Raidio Failte receive a warm Manx welcome

Raidio Failte receive a warm Manx welcome

Thu, 29 Jun 2023

Raidió Fáilte, the UK’s only Irish language radio station and based in Belfast in Northern Ireland, visited the island last week to further strengthen links between the Celtic language nations.

The visit was part of a wider project, which Raidió Failte have been doing since the beginning of 2023, called Tionscadal Cholmcille / The Colmcille Project and is part-funded by Foras na Gaeilge through Scéim Deontais Cholmcille / The Colmcille Funding Scheme.

The trip which included attending a traditional Manx music session at the Albert in Port St Mary, broadcasting of a radio show live from Culture Vannin in St Johns, a cultural tour of the Island, a visit to Manx Radio and meeting children and teachers at the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh, was organised by Cillian Breatnach, Manager of Raidió Fáilte.

Cillian said:

“We were charmed by the incredibly warm ‘Failt erriu’ we received from everyone we met within the Manx language and cultural community. Earlier this year Raidió Fáilte visited Scotland, where we conducted bilingual interviews in Irish Gaeilge and Scottish Gáidhlig, and met with various language and cultural groups, organisations and individuals, to discuss the similarities between the two countries /regions. Relationships established during these visits and meetings has already led to discussions about future projects and we are sure that this trip to the Isle of Man will be as beneficial.”

Ruth Keggin Gell, Manx Language Development Officer at Culture Vannin commented:

“The aim for the team at Raidió Fáilte was to meet with groups and individuals involved in the promotion of Manx language, members of the Manx Gaelic speaking community and to discover more about our history and cultural heritage. Culture Vannin was delighted to help to facilitate this and to play an active role in the trip. There is great international interest in our language, and it’s lovely to see a project like this which brings the Isle of Man to wider attention.”

As part of a year-long project, the community-based radio station is engaging in a series of events as part of an overall project to link Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Rathlin Island, through the journey of Colmcille, St Columba. The project will be looking at the linguistic and cultural strands which connect the four separate regions.

At the end of the project Raidió Fáilte will produce a series of radio programmes and podcasts, celebrating and promoting the diversities and similarities between all four regions. This will form the platform for an ongoing series of combined Gaelic radio programming in the three languages of Irish Gaeilge, Scottish Gáidhlig and Manx Gaelic, realising the aims of Colmcille to nourish and strengthen their languages in relationship and partnership with one another.

The final series of radio programmes and podcasts will receive their first broadcasts in November 2023 and will also be available for streaming and download on www.raidiofailte.com

The live programme broadcast from Culture Vannin on Saturday 24 June is available to listen again here: