This year’s Yn Chruinnaght Celtic gathering has now come to a close, with the week-long event seeing plenty of attendees celebrating the island’s Celtic heritage.
Held from Monday, July 22 to Sunday, July 28, the event kicked off with an opening night gig by trail-blazing Scottish/Manx band HEISK, featuring the island’s Isla Callister, as well as tunes from Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe and Daniel Quayle.
The festival also welcomed talented artists from Ireland, Cornwall and Brittany, who performed various concerts and ceilis as well as sessions in places like Noa Market Hall, The Whitehouse, Miller's T'Ale and Black Dog Oven.
The popular ‘song night’ returned to the Peel Masonic on Tuesday (July 23), which was followed by a celebratory ceili for Arthur Caley (the Manx Giant's) 200th birthday on the Wednesday.
Following a Thursday night performance from award winning Manx Dance group Skeddan Jiarg accompanied by the vocals of Ruth Keggin, the ‘Mega Manx Ceili’ returned to Peel Cathedral on Friday night.
The activities then returned to the Cathedral and the Corrin Hall for the ‘Saturday Gathering’, before the week-long celebration drew to a close with a highly anticipated show from Scottish fiddle legend Duncan Chisholm.
Audiences throughout the week also enjoyed Irish music and dance from The Len Collective and Céilí le Chéile, plus poetry and film, an artisan craft fair, sessions, displays and workshops, and ceili dancing from the Celtic nations.
A spokesperson from the event said: ‘What a week we had.
‘Gura mie ayd - thank you to each and every one of you who came, listened, played, sang, danced and joined in with Yn Chruinnaght 2024. We hope you had as much fun as we did.
‘Our grateful thanks go to all our 2024 festival sponsors and friends, including the Isle of Man Arts Council, Culture Vannin and the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.’
Yn Chruinnaght committee member Chloe Woolley added: ‘This Celtic Gathering has always been an important focus of the year for Manx musicians, singers and dancers who come together to share new material, perform in different places for new and familiar audiences, pass on traditions to the next generation, and celebrate all things Manx alongside their Celtic cousins.
‘We had a tremendous week.’