Manx language festival returns to the island

The Manx language festival, Cooish Vooar, has returned to the island, with more than 32 events taking place across five days.

Organised by Culture Vannin in partnership with Jeebin, the Manx Language Network, the event started on Friday and will end on Tuesday.

The festival opened with the premiere of the world's first Manx-language opera, Caillagh, composed by Matthew Warren and written by Bob Carswell, and this year's event coincides with Blein ny Gaelgey, the Year of the Manx Language.

Tiffany Kerruish, Culture Vannin's Year of the Manx Language coordinator, said the aim was to create "the biggest and most ambitious Cooish yet".

She added that the event had been timed for September so the language could be experienced "alongside many of the island's other unique cultural experiences."

Ruth Keggin Gell, Manx language development officer at Culture Vannin, said the festival had become "a much-loved fixture in the island's cultural calendar".

The Celebration of Poetry, run separately by Manx Litfest, takes place at Noa Bakehouse in Douglas. About 20 poets will perform. New Manx Bard Declan will defend the audience-choice title he won last year.

Yn Mheillea (The Harvest), a concert organised by the Yn Chruinnaght Celtic Gathering.

A talk from YouTuber RobWords, whose channel explores language and etymology, discussing Manx with historians and language experts.

An InterGaelic concert at the Gaiety Theatre, headlined by Scottish Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis and her quartet Allt.

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