Encyclopedia
The
Isle of Man or
Mann , is an
island located in the
Irish Sea at the geographical centre of Great Britain and Ireland. Although it is not part of the
United Kingdom, it is a Crown dependency.
Geography
The Isle of Man is part of the
British Isles, an
archipelago off the north-western coast of mainland
Europe. The island lies in the
Irish Sea, approximately
equidistant between
England,
Scotland and
Ireland.
Approximately 48 kilometres long and between 13 and 24 kilometres wide, the island has an area of around 572 kmē .
Hills in the north and south are bisected by a central valley. The extreme north is exceptionally flat, consisting mainly of deposits built up by deposition from glacial advances from Western
Scotland during colder times. There are more recently deposited shingle
beaches at the
Point of Ayre. It has only one mountain higher than 2,000
feet,
Snaefell, with a height of 621 metres . According to an old saying, from the summit one can see six kingdoms: those of Mann,
Scotland,
England,
Ireland,
Wales, and
Heaven.
People
According to the 2001 census, the Isle of Man is home to 76,315 people, of whom around 25,347 reside in the Island's capital,
Douglas . This gives the island a
population density of 133 per square kilometre, or 345 people per square mile.
Culture
The culture of the Isle of Man is strongly influenced by its
Celtic and Norse origins.
Manx is closely related to the
Scottish Gaelic and
Irish languages.
By the middle of the 20th century only a few elderly native speakers remained , but by then a scholarly revival had begun to spread to the populace and many had learned Manx as a second language. The first native speakers of Manx in many years have now appeared: children brought up by Manx-speaking parents. Primary immersion education in Manx is provided by the Manx government: since 2003, the former
St. John's School building has been used by the
Bunscoill Gaelgagh . Degrees in Manx are available from the Isle of Man College, the Centre for Manx Studies and the
University of Edinburgh. Manx-language playgroups also exist, and Manx language classes are available in island schools. In the 1991 census, 1,689 out of a population of about 71,000 claimed to have knowledge of Manx, although the degree of knowledge in these cases presumably varied. It is currently enjoying a revival of the Gaelic
Manx language .
A well known Manx expression is "Traa Dy Liooar", meaning "time enough" and represents a stereotypical view of the Manx attitude to life.
Food and drink
The national dish of the island is "Spuds and Herrin'", boiled
potatoes and
herring. This plain dish is chosen because of its role supporting the subsistence farmers of the island, who crofted the land and fished the sea for centuries.
Seafood makes up a large proportion of the Manx diet. Although commercial fishing has declined in recent years, local delicacies include manx
kippers which are produced by the smokeries on the west coast of the island, albeit mainly from North Sea herring these days. The smokeries also produce other specialities including smoked
salmon and
bacon.
Crab,
lobster and
scallops are commercially fished, and the Queen Scallop is regarded as a particular delicacy, with a light, sweet flavour.
Cod, ling and mackerel are often angled for the table, and freshwater
trout and
salmon can be taken from the local rivers and lakes, supported by the Government fish hatchery at Cornaa.
Manx meat has a good reputation.
Cattle,
sheep,
pigs and
poultry are all commercially farmed, Manx lamb from the hill-farms being a popular dish. The Loughtan, the indigenous breed of manx sheep, has a rich, dark meat that has found favour with chefs, featuring in dishes on the BBC's
Masterchef series.
Milk and
cheese are produced by IOM Creameries. Manx cheese has been a particular success, featuring smoked and herb-flavoured varieties, and is stocked by many of the UK's supermarket chains. Manx cheese took bronze medals in the 2005 British Cheese Awards, and sold 578 tonnes over the year.
Beer is brewed on a commercial scale by Okells Brewery and Bushy's Brewery.
Okells produces a number of beers including classic bitters, ales and milds, with a range of specialities including "Mac Lir"
wheat beer and "Aile" smoked porter.
Martin Brunnschweiler's "Bushy's Brewery" is a relatively recent startup that has found favour with the younger crowd and with the TT fans who congregate in his beer tent over the TT festival. Bushy's produces ales, bitters and stouts, including "Old Bushy Tail" and "Piston Brew", alongside one-off specials and seasonal brews.
