Reih Bleeaney Vanannan award for 2007

Reih Bleeaney Vanannan award for 2007

Fri, 26 Jan 2007

The prestigious Reih Bleeaney Vanannan Trophy (Manannan's Choice of the Year) for 2007 has been presented to retired head teacher Dollin Kelly by the Chief Minister and Chairman of the Manx Heritage Foundation, the Hon. Tony Brown. At a ceremony in the Millennium Room in Legislative Buildings attended by members of Mr Kelly's family and the Foundation, the Chief Minister commended Mr Kelly for his many achievements in the field of Manx culture over the years. Dollin Kelly's involvement with all things Manx goes back as far as the late 1930s when he and his sister Esther, manned a pop stall on Chapel Beach in Port St Mary near their parents' home. His mother was very enterprising and had eight rowing boats for hire in the summer! He was destined to be a teacher, of course, and eventually a head teacher, but in the holidays when he was home from college he earnt a few bob by hawking round herrings, and later spent many happy months working for Norman Crellin as a coach driver. Since then Dollin's contribution to Manx culture has been wide and varied. His profound interest in things Manx meant that the many hundreds of pupils who went through his hands always benefited from knowing more about their heritage and culture. Indeed, the current Chief Minister was one of his pupils at Victoria Road School in Castletown. He was involved with the old Board of Education's Local Studies Group and was the first Chairman of its Manx Language Section. He organised annual local studies conferences and encouraged the idea of teaching Manx in schools, which is now an established practice. He produced Manx materials for use in schools, and even made a 45 rpm recording of Manx pronunciation. In more recent years he has been a member of local choirs, and has been featured on recordings. He is a founder member of Musicale, a group which still performs regularly on and off the Island. He has been an expert exponent of the poems of T E Brown, performing them widely. He produced the acclaimed one-man show of Brown's narrative poem Betsy Lee which he took to Edinburgh and performed as part of the annual Edinburgh Festival. He also issued it as a cassette. Particularly for the Heritage Foundation he has produced a specially edited book of T E Brown's poetry for use in schools. The collection contains extensive notes about the poetry explaining its background and meaning, and has been an invaluable aid for promoting the poet's work. Dollin has given many lectures on T E Brown and has given his time generously around Island schools. His latest contribution to things Manx is the publication of New Manx Worthies, of which Dollin was the General Editor. For nearly ten years Dollin has been coaxing his editorial team and nearly one hundred contributors, to produce a wealth of biographical detail for over 230 men and women whose lives shaped the Island in the 20th century. This publication is just the latest in a long line of important achievements for Dollin Kelly, and for Manx culture. As part of his award Mr Kelly was asked to name a local cultural group who will receive a cheque for £500 from the Foundation to further their cause. Mr Kelly choose the Gaelic choir Caarjyn Cooidjagh which is run by Annie Kissack.

---