December 2023
Thursday, 14 December 2023
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).
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Shiaght Laa 7th December 2023
Thursday, 7 December 2023
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 presente...
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Shiaght Laa 30th November 2023
Thursday, 30 November 2023
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 ...
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Shiaght Laa 23rd November 2023
Thursday, 23 November 2023
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...
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Shiaght Laa 17th August 2023
Thursday, 17 August 2023
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, i...
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Shiaght Laa 10th August 2023
Thursday, 10 August 2023
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 Lori...
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Shiaght Laa 27th July 2023
Thursday, 27 July 2023
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.
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Shiaght Laa 20th July 2023
Thursday, 20 July 2023
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.
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Shiaght Laa 13th July 2023
Thursday, 13 July 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 McCa...
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Shiaght Laa 23rd February 2023
Thursday, 23 February 2023
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 fro...
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Shiaght Laa 16th February 2023
Thursday, 16 February 2023
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.
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Shiaght Laa 9th February 2023
Thursday, 9 February 2023
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....