"Manx Spirit", a spirit distilled from
Scotch whisky, is produced by Kella Distillers.
Government
Structure
The Isle of Man is a self-governing crown dependency. The
Head of State is the Lord of Mann, who since 1765 has been the British Sovereign, currently
Elizabeth II. She is represented by the Island's
Lieutenant Governor. The
United Kingdom is responsible for the Island's defence and for representing the Island in international forums, while the Island's own
parliament has competence over almost all domestic matters.
The Island's parliament is
Tynwald , which dates from at least AD 979. Tynwald is a bicameral legislature, comprising the House of Keys and the Legislative Council . These two bodies meet together in joint session as Tynwald. There is a Council of Ministers, which is headed by the Chief Minister, currently Donald Gelling MLC.
External relations
A common misconception exists that Mann forms part of the
United Kingdom. Under British law it does not, although the
United Kingdom takes care of its external and defence affairs, and retains paramount power to legislate for the Island. The Isle of Man had a dispute with the
European Court of Human Rights in the 1970s because it was reluctant to change its laws concerning
birching . The law on sodomy might have also led down this road had it not been changed in the early 1990s.
The Isle of Man holds neither membership nor associate membership of the
European Union, and lies outside the
European Economic Area . Nonetheless, Protocol Three of the permits trade for Manx goods without non-EU tariffs. In conjunction with the Customs and Excise agreement with the UK, this facilitates free trade with the UK. While Manx goods can be freely moved within the EEA, people, capital and services cannot.
There is no Manx citizenship. Citizenship is covered by UK law, and Manx people are classed as
British citizens. However, those defined as Manx under Protocol Three have a special endorsement placed in their passports preventing them from freely living or working in EU states. Those Manx persons with a parent or grandparent born in the United Kingdom , or who have lived in the UK for five years, are not subject to this provision.
The restriction on free movement of persons is anomalous in that the treaty establishing the EU clearly states that all citizens of member states will also be citizens of the EU. However a special protocol was inserted in the Treaty of Accession of the United Kingdom excluding the
Channel Islands and Isle of Man from the provisions governing free movement of people. This was done at the request of the governments of
Jersey,
Guernsey and the Isle of Man at the time.
Travel to the Isle of Man is regulated by the local government laws, although the Isle of Man is part of the Common Travel Area. Visitors from countries who require a UK visa may also require a special Manx visa, obtainable from a British diplomatic mission. All non-Manx, including UK citizens, are required to obtain a work permit to take up employment on the Island until they have lived there for five years or more.
Politics
Most Manx politicians stand for election as independents rather than as representatives of political parties. Though political parties do exist, their influence is not nearly as strong as is the case in the United Kingdom. Consequently, much Manx legislation develops through consensus among the members of Tynwald, which contrasts with the much more adversarial nature of the UK
parliament.
One political party,
Mec Vannin, advocates the establishment of a sovereign
republic. A Manx Labour Party also exists, unaffiliated to the UK Labour Party. The island formerly had a Manx National Party and a Manx Communist party. There are Manx members in the Celtic League, a political pressure group that advocates greater co-operation between and political autonomy for the
Celtic nations. The main political issues include the Island's relationship with the finance sector, housing prices and shortages, and the
Manx language. The vast majority of the members of the House of Keys are non-partisan , with two representatives from the Manx Labour Party and three from the Alliance for Progressive Government. The next scheduled election is in 2006.
Local government
The Isle of Man is divided into six administrative districts, called sheadings. The six sheadings are Ayre, Glenfaba, Garff, Michael, Rushen and Middle. The sheadings form the basis of some constituencies and each has a
Coroner. This office must not be confused with the Coroner for Inquests, a role usually fulfilled by the High Bailiff. A person may fulfil the role of coroner for more than one sheading at the same time.
The term 'sheading' is thought to be a
Norse word for 'ship division'; each district was believed to be responsible for producing a certain number of warships. It could also be a
Celtic word meaning 'sixth part'.
