A huge festival of Celtic music and dance took place over the Easter weekend during a special 25th anniversary celebration.

Shennaghys Jiu began in the late 90s in a bid to showcase Manx talent and link it with Celtic neighbours from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall.

The event has steadily grown over the years to become a firm fixture in the Manx culture calendar with a programme of traditional music and dance.

Shennaghys Jiu is not just a weekend of fun and entertainment, it has also been something of a launchpad for local artists, with many first performing at the festival before going on to have impressive careers.

Organiser wanted to mark the 25th year by inviting back some old favourites who were integral in growing the festival over the years. Such performers included Isla Callister and Friends, Matt Kelly and Fochabers. There were also performances from Dhoon Primary School, along with an art exhibition by school children at Ramsey Town Hall.

The event was based largely in Ramsey with outdoor performances, along with gigs in the Masonic Hall and various pubs. There was also a concert at the Peel Centenary Centre on the Sunday.

On the website, organisers said: ‘It seems hard to believe that so much time has passed since that first festival in 1998, as it seems like yesterday that the first ideas of the festival were discussed.

‘Little did we know that that first year would be the beginning of a journey of new friendships and one of the platforms for so many of our young talented musicians from the island to develop their skills and share Manx culture to a wider audience.

‘We remain incredibly proud of our involvement with Manx culture over the years and continue to watch with admiration the successes of many talented artists who first performed at Shennaghys Jiu as young people and who are now blazing a train for others to follow.’