Dhone Ceremony Takes Place at a Defining Moment for Mannin
The National Illiam Dhone commemoration will take place at Hango Hill Castletown on the 2nd of January.
The event commemorates the execution of Manx Martyr William Christian in 1663 and is the focus for expressions by today's nationalists on contemporary political and cultural affairs.
The event this year takes place against a background of discontent over the current relationship between the Isle of Man and the UK.
In recent months, as a crisis over fiscal matters and health agreements has deepened, there have been outbreaks of direct action in the west of the Island, with roads daubed in Manx urging `Freedom'.
In addition and separately there has been an open call for a Manx Republic, a stance advocated for many years by Mec Vannin the Manx Nationalist Party, which has garnered substantial support.
There have been periodic surges of Nationalism over the past fifty years, since the formation of Mec Vannin in the early 1960s. However, what has caused both politicians and media to be caught off balance by the latest up-swell of opinion is that for the past decade political nationalism has been marginalised and government certainly seemed to think that investment in the cultural expression of national identity had satisfied critics.
The latest manifestations of nationalism on the Island, both overt and covert, show that there is a substantial disconnect between a new breed of nationalists and the establishment. The coming months and years could be a defining period for the Isle of Man and shape its direction as either being a continuing `client state' and adjunct to the UK or as having positive future.
Link to news item about this years Illiam Dhone ceremony here:
Portrait of Illiam Dhone here:
Celtic News articles and links related to last years Illiam Dhone ceremony:
Link to Mec Vannin website here (note the issues of Yn Pabyr Seyr released following the Illiam Dhone ceremony carry full reports so there's several years background here):
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
28/12/09
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