Economy
The Isle of Man is a low tax economy with income tax rates of 10% and 18% and 0% rate of corporate tax. Offshore
banking, manufacturing, and
tourism form key sectors of the
economy of the Isle of Man. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the Island has expanded
employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result,
agriculture and
fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of
gross domestic product . Banking and other services now contribute the great bulk of GDP.
Trade takes place mostly with the
United Kingdom. The Isle of Man has access to
European Union markets.
The Isle of Man has also recently entered the online gambling industry. In 2005
PokerStars, one of the world's largest
online poker sites, relocated its headquarters to the Isle of Man from
Costa Rica.
The Manx government also promotes island locations for making films by contributing to the production costs. Among the most successful productions funded in part by the Isle of Man film industry was
Waking Ned where the Manx countryside stood in for rural
Ireland plus films like Stormbreaker, Shergar, Tom Brown's Schooldays, I Capture the Castle, The Libertine , Island at War , 5 Children and IT, Colour me Kubrick, Sparkle, and so much more: check out http://www.gov.im/dti/iomfilm/pastproductions.xml
Since 1999, the Isle of Man has received
electricity through the world's longest submarine AC cable, the 90 kV Isle of Man to England Interconnector, as well as from a natural gas power station in
Douglas, an oil power station in
Peel and a small hydro-electric power station in Sulby Glen.
History
Ancient times to present
The Isle of Man became a
Viking outpost/kingdom from
circa AD 700 to AD 900. The Norse Kingdom of Mann and the Isles was created by Godred Crovan in 1079. Norway's King
Magnus VI ceded the isles to
Scotland in 1266, as dictated in the Treaty of Perth. The Isle of Man came under English control in the 14th century and to the
British Crown in 1765.
The Isle of Man was used as a base for Alien Civilian
Internment camps in both the
First World War and the
Second World War .
The Tynwald
The Island arguably has the oldest continuous parliament in the world, the
Tynwald, nominally founded in 979 AD . The annual ceremonial meeting at Tynwald Hill, on
Tynwald Day in July, continues the celebration of the Island's national day. The main purpose of the occasion is to read the titles and to give a brief description of the new laws which have been enacted by the Tynwald Court during the previous year.
The Triskelion
For centuries, the Island's symbol has been the ancient
Triskelion and is similar to
Sicily's
Trinacria: three bent legs, each with a spur, joined at the thigh. The Triskelion does not appear to have an official definition — Government publications, currency, flags, the tourist authority and others all use different variants. Most, but not all, preserve rotational symmetry. Some run clockwise, others anticlockwise. Some have the uppermost thigh at 12:00, others at 11:30 or 10:00, etc. Some have the knee bent at 90°, some at 60°, some at closer to 120°. Also the degree of ornamentation of the leg wear and spur vary considerably.
The three legs relate directly to the island's motto —
Quocunque Jeceris Stabit, which translates to
Whithersoever you throw it, it will stand. Interpretations of the motto often stress stability and robustness in the Manx character. Many schools on the island have adapted the motto to promote perseverance and hard work.
Variations on the Triskelion are still in use on the coats of arms belonging to the different branches of the ancient Norwegian noble family that ruled Mann up until the 13th century. This particular version belongs to the
Skancke branch of the
Skanke family. The name stems from
skank, the Norwegian version of the word shank. The Norse royal family of Man stayed on the island for some years after the death of
Magnus III and the beginning of Scottish rule. The family's emigration only came after the a final attempt on the Manx' part at restoring the old Sudreyar dynasty in the 1275 uprising against the Scots. This revolt failed disastrously, ending in the deaths of hundreds of rebels, including the last Norse King of Man, Godred Magnusson when the Manx suffered defeat in the decisive Battle of Ronaldsway, near
Castletown. When the Norse-Manx royals arrived in Norway they took service as nobles of the Norwegian king, quickly becoming
knights, landlords, and
clergy under the Norwegian Crown.
Sport
The Isle of Man is represented as a nation in the
Commonwealth Games and the
Island Games and will be hosting the IV Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011. The Island started the
Island Games in 1985.
Isle of Man teams and individuals participate in many sports both on and off the island. Among the many sports played on the island are
cricket,
football,
gymnastics,
hockey and
Rugby Union.
Motorcycle racing
The main international
motorcycle event associated with the island is the
Isle of Man TT, which began in 1907 and takes place in late May & early June. It is now an international road racing event for motor bikes and used to be part of the World Championship. The
Manx Grand Prix is a motorcycle event for amateurs and private entrants that uses the same 37.73 mile Snaefell mountain course in late August and early September.
Cammag
One sport that originated on the Isle of Man is cammag. This is similar to the
Scottish game of
shinty, and
Irish hurling. It used to be the most widespread sport on the Isle of Man, but it ceased to be played after the introduction of
football, until very recently when it has been somewhat revived. It involves a stick and a
ball with anything between four and hundreds of players. Sometimes whole towns and villages took part, or even played each other. The cammag can be any stick with a bent end, and the crick can be made from cork or wood. Old accounts tell us that it was occasionally covered in a rag to make it less painful to hit. Cammag season started on Hunt the Wren Day and was only played by men during the winter. Realistically, it ceased to be played around 1900. However, in modern times, an annual match of cammag is played in
St. John's . As there are no rules to cammag, a trip to the local inn is advised to ease any feelings of cowardice beforehand!
Famous residents
A small number of famous people live on the island:
- The Bee Gees were born on the island.
- Robert Henry Cain is an oil company executive who was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry during Operation Market Garden in September 1944. He is the father of Frances Catherine Cain , wife of Jeremy Clarkson.
- Jeremy Clarkson has a home at Langness, near Castletown. His wife Frances was born on the island, a place described by Clarkson in 2004 as "a thorn in the side of Tony Blair's nanny state," because of its lack of an upper speed limit. This home was revealed to be a lighthouse during the July 5, 2006 episode of The F-Word is a British [i] food magazine and cooking show [i] featuring ...
. - Alan Warner, a multi-millionaire and prolific writer, novelist, lyricist and screenwriter born December 8, 1960 in Bolton, Lancashire. He moved to the Isle of Man from the UK in 1989. He lives a reclusive and modest lifestyle in the north of the island.
- Neil Hodgson, the 2003 World Superbike
...
champion.
- George MacDonald Fraser, the journalist, author, and screenwriter; the title of his 2002 memoir Light's on at Signpost is a reference to the Isle of Man TT race.
- Nigel Mansell, the British racing driver, lived on the Isle of Man together with his family, and was a Special Constable throughout his Formula One career. After retirement, he later moved to Jersey and then to the USA.
- Justin Jackson is a professional footballer who played for numerous English league and non-league clubs including Bolton Wanderers, Halifax Town, Rushden and Diamonds, Doncaster Rovers and Morecambe.
- Rick Wakeman has lived on the island for a number of years.
- Sir Norman Wisdom, comedian and actor, is a long-term resident.
- Charlotte Lamb, a prolific and bestselling romantic novelist , best-known for writing over 150 Mills & Boon novels, lived on the Island from 1977 until her death in October 2000.
- Florrie Forde , known as the queen of the music hall sing along chorus, performed at the Derby Castle ballroom stage from 1900 to 1937 and had a bungalow at Niarbyl Bay on the west coast of the island where she spent her Sundays relaxing.
- John Rhys-Davies has lived on the island for a number of years and is best known for his acting roles in Indiana Jones as Sallah, in Sliders as Professor Arturo and in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy as Gimli.
- Alex Lloyd , winner of the McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award, is from the island.
See also
http://www.photoboxgallery.com/jkhardsphotography
References
External links
- The Isle of Man national radio station
- An extensive guide to the Isle of Man
- A comprehensive site covering many aspects of Manx life from fishing to financial regulation
- Hansards, Order Papers and Background to the Manx Government.
- Extensive photographic library.
- [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/im.html The World Factbook listing for the Isle of Man]
- Local discussion forum
- IMDb listing of films using Manx locations
- 360 degree pictures of the Isle of Man.
- Website of the Isle of Man Basketball Association
- Directory of Isle of Man Websites
